A tractor for the hilly terrain soon

SAS Motors, makers of Angad, the most economical tractor in India plans to roll out a first of its kind tractor customised for the hilly farming areas of the country.

Although various automobile companies are working on prototypes for the hilly regions, SAS will be the first one to start commercial production. The new tractor will be powered by a 6 hp engine and will be priced at around Rs 35,000. It will be produced at the company's Pune, Kolkata and Bhopal production plants.

The features have been custom-made for hilly terrains and soil conditions. The product will be rolled out in the next three months although it has not been named yet.  Unlike other models, it will not be sold under the Angad brand name.

With the entry of its flagship model, Angad 22 hp tractor in Gujarat, SAS Motors has lined up expansion plans in the state. In Gujarat, the tractor costs Rs 1.5 lakh, which is much lower than the competitor's prices, which are in the Rs 4

lakh range.

The company also claims that their model is 30 per cent more fuel efficient and will incur 30 per cent less maintenance costs than the other models in the market. Demand for tractors in the state has been pegged at 16,000 units and the company hopes to sell 4,000 units per month with its launch right from the start owing to the cost factor.

"We have identified Gujarat as the market with the strongest potential and have already expanded our dealership network from 18 to 30 recently. We also plan to put up a production plant in Gujarat in the next few months, as we foresee sales to take off in a big way," said Ravindra Kumar, managing director, SAS Motors.

The firm has received the central government's approval for plying the vehicles around three weeks back and is on the verge of a nationwide expansion of its products. It is also planning to collaborate with 5,000 agriculture students for further research and development.