Mahindra & Mahindra unveils its driverless tractor, sales to begin in 2018

Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) today showcased its first ever driverless tractor which it plans to introduce commercially next year.

The company, which has developed the tractor at its Chennai-based Mahindra Research Valley, plans to offer the driverless technology across its range of tractors from 20 HP to 100 HP over a period of time.

"This innovation will change the future of farming by increasing productivity, leading to increased food production to feed the growing needs of the world," M&M Managing Director Pawan Goenka said in a statement.

The tractor would be available commercially from next year in a phased manner.

"Coupled with our DiGiSENSE technology that we launched last year, the driverless tractor offers a distinct advantage to the Indian farmer by bringing an unprecedented level of intelligence to the tractor," M&M

President Farm Equipment Sector Rajesh Jejurikar said.

The technology would be deployed across Mahindra tractor platforms in due course of time, he added.

"It will also be deployed across international markets such as the US and Japan, giving Mahindra tractors a distinct competitive edge in global markets with technological advancement being at the forefront," Jejurikar said.

The tractor comes loaded with various features including autosteer and auto-headland turn which enables it to orient itself along adjacent rows for continuous operation without any steering input from the farmer.

The model also comes with various safety features including remote engine start-stop option.