THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

NEW DELHI, JANUARY 12, 2026

India has long been shaped by visionary leaders whose foresight has transformed industries and carried Indian excellence to the world stage. Sonalika Tractors embodies this ethos as it celebrates 30 years of trust and partnership with farmers, driven by its enduring belief in ‘Jeetne Ka Dum’.

From its modest beginnings in Hoshiarpur, Sonalika’s three-decade journey has grown into a globally renowned USD 1.1 billion tractor business. Recognised among the Fortune 500 list of India’s largest companies, Sonalika today stands as India’s No.1 tractor export brand, the third-largest tractor manufacturer in the country — the world’s largest tractor market — and the fifth-largest tractor brand globally.

Sonalika’s story is deeply rooted in the vision of its founder and Chairman, L.D. Mittal, whose belief in Indian agriculture was simple yet powerful: Indian farmers deserve ‘JeetneKa Dum’ — more power, more reliability, more dignity, and technology designed for Indian conditions. After retiring from LIC, when many choose to slow down, Mittal chose to rise. His conviction in India’s agricultural potential resonated strongly with his sons, Dr. A.S. Mittal and Dr. Deepak Mittal, who together laid the foundation of Sonalika — grounded not in boardrooms, but in the realities of farms, workshops and farmer aspirations.

The journey began with agricultural implements, where Sonalika’s threshers redefined reliability and performance. Farmer trust followed swiftly, soon giving rise to demand for tractors built with the same uncompromising strength.

In 1996, at a time when standardisation dominated the tractor industry, Sonalika made a bold and unconventional choice. Despite limited access to advanced R&D facilities, it committed to designing tractors tailored to India’s diverse crops, soils and regional requirements. While others built tractors for markets, Sonalika built them for farmers.

This farmer-first philosophy, coupled with a disciplined commitment to remain debt-free, became the cornerstone of Sonalika’s DNA. The Mittals believed Indian farmers were not a single segment, but a nation defined by varied climates, cultures and aspirations. Such was the strength of Sonalika’s engineering that the very first tractor produced over 30 years ago still starts effortlessly at the first crank—standing as a living symbol of enduring trust.

As demand for heavy-duty and customised tractors grew, vendors were initially hesitant to support deep modifications due to low volumes. Under the leadership of Vice Chairman Dr. A.S. Mittal, Sonalika responded by building robust in-house manufacturing capabilities from 2011 onwards, producing engines, transmissions, gearboxes, sheet metal and key aggregates internally.

This vertical integration enabled Sonalika to mainstream high-horsepower tractors and introduce advanced features such as bigger engines, power steering, oil-immersed brakes and multi-speed transmissions, even in entry-level models. Today, the brand offers region-specific customised tractors — including paddy-special Mahabali for southern terrains, Chattrapati for Maharashtra and Maharaja for Rajasthan — alongside a comprehensive range of over 70 farm implements aimed at boosting farm productivity.

To meet growing demand, Sonalika expanded the production capacity of its Hoshiarpur plant from 50,000 to one lakh tractors annually. Yet the vision extended far beyond. In 2017, Sonalika commissioned the world’s largest fully integrated tractor manufacturing facility, capable of rolling out one tractor every two minutes through advanced robotic and automated multi-flex assembly lines.

Today, Sonalika develops more than 2,000 models across the 20–120 HP range, serving both domestic and global markets. The company has also fostered a thriving MSME ecosystem around Hoshiarpur, generating large-scale employment and transforming the region into a global industrial hub. Complementing this is Sonalika’s expansive dealer and service network, built on shared prosperity, capability development and after-sales excellence, ensuring seamless farmer support throughout the product lifecycle.

Under the leadership of Managing Director Dr. Deepak Mittal, Sonalika’s customisation philosophy scaled globally. The company exported its first tractor in 2004, became the first Indian brand to enter Europe in 2011, and steadily expanded its footprint across Asia, Africa, Latin America and beyond.

In FY’19, Sonalika emerged as India’s No.1 tractor export brand — a position it has retained for seven consecutive years. Today, the company commands an unassailable 30 per cent share of India’s tractor exports, meaning every third tractor exported from the country originates from Sonalika’s Hoshiarpur facility. This plant also serves as the mother facility supplying CKD kits to six strategic overseas assembly plants. With a presence in over 150 countries and leadership positions in more than 15 countries across its addressable segments, Sonalika continues to take ‘Jeetneka Dum’ to the world.

Even as Sonalika rose to global prominence, it remained anchored in strong values. Guided by the principles of Mittal, the company ushered in a new era of transparency in Indian agriculture by becoming the first company to publish tractor prices on its website in 2022. In 2025, Sonalika went a step further, once again becoming the first in India to disclose tractor service costs online — cementing a lifelong pact of trust and respect with farmers.

As Sonalika steps into its next chapter, inspired by the wisdom, values and core beliefs of its founders, the new generation of leadership is firmly committed to shaping the future. The company is poised to scale its production capacity to three lakh tractors annually, positioning itself among a select group of global manufacturers operating at an integrated scale.

Beyond products, Sonalika aims to transform the farmer experience through digital platforms, connected diagnostics and personalised retail engagement, building a seamless solution ecosystem across every touchpoint.

With strong succession planning, institutional integrity and an unwavering farmer-first commitment, Sonalika’s next 30 years promise global leadership, technological advancement and a continued legacy of delivering ‘JeetneKa Dum’ to farmers worldwide.