Background
Tractors for farming constitute more than 90 percent of overall sales in India and have a share of 7.4 percent in the total diesel consumption of the country. This makes them the biggest GHG emitter within the agriculture sector, which accounts for 14 percent of India’s total GHG emissions. Over the last decade, there has been a growing interest in exploring sustainable and technology-driven solutions for agriculture, and subsequently, programmes like the National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture, the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, etc. were launched by the Indian government.
But these programmes have not effectively addressed carbon emissions from tractors. Moreover, The BS IV tailpipe standards for agriculture machinery introduced in 2022 also failed to put a limit on carbon emissions from tractors as the majority of tractors sold in India have power capacities that are exempted from BS IV standards. To address this challenge, the concept of e-Tractors, or electric tractors, has emerged as a sustainable alternative that can reduce carbon emissions and improve efficiency in the agricultural sector.
About the Project
To curb emissions from the agriculture sector for aligning it with the Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, having energy security, and contributing towards the net-zero goals of India, it is essential to address the environmental concerns of conventional tractors, for which e-tractor provides a suitable alternative. E-Tractors also push for renewable energy in rural and agricultural communities, which could help develop a sustainable agriculture ecosystem and propel the rural economy. But adoption of e-tractors has its own challenges, such as high upfront costs, a lack of awareness, inadequate policy-level support, poor charging and EV-supporting infrastructure, etc.
The project aims to address these challenges through research-based advocacy and collaboration with stakeholders to bring forth reforms that will enable the growth of e-tractor in the Indian market, essential for the development of a sustainable agriculture ecosystem.
The project also aims to develop markets for e-tractor in India through policy reforms and capacity building among farming communities for an effective and timely transition from diesel-run tractors to e-tractors.
Publications
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Events
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Contact Us
Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS)
D–217, Bhaskar Marg, Bani Park, Jaipur 302016, Rajasthan, India
Ph: +91 141 2282821, Fax: +91 141 2282485, Email: cuts@cuts.org
Akash Sharma
Associate fellow
Email: asa@cuts.org
Phone number: 8431136597
Sanobar Imam
Research Associate
Email: sai@cuts.org
Phone number: 8709283080