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In a major step towards greener and more inclusive agriculture, Chhattisgarh launched its first Electric Tractor Pilot Project at the Swami Vivekanand College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, under Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV), Raipur. The week-long initiative, held from October 6 to 10, aimed to test women-friendly electric tractors in real farming conditions and promote sustainable, eco-friendly farming practices.
The project, led by the state’s Transport Department, was an effort to empower women farmers and introduce electric mobility in agriculture. The pilot focused on the CSIR-PRIMA ET 11 electric tractor, developed indigenously by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CMERI). The study was carried out under a technical assistance programme for the transport department, with Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation as the knowledge partner and CSIR-CMERI as the technology partner.
Avinash Kumar Yadav, Principal Scientist at CSIR-CMERI, shared that the insights from this pilot would guide future large-scale adoption of electric tractors across India. He said the project aligned with the country’s vision of promoting sustainable, green, and gender-inclusive agriculture.
The PRIMA ET 11 had been designed keeping small and marginal farmers in mind. It offered several benefits, such as low noise, minimal vibration, and ergonomic controls, making it easy and comfortable for women to operate — even in traditional attire. The electric tractor was also affordable in the long run, with lower maintenance and operating costs, zero fuel requirement, and the ability to be charged using solar power.
The e-tractor could be charged at home within 7 to 8 hours, offering a field run-time of over 4 hours or a haulage duration of around 6 hours. It had a towing capacity of up to 1.5 tonnes and a maximum speed of 22 km/h.
For a state like Chhattisgarh, where small landholdings dominate and mechanization is steadily growing, this innovation brought meaningful change. The pilot compared the e-tractor’s performance with diesel tractors to assess its efficiency and practicality under local farming conditions.
Women participants who test-drove the tractor shared positive feedback. Shalini Garudik, a PhD scholar at IGKV, said the ride felt smooth and effortless, adding that it was ideal for horticulture and vegetable cultivation, though not meant for heavy mudding. Another participant, Sayali Agade, said, “A woman in a saree could easily drive it — just like I did. It was comfortable, stable, and the clutch was much softer compared to diesel-operated tractors.”
Professor R.K. Naik, Head of the Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering at IGKV, mentioned that the department closely monitored the tractor’s performance throughout the pilot. He added that while it was too early to draw conclusions about its full suitability for Chhattisgarh’s conditions, the initial reactions were encouraging, especially from women participants.
If the pilot proved successful, the project could open doors to a larger shift towards electric mobility in farming — making agriculture in Chhattisgarh not only greener but also more inclusive and empowering for women.