PNN
New Delhi [India], January 12: India is a nation blessed with visionary leaders whose wisdom and foresight have transformed industries and taken Indian excellence to the global platform. Sonalika Tractors is the powerful modern embodiment of this spirit, as the brand celebrates 30 years of trust in partnership with farmers powered by an enduring belief of ‘Jeetne Ka Dum’.
Sonalika is celebrating its glorious 30 year journey of an impossible Indian success story – how a returned LIC professional from a small town of Hoshiarpur (Punjab) defied all post retirement traditions with the spirit of ‘Jeetne ka Dum.’ With a visionary belief and lifelong commitment of his two passionate sons, he went on to build a globally respected $1.1 bn tractor empire which is also enlisted among Fortune 500 India’s list of largest 500 companies in the country
Sonalika’s remarkable 3 decade journey is an exceptional and inspiring Indian success story – one that started in a small town of Hoshiarpur and rises into a globally renowned USD 1.1 billion tractor business. It has also been recognised among Fortune 500 list of India’s largest companies. Today, Sonalika stands as India’s No.1 tractor export brand, 3rd largest tractor manufacturer in India – the world’s largest tractor market and the 5th largest tractor brand globally.
The Visionaries Behind Sonalika’s Legacy
Sonalika’s story is a family’s vision led by its founder and Chairman, Shri LD Mittal who rooted in a simple yet powerful belief in Indian soil – Indian farmers deserve ‘Jeetne Ka Dum’ – more power, more reliability, more dignity, and technology designed specifically for Indian conditions. After retiring from LIC, when most choose to slow down, Shri Mittal chose to rise. His strong belief in India’s agricultural potential was also echoed in his sons, Dr. A. S. Mittal and Dr. Deepak Mittal. Together, they laid the foundation of Sonalika – rooted beyond the boardrooms, in the realities of farms, workshops and farmers. The journey began with agricultural implements, where Sonalika’s threshers redefined reliability and performance. Farmers responded with trust and soon demanded tractors built with the same uncompromising strength.
‘Jeetne Ka Dum’ with Tractors
In 1996, when standardisation was prevalent in the tractor industry, Sonalika made a different selection. Despite the lack of advanced R&D centres, it made a bold commitment that tractors would be tailored to India’s diverse crop, soil and regional needs. While others made tractors for markets, Sonalika made them for farmers.
This farmer-first philosophy combined with a disciplined decision to remain debt-free shaped Sonalika’s DNA. The Mittals believed that Indian farmers are not one segment, but a nation of regions, climates, cultures, and aspirations. Such is the strength of Sonalika’s engineering and reliability that the very first tractor built by the company over 30 years ago continues to start effortlessly at the first crank of the engine and continues to remain a living symbol of enduring trust.
Building Strength from Within
As demand for heavy-duty and customised tractors grew, vendors initially hesitated to support deep modifications due to low volumes. Under the leadership of Vice Chairman Dr. A.S. Mittal, Sonalika responded by building in-house capabilities from 2011 onwards by manufacturing engines, transmissions, gearboxes, sheet metal, and key aggregates internally.
This vertical integration powered Sonalika to regularise high horsepower tractors and introduce bigger engines, power steering, oil-immersed brakes, and multi-speed transmissions even in entry-level models. The brand today also rolls out region-specific customised tractors such as paddy special Mahabali for southern terrains, Chattrapati for Maharashtra, and Maharaja for Rajasthan, alongside a comprehensive range of 70+ farm implements to increase farm productivity.
The Global Breakthrough
In view of the increasing demand, Sonalika increased the initial production capacity of its Hoshiarpur plant from 50,000 tractor units to 1 lakh tractor units annually. Yet the Mittals envisioned something far bigger. In 2017, Sonalika commissioned the world’s largest fully integrated tractor manufacturing plant, capable of rolling out one tractor every two minutes through robotic and automated, multi-flex assembly lines. Today, Sonalika develops over 2,000 models across 20-120 HP, catering to both domestic and global markets. The company has also nurtured a thriving MSME ecosystem around Hoshiarpur, generating large-scale employment and creating a global industrial hub. Equally integral has been Sonalika’s expansive dealer and service network that is built on shared prosperity, capability development, and after-sales excellence, ensuring seamless farmer support from purchase to lifecycle service.
India’s No.1 Tractor Export Brand
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 export tractors to Europe in 2011, and steadily expanded across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and beyond. In FY’19, Sonalika emerged as India’s No.1 tractor export brand, a position it has held for seven consecutive years. Sonalika today holds an unassailable 30% market share in exports, i.e. every 3rd tractor that is exported from India is rolled out from Sonalika’s Hoshiarpur facility. It is also the mother plant for feeding with CKD kits to 6 strategic assembly plants the brand owns across different of the world. Sonalika today has a dynamic presence across 150+ countries and holds leadership position in 15+ countries in the addressable segment with its ‘Jeetne ka Dum’
Pioneering Transparency
As Sonalika ascended to become India’s No. 1 export brand, it remained anchored in the virtue of values. Guided by the values of Sh. Mittal, Sonalika pioneered with a new era of transparency to the Indian agricultural landscape when it became the 1st company in India to unveil its tractor prices on its website in 2022. The brand even took one step further in transparency in 2025 when it again became the 1st company in India to unveil the tractor service cost on its website, providing farmers a lifelong pact of mutual respect and trust.
Future Forward
As Sonalika embarks on its next era inspired by the wisdom, values and core beliefs of its founders, the new generation of leadership remains committed to lead the future. The company is prepared to increase its production capacity to 3 lakh tractors per year, which will make Sonalika one of the select global manufacturers producing on an integrated scale. Beyond products, Sonalika is also committed to transform farmer experience through digital platforms, connected diagnostics, and personalised retail engagement by building a seamless solution ecosystem across every touch point.
With strong succession leadership, institutional integrity, and an unrelenting farmer-first commitment, Sonalika’s next 30 years promise global leadership, technological advancement, and a continued legacy of delivering ‘Jeetne Ka Dum’ to farmers worldwide.
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