Farm mechanisation in India is below 50%. What is holding farmers back?

India is the world's largest tractor market, but the level of farm mechanisation in the country remains below 50%, highlighting the gap between machinery demand and the wider adoption of modern farming equipment.Veejay Nakra, President of Farm Equipment Business and Member of the Group Executive Board at Mahindra & Mahindra, highlighted this gap while speaking at the Bharat Agriculture Conclave 2026. He said India's farm mechanisation level was significantly lower than that of advanced countries, where it is nearly 90%.The gap also points to the need for equipment that is affordable and accessible to farmers. Nakra said labour shortages were pushing the tractor and farm machinery industries to develop new solutions, but technology would have to make farming easier, safer and more comfortable.He also highlighted the potential of autonomous machines, smart equipment and affordable air-conditioned tractor cabins.However, he said companies must ensure that new solutions are cost-effective and easy for farmers to adopt. Wider mechanisation, he added, would require collaboration between industry, governments, startups and research institutions.