Mumbai, March 8, 2023: Mahindra Tractors, part of the Mahindra Group and the world's largest tractor manufacturer by volume, today celebrated International Women’s Day with the launch of a new digital film #DeshkiShakti.

The new digital film highlights the role of women in farming, as successful farmers, decision makers and entrepreneurs.

#DeshkiShakti challenges gender stereotypes, through a simple yet effective narrative with a woman agri entrepreneur called ‘Shakti’, a young, vibrant and confident woman farmer, who helps raise awareness about the stereotypes around women and their contribution to Indian agriculture.

#DeshkiShakti: The story line

A young vibrant woman farmer, Shakti is the main protagonist of the digital film, also responsible for the success of Choudhary Farm.

In the film, Shakti offers an agri magazine journalist a ride on her shiny red Mahindra tractor, to Choudhary Farm – a successful agri business, which happens to be both the journalist’s and Shakti’s destination.

At Choudhary Farm, the journalist was in pursuit of Mr Choudhary, Shaki’s father, to invite him to the agri magazine’s annual award function, where he’d be conferred with an ‘Innovative Farmers Award’ for his exemplary work at Choudhary Farm, while also wanting to interview him about the innovative work undertaken by the successful agri-business.

On meeting Mr Choudhary, the journalist realised that it wasn’t Mr Chaudhary who was responsible for the success of Choudhary Farm, but his daughter, Ms Shakti, who was instrumental in the success of the business, crediting her with driving innovative practices in the business.

Surprised and embarrassed, the journalist turns to Shakti, apologising for the misunderstanding, while justifying that it was unconventional for a woman to run an agri-related business, as he realises his own gender biases. Shakti explained to him that it wasn’t his fault, but that of society, which pictures a farmer as being a man.

#DeshkiShakti emphasises the need to recognise and appreciate a woman’s contribution to the Indian farming ecosystem, which are often overlooked due to social and gender biases, while also delivering a powerful message that urges the audience to reflect on their own assumptions and biases.

Women in farming

80% of the world's poor are from rural areas and make a living primarily through agriculture, on smallholder farms, below one acre of land. They are responsible for producing over a third of the globe's food. And much of this work is accomplished by women.

In India, women play a vital role in agriculture, contributing significantly to food production and agricultural development, but often face discrimination, lack of access to resources and technologies, and limited decision-making power.

Besides farming, women are also expected to prepare their family’s meals, clean their homes, and take care of the elderly, children, and livestock. And with every passing generation, India’s rural women continue to take the lead in helping the family adjust to new realities and challenges. Empowering women fuels booming economies, stimulates productivity, and thereby contributes to overall growth.

Despite playing a multidimensional role, gender inequality remains a cause for concern globally. Women face occupational discrimination and are often denied access to basic education and health care, and are also underrepresented in political and economic decision-making processes. Unsung heroes of our agricultural landscape, women carry a great part of the burden of their family, despite limited resources and restricted access to knowledge.

By raising awareness through this film, Mahindra Tractors aims to dispel social stereotypes and create opportunities for women in the farming community.

Overall, this initiative aligns well with Mahindra’s RISE to drive positive change towards creating an equal world, uplift the farming community, particularly women farmers, and create a more equitable and sustainable future for all.

You can watch the #DeshkiShakti video by clicking the link provided below:

About Mahindra Tractors & Farm Equipment

Mahindra has been India’s No.1 tractor brand for more than three decades. Having rolled-out its first tractor in 1963, through a joint venture with International Harvester Inc., USA, Mahindra & Mahindra in March 2019 became the first Indian tractor brand to sell 3 million tractors, inclusive of sales to global customers.

Known for their exceptional build quality and performance on rugged and unforgiving terrain, Mahindra’s tractors have earned the company both the Deming Award and the Japanese Quality Medals. The company is the only tractor manufacturer to have achieved this feat and today has one of the most diverse range of tractors developed for multi-functional use for both domestic and global markets.

Mahindra has a presence in over 50 countries across six continents with the U.S. is the largest market for the company outside India. Today Mahindra has a global manufacturing and assembly presence worldwide with an on-ground presence in North America, Brazil, Mexico, Finland, Turkey, and Japan through subsidiaries.

About Mahindra

Founded in 1945, the Mahindra Group is one of the largest and most admired multinational federation of companies with 260,000 employees in over 100 countries. It enjoys a leadership position in farm equipment, utility vehicles, information technology and financial services in India and is the world’s largest tractor company by volume. It has a strong presence in renewable energy, agriculture, logistics, hospitality and real estate.

The Mahindra Group has a clear focus on leading ESG globally, enabling rural prosperity and enhancing urban living, with a goal to drive positive change in the lives of communities and stakeholders to enable them to Rise.

Learn more about Mahindra on www.mahindra.com / Twitter and Facebook: @MahindraRise/ For updates subscribe to https://www.mahindra.com/news-room.

Media contact information

Arthur Serrao
Corporate Communications
Email – [email protected]