TAFE asserts rightful ownership of Massey Ferguson brand in India; Files contempt of court petition against AGCO
- Rejects AGCO’s claim
- TAFE 65 years - steadfast in the service of its Massey Ferguson customers
- Over 2 million TAFE designed MF tractors
Since its inception in 1960, TAFE has produced, built and nurtured the Massey Ferguson brand offering a wide product portfolio of over 500 models in India on the back of strong indigenous R&D and quality control. With a total annual production of over 180,000 tractors, over 100,000 Massey Ferguson are produced by TAFE in India with over 3 Million satisfied customers in its fold. TAFE and Massey Ferguson are synonymous in India.
TAFE is the second largest producer of tractors in India and the third largest in the world, having established a reputation for itself for its reliability in quality winning the trust of farmers both in India and over 80 international markets. A strong distribution network of over 2,000 dealers effectively supports TAFE’s four iconic tractor brands - Massey Ferguson, TAFE, Eicher Tractors, and IMT. TAFE exports tractors to more than 80 countries. TAFE has won innumerable accolades for performance and parts supply from its customers , industry bodies, media, and governments winning international recognition for quality and customer satisfaction.
TAFE’s products are India-centric in design, distinctly different from AGCO’s products and ideally suited for small and medium farmers of India and across the world. AGCO’s global brand website has historically for six decades has made no mention of a Massey Ferguson in the context of India, Nepal and Bhutan having ceded the entire territory to TAFE since the take-over of Massey Ferguson India in 1960.
TAFE acquired shareholding in AGCO corporation commencing in 2012 to become its single largest shareholder and strategic long-term investor. This strengthened the collaborative relationship between the companies, and TAFE and AGCO signed ‘Letter Agreements’ that have for over a decade assured AGCO of steady support.
As TAFE’s strategic influence increased, rather than address issues plaguing AGCO that have repeatedly called attention to, including flaws with AGCO’s corporate governance, wholly inadequate engagement with shareholder and financial and operational performance in key areas, AGCO has sought to stifle TAFE’s ability to seek changes through contentious and ill-advised moves with respect to brand usage that has for over six decades been an uncontested area.
TAFE has asserted its claims over the ownership of the Massey Ferguson brand in a case filed before the Madras High Court. The Commercial Court in Chennai has ruled in favour of TAFE with an interim status quo order with respect to the Massey Ferguson brand as hitherto, it is therefore impermissible for either party to disturb the position as on 29th April 2024, and any attempt to do so will be violation of the court orders. TAFE has filed a petition against AGCO for disobedience of the orders of the court in a contempt petition in Chennai.
About TAFE: tafe.com
TAFE TRACTORS is the signature brand of TAFE - Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited, an Indian tractor major incorporated in 1960 in Chennai, India, with an annual turnover exceeding $1.6 billion. As one of the largest tractor manufacturers in the world and the second-largest in India by volume, TAFE sells over 180,000 tractors annually.
TAFE has earned the trust of customers through its range of products, which are widely acclaimed for their quality and low cost of operation. A strong distribution network of over 2,000 dealers effectively supports TAFE’s four iconic tractor brands - Massey Ferguson, TAFE, Eicher Tractors, and IMT. TAFE exports tractors to more than 80 countries, powering farms in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Russia.
Beyond tractors, TAFE and its subsidiaries have diversified business interests in areas such as farm machinery, diesel engines and gensets, agro-industrial engines, engineering plastics, gears and transmission components, hydraulic pumps and cylinders, vehicle franchises, and plantations.
TAFE is committed to Total Quality Management (TQM). In recent years, various manufacturing plants of TAFE have garnered numerous ‘TPM Excellence’ awards from the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance (JIPM), along with several regional awards for TPM excellence. At the ITOTY 2024, TAFE – Massey Ferguson MF 8055 was awarded the best tractor for commercial application and MF6028 Maxpro won the best orchard tractor. In 2023, TAFE won the ‘Launch of the Year’ award for its Eicher PRIMA G3 range of tractors, in addition to three other prestigious awards, including ‘Best CSR Initiative’ for JFarm Services, at the 4th edition of the Indian Tractor of the Year (ITOTY) Awards 2023. It was also presented the Top Exporter Award from the Commissioner of Customs.
TAFE’s JRehab won the ‘Best Private Employer Award’ for the ‘Welfare of Differently-Abled Persons’ from the Tamil Nadu Government in August 2022. TAFE’s Madurai plant, Doddaballapur plant, and the JRehab Centre also won multiple gold awards at the Central Convention for Quality Concepts 2019, reflecting their unmatched commitment to quality. Strict adherence to safety standards led TAFE’s Sembiam plant to win four awards at the Safety Awards 2019, presented by the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health, Government of Tamil Nadu. The ‘Unnatha Suraksha Puraskara’ Safety Award 2019 was also awarded to the TAFE Doddaballapur plant by the National Safety Council.
In 2018, TAFE became the first Indian tractor manufacturer to win the Frost & Sullivan Global Manufacturing Leadership Award, being recognized with the ‘Enterprise Integration and Technology Leadership’ award, as well as two ‘Supply Chain Leadership’ awards. In recognition of its outstanding contribution to engineering exports, TAFE has been named the ‘Star Performer - Large Enterprise (Agricultural Tractors)’ by the Engineering Exports Promotion Council of India - Southern Region for the 23rd consecutive time.
TAFE's tractor plants are certified under international standards ISO 9001 for efficient quality management systems and ISO 14001 for environmentally friendly operations.
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