New Delhi, 28 December (H.S.): Union Minister Prahlad Joshi released the new Indian Standard IS 19262:2025, titled Electric Agricultural Tractors Test Code, on Sunday at Bharat Mandapam, coinciding with National Consumer Day, to standardize testing procedures for electric tractors developed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution stated that IS 19262:2025 establishes simplified guidelines and uniform terminology for evaluating electric agricultural tractors, encompassing critical tests such as PTO power, drawbar power, belt-pulley performance, vibration analysis, and inspections of various components, thereby providing farmers and manufacturers with a clear, transparent, and scientifically robust framework.

Greener Farming Revolution

Compared to diesel tractors, electric variants emit no smoke in fields, generate minimal noise, incur lower operating costs, and require less maintenance due to fewer moving parts, positioning them as environmentally friendly and health-beneficial options for farmers enduring prolonged fieldwork.

BIS prioritized this standard at the Agriculture Ministry's request, involving electric tractor manufacturers, research institutions, and agricultural engineering experts, including ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering (Bhopal), Central Farm Machinery Testing Institute (Budni), Tractor and Mechanization Association (New Delhi), Automotive Research Association of India (Pune), and All India Farmers Alliance.

Voluntary for now, the standard is expected to accelerate electric tractor adoption, foster technological innovation, and significantly curb agricultural pollution nationwide, with no incidents reported during the launch.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar