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"The Cooper Tractor is not just a fabulous machine, rather it’s a productive and earning member of a farmer’s family,” believes Farrokh Cooper, chairman and managing director of Cooper Corporation Private Limited. Always happy to introduce himself as "a son of the soil… a Marathi manoos,” the 80-year-old chairman’s long cherished dream of his team making its own tractor became a reality in 2025. 

  above: Cooper NDC 5000 Tractor

"As a company deeply rooted in Satara, we are proud to contribute to the growth of Indian agriculture and the prosperity of our farmers,” announced the chairman at the inauguration of the state-of-the-art tractor plant on February 1. Among the dignitaries present at the event were chief guest Shivendra Raje Bhosale, cabinet minister for public works, Government of Maharashtra; Mahesh Shinde, Member of the Legislative Assembly; and Clive Bagnall, director of Ricardo, UK that had helped design the engine used in the Cooper Tractor.

A late entrant to the tractor manufacturing scene, Cooper announced their arrival as "Born Superior.” The Cooper Tractor NDC Series is a result of "years of research, innovation and dedication to delivering a product that truly serves the needs of Indian farmers. Built with global expertise and local insights, this tractor is designed to enhance productivity, reduce operational costs and withstand the toughest farming conditions… Designed for tough terrains and heavy-duty operations, they come with an array of innovative features such as high fuel efficiency, ergonomic design and lower maintenance costs,” noted the company website www.coopercorp.in. 

The letters NDC in the Tractor Series convey Farrokh’s tribute to his father Nariman Dhanjisha Cooper whom he had never met, being born after Nariman’s early demise. Farrokh was always proud though that both he and his father graduated in agriculture before they joined the family’s manufacturing business. It was Nariman’s father, Sir Dhanjisha Bomanji Cooper, who had launched the business with the manufacture of iron ploughs in Satara in 1922. In the following decade Dhanjisha became a pioneer of diesel engine manufacture in India. In a predominantly non-Parsi electorate, Dhanjisha was able to get elected to the District Local Board and was president of the Satara Municipal Council from 1923 to 1927. He was simultaneously elected to the Bombay Legislative Assembly from 1921 to 1926 and from 1930 to 1937. The British government appointed him minister for local self government, public health and public works department, revenue and finance and as the seniormost independent member even elected him the first prime minister (as the chief minister was then called) of Bombay Presidency (see "Cooper’s caliber,” Parsiana, November 2003).

Over the last 100 years Cooper Corporation has grown to become a globally acclaimed manufacturer of engines, engine components, generators and agripumps.  Their precision components are exported to leading automotive OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) in USA and Europe. Enjoying a preeminent market standing in India, Cooper’s engines and gensets are highly sought after across the Gulf countries, South East Asia and Africa, as per a write-up from the company.

  above, from l: Dhanjisha, Nariman and Farrokh Cooper

Competition from Cooper

 "We went into tractor production because our chairman has a serious interest in agriculture. Not only does he have his own farm but at many of our factories we have industry and agriculture side by side,” stated Behram Ardeshir, director in charge of public relations, media, marketing and legal at Cooper Corporation. The chairman knew the specifications he was looking for in a tractor. "He felt that if he could satisfy his exacting needs, he would definitely be satisfying the needs of all potential tractor customers. Some of the features he has addressed are the design and aesthetics, the fuel consumption, the ruggedness and reliability, the haulage capacity and the flexibility of end use,” added Ardeshir.

The Cooper Tractors currently comprise four models with an engine capacity of 50 HP (horsepower). While the NDC 5000 variants help enhance farm productivity, the 5001 variants are suitable for multi-terrain usage for agriculture, construction and infrastructure activities. In addition to the engine that was perfected by the engineers at Cooper along with Ricardo, other collaborations too have contributed to the success of Cooper Tractors. The red and black, eye-catching exterior styling design was by the Austrian firm Magna Steyr. The synchromesh transmission (a type of manual transmission that enables smooth gear changes) was facilitated by Maharashtra based Carraro and the hydraulics by Delhi based Mita. 

Overwhelmed by the fast growing sales and steady stream of positive feedback from dealers and customers at various Kisan Melas (farm fairs) and agricultural meets, their plant with a manufacturing capacity of 100 tractors per day in three shifts is soon expected to achieve full production. In the third week of August the plant was running at 80% capacity, stated Ardeshir. Besides Maharashtra, Cooper Tractors are available in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Telangana and North Karnataka via an expanding dealer network to support sales and service. By the end of this financial year, the company is hoping to cover the other states in India too. 

Targeted initially for the domestic market, Coopers are judiciously making plans to woo potential customers. "The tractor market in India is a steadily growing one so there is always room for competition,” mentioned Ardeshir, confident that "potential customers are looking out for an alternate and better product.”

"We are neither the cheapest nor the most expensive,” maintained Ardeshir without divulging the price range. "It is a price sensitive market but we must keep in mind that our quality is right at the top so if a customer wants a quality product he must be ready to pay for it,” he stated. According to him, Mahindra and Mahindra, Tractors And Farm Equipment, John Deere, Sonalika, among others, would be considered their major competitors. The 50 HP tractor variants of these companies are available between Rs 6.32 lakh (USD 7,209) to Rs 8.89 lakh (USD 10,141) depending on the features on offer. 

"Based on my interaction with various farmers and my own experience I realized that a tractor buyer is pragmatic to the core. In his scheme of things a tractor must be a moneysaving proposition while being a reliable workhorse too,” maintains the chairman. "In my modest assessment, based on the tests conducted by my team under standard usage conditions a Cooper Tractor can easily generate a saving of close to Rs 1,12,000 per year for the farmer,” he asserts. Claiming to have the lowest fuel consumption and service cost, a Cooper Tractor is considered more economical and efficient as compared to those available in the market

"Eventually we will go global like all our other products. Even before we began full commercial production, we had three companies from abroad visiting us with an interest to collaborate with us in their respective countries,” reveals Ardeshir.

In a community known to take pride in the ownership and meticulous maintenance of its four wheelers and two-wheelers, Farrokh may stand doubly tall. A creator cum cultivator, he jests, "I am the only Parsi to own a tractor factory.”