Anand Mahindra in awe of low-cost tractor, wants to finance innovators through 'Mahindra Garage'

Anand Mahindra is a fan of life hacks, and his tweets always prove that.

The Mahindra Group Chairman took to Twitter to share a story of Jharkhand-based Mahesh Karmali, who built a low-cost tractor out of a scooter that helps him plough 12-kattah (approximately 4,000 square metres) of farmland.

Furthermore, the 64-year-old business tycoon also suggested a systematic way of helping such innovators. He said that he would like to be a part of an initiative that provides technical support and seed finance to people who make a living out of budget-friendly innovations, termed as 'jugaad' colloquially.


He also added that he would like to call this project 'Mahindra Garage' which will be both physical and virtual in nature.


Necessity is the mother of invention, and it stood to be true for Karmali. According to an exclusive interview with ETAuto last week, the 33-year-old innovator said that he had dropped out of elementary school to help his family with the farm. After the oxen were sold, he had to come up with a affordable plan to plough the land.

Karmali, a former mechanic with seven years of experience, designed the ‘Power Tiller’ in three days from an old Bajaj Chetak scooter. He bought the scrap from a friend for Rs 4,251, and spent Rs 12,000 to build the mini tractor. The fuel-efficient machine can plough 8,640 sq ft of land in 2.5 litres of petrol.

Mahindra is always thrilled to see out-of-the-box solutions to everyday problems. In June, he had shared a TikTok video which showed a filled plastic bottle (hanging on a door) being used as a hydraulic system to close the door.