Deere opened up the Pune [India] center in 2001. Deere’s move was unexpected: Deere is known for its heavy-duty farm equipment and big construction gear whereas many of India’s 300 million farmers still use oxen-pulled plows.
a. Why do many Indian farmers still use oxen-pulled plows? Are they efficient or inefficient? Explain.
b. How might making John Deere farm equipment available to Indian farmers change the technology constraint they face?