FMTTI, explained: what it is, what it tests, and how AgPro guides you through it.
FMTTI — the Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute network — is the government testing authority most Indian manufacturers and subsidy-scheme buyers eventually go through. This is the single most-referenced resource on this site; every fact below traces to a government source.
What is FMTTI?
FMTTI stands for Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute— a network of institutes under India’s Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare that trains operators and tests agricultural machinery for performance, safety and compliance. The oldest, at Budni, has functioned since 1955; the network was built out regionally through 1963, 1983 and 1990.
If your machine needs to qualify for a government subsidy scheme, or you simply want independent proof of how it performs, an FMTTI test report is very often the document that unlocks it.
The 4 FMTTIs — and 38 more approved testing centres
Each FMTTI covers a region of India, and one — CFMTTI Budni — also runs tractor type-approval testing nationally. The FMTTIs aren't the only approved bodies, though: 38 additional State Agricultural Universities, ICAR institutions and state departments are also officially identified testing centres, covering nearly every state.
| Institute | Location | Established | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| CFMTTI — Central Farm Machinery Training & Testing Institute | Budni, Sehore district, Madhya Pradesh | 1955 | All-India + national tractor type-approval/homologation mandate |
| NRFMTTI — Northern Region Farm Machinery Training & Testing Institute | Hisar, Haryana | 1963 | Northern region |
| SRFMTTI — Southern Region Farm Machinery Training & Testing Institute | Garladinne, Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh | 1983 | Southern region |
| NERFMTTI — North Eastern Region Farm Machinery Training & Testing Institute | Biswanath Chariali, Assam | 1990 | North-Eastern region |
42 approved testing bodies in total — the 4 FMTTIs above, plus 38 identified institutions (State Agricultural Universities, ICAR institutes and state departments) spanning nearly every Indian state, from Bihar and Gujarat to Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Several are additionally authorised for Plant Protection Equipment or Post-Harvest Technology machinery specifically. We confirm the right one for your machine and location — not every category needs an FMTTI specifically.
Why FMTTI testing matters
Agricultural implements and machinery costing more than ₹35,000 generally require testing and approval from an FMTTI or a designated testing centre before they can be supplied under government-assisted programmes. An FMTTI test report is what makes a machine eligible for:
What gets tested
FMTTI institutes evaluate tractors, power tillers, combine harvesters and other self-propelled machinery, trailers, and engines (including mass-emission testing). Tractor type-approval specifically runs under Rule 126 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, against the AIS standards series — AIS-017 (Part 2) for the type-approval procedure, AIS-007 for tractor specifications, AIS-137 for emission test cycles, and AIS-037 for Conformity of Production.
Booked-out test slots
Institute capacity is limited; slots are often committed months ahead.
Documentation complexity
Detailed engineering drawings and specifications are required before a test can even be scheduled.
Fee & timeline pressure
Costs and lead times can be hard to plan around without prior experience.
FMTTI vs ARAI vs ICAT vs BIS
All three of ARAI, ICAT and FMTTI are notified CMVR Rule-126 testing bodies for Indian tractors, running type-approval against the same published AIS standards regardless of which one does the work. FMTTI Budni holds a unique national mandate specifically for tractors and power tillers — its Director is recognised as the Testing Authority for the whole country under this rule.
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| FMTTI (CFMTTI Budni) | National testing authority for tractor/power-tiller type-approval; also runs performance & endurance tests for the wider machine categories. |
| ARAI / ICAT | Alternate notified CMVR bodies, often used for emission-cycle testing (AIS-137) or when FMTTI's slots are constrained. |
| BIS | National product/safety standards body — works alongside FMTTI's test procedure, not a substitute for it. |
The application-to-report process
Run on the Agri-Machinery Portal across four roles — Manufacturer, Admin, Sub-Admin and Test Engineer. Every stage below is a real, tracked step.
| Step | Actor | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Manufacturer | Registers on the Agri-Machinery Portal and submits an online application for testing. |
| 02 | Admin | Forwards the application to the Sub-Admin for scrutiny. |
| 03 | Sub-Admin | Examines the application and (after Admin approval) communicates any discrepancies to the manufacturer. |
| 04 | Manufacturer | Submits a corrected application addressing the discrepancies. |
| 05 | Sub-Admin | Examines the corrected application. |
| 06 | Admin | Approves the application and intimates the manufacturer. |
| 07 | Manufacturer | Uploads the fee receipt. |
| 08 | Admin | Verifies the fee paid. |
| 09 | Sub-Admin | Allocates a test officer and period via random sampling. |
| 10 | Manufacturer | Sends the selected equipment for testing. |
| 11 | Admin | Receives the equipment and assigns a Test Engineer. |
| 12 | Test Engineer | Tests the equipment, uploads intermediate results, and prepares the Draft Test Report (DTR). |
| 13 | Admin | Approves the DTR. |
| 14 | Manufacturer | Submits comments on the DTR. |
| 15 | Admin | Forwards the comments to the Test Engineer for examination. |
| 16 | Test Engineer | Examines the comments and prepares the Final Test Report (FTR). |
| 17 | Admin | Examines the FTR, then approves and releases it. |
| 18 | Manufacturer | Receives the Final Test Report (FTR). |
SMS alert and email notifications are sent to the applicant by the system at every stage.
Fees, validity & documents
Real, sourced answers to the questions manufacturers ask before they even contact an institute — starting with the official testing-charge schedule itself.
| Machinery category | Testing charge, FY 2025-26 |
|---|---|
| Components / Hand tools | ₹30,514 |
| Power-operated thresher, decorticator, sheller, winnower, brush cutter, chain saw, chaff cutter etc. | ₹1,21,961 |
| Animal-drawn equipment | ₹65,059 |
| Tractor drawn/operated implements: rotavator, cultivator, harrow, plough etc. | ₹2,07,357 |
| Manually operated equipment | ₹45,922 |
| Power tiller-drawn/self-propelled reaper, power weeder etc. | ₹1,21,961 |
| Tractor drawn/operated seed-cum-fertilizer drill, straw reaper, mini rice mill, seed cleaner/grader, baler, laser land leveller, potato digger etc. | ₹2,17,502 |
| Animal-drawn multi tool bar (min. 4 attachments) | ₹1,72,771 |
| Self-propelled paddy/vegetable transplanter | ₹2,96,783 |
| Ride-on self-propelled tool bar (up to 2 attachments) | ₹2,96,783 |
| Power-operated multi-crop thresher (2+ crops) | ₹2,23,616 |
| Pump set (engine + pump), kerosene/LPG | ₹1,06,930 |
| Pump set without engine | ₹50,783 |
| Plant protection equipment — manual/battery operated | ₹69,732 |
| Plant protection equipment — power operated | ₹1,83,102 |
Rates exclusive of GST (18%, per SRFMTTI's published schedule); effective 01.04.2025 for FY 2025-26. Revised roughly once every two years (this was an 8% revision; next expected ~01.04.2027, subject to review). Issued to FMTTIs and FMTCs (Farm Machinery Training Centres) alike.
A real discrepancy, stated honestly
The Ministry's schedule above lists general per-category rates. Power tillers specifically are also governed by a separate, dedicated mandatory-test circular — SRFMTTI's own signed schedule under that circular totals ₹4,07,478 (with running-in) for a full Initial Commercial Test, well above this schedule's generic power-tiller line. Confirm the exact figure and applicable circular with your target institute before budgeting.
Commercial vs Confidential test
Commercial Test
Establishes the performance characteristics of machines that are in, or ready for, commercial production. This is the standard test most manufacturers need.
Confidential Test
Provides confidential performance information ahead of commercial launch — typically used for a prototype not yet ready for public disclosure. Priced 10% higher than the equivalent Commercial Test.
Report validity, by category
Validity varies by machinery category — and ICT (Initial Commercial Test) validity isn’t always longer than the subsequent Batch Test validity.
| Category | ICT validity | Batch test validity |
|---|---|---|
| Tractor | 3 yrs | 5 yrs |
| Power tiller | 3 yrs | 5 yrs |
| Combine harvester / crop, sugarcane, cotton picker | 7 yrs | 5 yrs |
| Self-propelled machinery | 5 yrs | 5 yrs |
| Tractor/power-tiller operated implements (tillage, sowing/planting, inter-culture, harvesting, thresher, baler/rake/reaper, post-hole digger) | 7 yrs | 5 yrs |
| Plant protection equipment — manual/battery operated | 5 yrs | 5 yrs |
| Plant protection equipment — tractor/engine operated | 7 yrs | 5 yrs |
| Post-harvest technology machinery (cleaner/grinder/washer/grader/polisher/separator) | 7 yrs | 5 yrs |
| Bullock-drawn/manual driven (incl. horticulture tools) | 7 yrs | 5 yrs |
Batch quality-check sample size
For machines already approved and being supplied under a government scheme — not the count for your first test submission (see Documents needed).
- Machinery costing up to ₹35,00020 units
- Machinery costing ₹35,000 – ₹1,00,00010 units
- Machinery costing ₹1,00,000 and above5 units
- Combined harvesters3 units
- Tractors and power tillers5 units
- Any imported machinery5 units
Documents needed
- — Detailed technical drawings and specifications
- — A full operational/instruction manual
- — A parts catalogue
- — Photographs of the machine
- — (For physical testing) generally 5 machines submitted to the institute — regulations don’t fix one number for every case, so confirm with your target institute
Worked example: Power Tiller Initial Commercial Test
A real, itemised breakdown — SRFMTTI’s own signed schedule, effective 01.04.2026.
AgPro Consulting guides manufacturers and buyers through the entire FMTTI process: preparing test documentation, and providing guidance, consultation and information on institute liaison, scheduling, and interpreting results and compliance requirements against the scheme you’re targeting. The physical testing itself is always performed by FMTTI’s own engineers at their institute— AgPro’s role is guidance, not running the test rig ourselves.
FMTTI — frequently asked questions
- FMTTI stands for Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute — a network of 4 institutes under India's Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare that trains operators and tests agricultural machinery for performance, safety and compliance.
- It's mandatory whenever you need scheme/subsidy eligibility (SMAM, RKVY, PKVY, CHC) or a tender requires it. Outside those cases it's optional but often still the most credible proof of performance available.
- Government-set testing charges for FY 2025-26 range from ₹30,514 (components/hand tools) to ₹2,96,783 (self-propelled transplanters, ride-on tool bars), per the Ministry's official fee schedule — GST is charged separately.
- It varies by machinery category — most Initial Commercial Test (ICT) reports run 5-7 years with a 5-year Batch Test validity after that, but tractors and power tillers are shorter (3 years ICT, 5 years Batch). See the full category-wise table on this page.
- BIS sets national product/safety standards; FMTTI institutes are where machinery is actually tested against performance and (for tractors) type-approval requirements. The two frequently work together rather than substitute for each other.
- Generally your region's FMTTI, though CFMTTI Budni specifically handles tractor type-approval nationally — AgPro confirms the right institute for your machine and scheme.
- No. AgPro provides guidance, consultation and information on the process on your behalf — documentation, scheduling, liaison and compliance interpretation. Testing is always conducted at the government institute, by its own engineers.
- [1]List of FMTTIs— Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
- [2]CFMTTI Budni — official site— CFMTTI Budni
- [3]SRFMTTI — official site— SRFMTTI Garladinne
- [4]SRFMTTI — Testing services & fees— SRFMTTI Garladinne
- [5]NERFMTTI — official site— NERFMTTI Biswanath Chariali
- [6]Revision of Testing Charges for Agricultural Machinery and Equipment (F.No. 13-14/2020-M&T(I&P)(C-82979))— Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare — Office Memorandum, 31 Jan 2025, supplied directly to AgPro Consulting
- [7]Updated list of 4 FMTTIs & 38 identified testing centres— Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare — 'Updated list of 4 FMTTIs & 38 identified testing centres', supplied directly to AgPro Consulting.
- [8]SMAM Operational Guidelines— Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
- [9]Minutes of the Technical Committee meeting fixing category-wise ICT/Batch validity— Minutes of the Technical Committee meeting (DAC&FW, chaired by DDG(Engg), ICAR), 10 August 2018 — fixing category-wise validity of ICT and Batch test reports.
- [10]Office Order F.No. 13-1/2018-M&T(I&P) — batch quality-check sample size— Office Order F.No. 13-1/2018-M&T(I&P), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, dated 17 June 2019.
- [11]SRFMTTI Revised Testing Charges for Power Tillers, w.e.f. 01.04.2026— SRFMTTI (Southern Region FMTTI), Revised Testing Charges w.e.f. 01.04.2026, File No. 16-29/2017-Test, dated 25 March 2026, signed by the Director — issued under Ministry Office Order No. 13-17/2021-M&T(I&P)(FTS-98794), dated 02.04.2024.
- [12]CMVR Rule 126 notified-agency framework; AIS-017 Part 2, AIS-137— CMVR Rule 126 notified-agency framework; AIS series standards (AIS-017 Part 2, AIS-137).
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