ITC’s e-Choupals, India

Launched in 2000 as a social business initiative, ITC has reached more than 3.5 million farmers growing a range of crops – soybean, coffee, wheat, rice, pulses, shrimp – in over 36,000 villages through nearly 6,000 kiosks across nine states in India.

ITC’s ‘e-Choupal’ system provides information and communications technology to farmer “kiosks” that, in turn, link their communities with agricultural information and technical advice specific to their crops and local markets. ITC can then more efficiently sell inputs to, and procure crops from, communities with up-to-date information and practices. While ITC saves operational costs, farmers access lower cost, better quality inputs and higher selling prices. As a side benefit, rural villages are linked to the internet.