Designwala

E-Chaupal : Agriculture and Innovation

by Shagun Singh

e-Chaupal, an agricultural e-business initiative by ITC, one of India’s larger conglomerates, offers rural farmers information, products and services to enhance farm productivity, improve farm-gate price realisation and cut transaction costs. It also facilitates supply of high quality farm inputs as well as purchase of commodities at their doorstep. Farmers can access latest local and global information on weather, scientific farming practices as well as market prices at the village itself through this web portal – all in Hindi and other local languages. EChaupal is designed to provide physical service support through a Chaupal Sanchalak – himself a lead farmer – who acts as the interface between computer terminal and the farmers.

More on e-Chaupal on the ITC site