Gulabh Singh Varma of Bhaukhadi in the Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh could be mistaken for a simple person living in rural India. But engage him in a conversation for a few minutes, you will understand what a tech-based intervention can do to such persons.
Varma, a director in the village Farmer Producers Organisation (FPO, talks about how they can beat climate change-induced high temperatures to get good yields in wheat using relevant varieties. He says all FPO members use Krishi App, a super app launched by ITC Limited.
“We roped in over 100 stakeholders including agri-tech startups, banks, and others to build the super app. We vet the apps before onboarding them,” says S Ganesh Kumar, Divisional Chief Executive officer of ITC’s Agri Business.
ITC Next stragegy
The Generative AI-backed super app is a crucial component of the ITCMAARS (Metamarket for Advanced Agriculture and Rural Services), a fourth-generation version of the ITC’s e-choupal. The metamarket has so far been rolled out in over 15,000 villages covering 17 lakh farmers. The super app provides a variety of apps on their mobiles to check for market rates, pests and diseases in the fields, weather updates, soil testing services, the inputs and banking services that they might require through the season.
He said this initiative is part of the ITC’s NextGen Agriculture programme, which is being rolled out under the ITC Next strategy. He said the company’s climate-smart agriculture programmes have covered 28 lakh acres in 19 States, including 4.28 lakh acres.
“In Madhya Pradesh, the initiative spans 32,000 farm demonstrations, benefiting over 3.2 lakh farmers,” he said.
The initiative has taken strong roots with about 40 per cent of ITC’s agri procurement from relevant hubs in 10 States is sourced through ITCMAARS. It currently works with 1,660 FPOs in 10 States. “We are targeting to cover 4,000 FPOs by 2030,” he said.
“We believe that technology alone is not enough to drive change. We believe that strong physical presence, built through years of interaction with farmers, is crucial for establishing trust and credibility. This face-to-face interaction helps build relationships and fosters a sense of partnership, making farmers more receptive to new ideas and technologies,” he said.
He said farmers are the ultimate decision-makers when it comes to their operations. Instead of imposing solutions, the company seeks to empower farmers by providing them with information and tools to make informed choices.
“The MAARS app is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, allowing farmers to access information and services at their own pace and convenience,” he said.
Targeting new States
He said the company is planning to extend the reach of MAARS beyond its current presence in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, and parts of North India. The company specifically aims to expand into Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and the eastern States, including areas near Haryana and West Bengal, where ITC has already initiated pilot programmes.
“Ultimately, ITC aspires to have MAARS available to every farmer in India. The company believes the app’s platform is adaptable to various geographies and can be localised by changing languages and videos to cater to different regions,” he said.
While not currently offered, ITC is evaluating the possibility of integrating insurance services into the MAARS platform.
(This reporter was in Madhya Pradesh on ITC’s invitation)
