ITC Ltd is finalising plans to market marine products from West Bengal. After a half hour
meeting with state chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Thursday, ITC chairman Y. C.
Deveshwar said the company would extend expertise in prawn culture and processing to
farmers through aqua-choupals.
Aqua choupals are part of its successful
e-choupal initiative, an agri-business portal that offers all farm related information
including price indices at agri-markets. The portal also allows on-line trading of
commodities. At present, ITC operates aqua choupals in Andhra Pradesh, coffee choupals in
Karnataka, soya choupals in Madhya Pradesh and wheat choupals in Uttar Pradesh.
"We are planning initiatives in
agri-business in the state, particularly in sea-food. The project will depend on how
things evolve and the type of infrastructure support that we get from the state. I was
told by the chief minister about the state’s plans on infrastructure
development." Deveshwar said.
Reiterating his commitment to state despite
exit of business houses like Philips, ICI, Shaw Wallace Co and Seimens, Deveshwar pointed
to the Rs 250 crore ITC Sheraton Sonar Bangla hotel in Kolkata and the launch of brand
Bis-chips that was being outsourced from Burdwan.
"Investments will not be a
problem," the ITC chief said. The company has already embarked massive investments in
its agri-business activity over the next few years with a decision to connect a sixth of
India’s 600,000 villages in 14 states and bring them under e-choupal.
Though Deveshwar did not quantify the
actual investment, company sources said Rs 1-3 lakh were required to set up an e-choupal.
ITC started with six e-choupals in 2000 and has 1,200 choupals linking 6,500 villages in
the country.
"The purpose of the e-choupal
initiative is to empower farmers with real time information on weather and prices so that
they can insulate themselves from unpredictable climatic conditions and price fluctuations
at the mandis," Deveshwar said.
The initiative would help develop a trade
marketing and distribution super highway for farm produce of the country and benefit
farmers who are currently at the mercy of intermediaries.
The success of the e-choupal initiative has
even attracted the attention of Harvard Business School and Kellogg’s School of
Management. They have both taking it up as a case study in their curriculum. The World
Bank has also approached ITC to render consultancy services in Africa.