Project Description
Traditionally, choupals are community gathering places in the village where locals meet to discuss issues and iron out their problems. The e-choupal initiative is where a choupal is equipped with a computer and Internet connectivity. This concept was pioneered by the Indian Tobacco Company (ITC).

Project Objectives
The primary objective of the project is to bring efficiency to ITC’s procurement process.

Intended Beneficiaries
Rural farmers and ITC.

Impact: Costs and Benefits
A growing section of the farming community has the benefit of real-time information on anything from weather to best agricultural practices to commodity prices, here and abroad. ITC acts as bridge between growers and consumers, ensuring in the process best value for farmers.

Constraints/Challenges
ITC’s work needs to be supplemented by other corporates engaged in agri-business. ITC has to contend with poor rural infrastructure and unreliable Web connectivity.

Project or Related URLs:

http://poverty.worldbank.org/files/14647_E-choupal-web.pdf