ITC has won the Seagate Intelligent Enterprise of the Year 2003 Award for the most innovative usage of Information Technology. This award recognises ITC’s pathbreaking e-Choupal initiative that enhances the international competitiveness of the smallest Indian farmer by giving him ready access to expert knowledge through a unique click and mortar model. The largest IT-based corporate intervention in rural India, e-Choupal already covers over 1.5 million farmers in 14,000 villages through 2,700 village internet kiosks. From these kiosks, farmers can instantly access vernacular websites, specific to their crops, created by ITC.

The e-Choupal delivers real-time information and customised knowledge to improve the farmer’s decision-making ability, thereby aligning farm output to emerging market demand; securing better quality, productivity and improved price discovery. The model helps aggregate demand in the nature of a virtual producers’ co-operative, in the process facilitating access to higher quality farm inputs at lower costs for the farmer. The e-Choupal initiative also creates a direct marketing channel, eliminating wasteful intermediation and multiple handling, thus reducing transaction costs while enhancing logistical efficiency. Over the next decade, the e-Choupal network will cover over 100,000 villages, representing 1/6th of rural India, and create more than 10 million e-farmers.

The award was given at the ‘Technology Senate 2003’ — a two-day knowledge conclave for the country’s leading corporate IT decision makers in Kochi, Kerala on November 26 and 27, 2003. The award recognizes organizations that are innovating, with the help of technology and related processes to optimise the use of IT and deliver business value.