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Employment generation by ITC’s e-choupals 600 more for 2,500 villages

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DQW Bureau
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ITC Ltd (International Business Division), also known as a Kisan company,
will create 600 more e-choupals to cover 2,500 villages of the State, a top
official of the company quoted lately. ITC had launched the concept of e-choupal
(soya choupal) as a pilot project in the state last year. ITC is also likely to
launch crop insurance (soya) and life insurance business in the state, he
further informed. The e-choupal is a one-stop shop from where farmers can log in
(with the help of Sanchalaks) for information on soya prices, weather, and other
related data.

The company has successfully reached 1,50,000 farmers and 1,300 villages and
has already created 250 e-choupals. In the process, it has generated employment
opportunities for the rural youth through the concept of the e-choupal. ITC has
also launched similar choupals in other states like Karnataka for coffee and
black pepper and in Andhra Pradesh for aquaculture.

S Sivakumar, Chief Executive (International Business Division), ITC Ltd is
reported to have said that ITC had launched the soya choupal as a pilot project
in the state, which was a tremendous success. Now, ITC will set up 600 more e-choupals
in MP by December this year, he added. Sivakumar was in the city to participate
in the Rural Business Summit jointly organized by the CII (MP chapter) and the
Department of Rural Industries (MP).

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On the other initiatives of the company in the state, Sivakumar said that ITC
has supplied 200 tonnes of good quality soya seed to 2,000 farmers of the state
in association with the MP Seed Corporation and Monsanto.

Speaking on the occasion, CM Digvijay Singh, said, “A strong link can be
established between rural business and the corporate world only if the state
achieves a double digit growth.” He also stressed on higher literacy rates and
lower population growth rate as a prerogative for sustained economic
development.

Welcoming the guests, Sundeep Maheshwari, Chairperson, (MP Chapter), CII,
said, “The state has good business potential in its rural areas. The need of
the hour is to tap it in an organized way by strengthening the linkage between
micro and rural business with the corporate world. There is a good opportunity
for the corporate world to become partners in micro and rural businesses of the
state as a way to ensure good growth.”

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SS Arora, Enterprise Development Adviser, DFID India; K Srinivas, Business
Manager-New Ventures, Hindustan Lever Ltd; Shikha Joshi, State Coordinator, SEWA;
PN Mishra, MD, CEDMAP; and Rakesh Kalra, Chairperson, CII, Malwa Zonal Council,
also spoke on the occasion. MS Tyagi, Vice-Chairperson, CII, (MP) and Executive
Director, Nahar Spinning Mills Ltd and Kiran Wadhwana, proposed the vote of
thanks.

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