Inclusive innovation for Farmers

through Telecommunications &

ICTs :
The IFFCOs Way
Gagan Goel
Dy. Manager (Elect.)
IFFCO, Aonla Unit, Bareilly

Woes of Indian
Farmer
Yields are low

Information :An Important

Information on agriInput
inputs
(seed,
fertilizers, pesticides,
credit)
What input brands to
use?
How to use them
effectively?
Which are the best
sources
for
Awareness
about good
procurement?
agricultural
practices
Weather information
Time of sowing
Package of Practices
Q/A with scientists
and extension staff
Govt.
scheme/subsidies

Information on Forward
linkages
Markets
Price Discovery
Consumer Behavior
Packaging , Grading
and standardization
Other Needs
Family Health and Education
Entertainment
Networking
Communicating with friends,
relatives and society

The Concept

The
concept
leverages
IFFCOs 40 years of deep
understanding
of
rural
issues. The idea is to make
use
of
IFFCOs
deep
extensive
reach
and
establish
a
low
cost
telecom
distribution
channel
through
the
network of cooperative
societies.
To accomplish the task
IFFCO tied up with Airtel to
build and offer a platform
for the farmers through the
cooperative
society
network.

The objective of IKSL is rural

empowerment through enhanced
customer relations and serving
its farmers by providing farming
related
information & expert
opinions.

Green SIM CARD

93 crore (75%) mobile subscriber out of 125
crore population
IFFCO have more then 40,000 cooperative societies as
its members and a base of 60 millions farmers.
Converted mobile phones into dynamic powerhouse of
knowledge to change the livings of the farmers

Free Voice Message

Through the Green SIM
Card, every day, up to four
free voice messages are
delivered
to
the
Subscribers.
Each such voice message
is of one-minute duration
and cover contextual alerts
and advisories on diverse
subjects
related
to
Agriculture.

Message Delivery

Mandi rates , Canal

Roster
Availability of Fertilizer
IFFCO
Local
Field Officers
Mandis
Veterinary
and other inputs
Doctors
Cane harvest , Weather,
Camps/Mela, Pest attack
Agricultural
Institutions Vet Disease, Soil testing
Agricultural
IFFCO
Scientists
Kisan
Camps
Pesticide/ Insecticide
Best yield & Best
A lot more..
Weather
farming Practices
Dept
Medical
Various Government
Officers
Agriculture Schemes
These voice messages are prepared Cash crop Economics
by experts on subjects of immediate
Interest Rates of various
interest to the rural Subscribers.
Market rates and weather information Banks
at district-level is also given as text

Helpline
The subscribers of Green SIM Card of IKSL have
the privilege of access to a dedicated Helpline
service, which has the potential to become a
rural lifeline through a 6 digit number 534351.
Farmers can get a solution to their problems,
queries by using this short code. Experienced
professionals are accessible on this helpline,
who provide solutions to farmers.
Where required, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
are taken on conference call to provide a
satisfactory resolution to queries.

ARCHITECTURE & SERVICE CONSTRUCT

PUSH : Voice
Based Information

PULL : Helpline
IFFCO Database,
Specialists Inputs,
Universities &
Research Institutions

MESSAGE PLANNING

D PROACTIVE
1.

CROP CALENDAR

2.

CROPPING PATTERN

3.

AGRO-ECOLOGICAL SITUATION (HORTICULTURE,

ANIMALS, SOILS, CLIMATE ETC.)

4.

WEATHER FORECAST AND MANDI RATES

5.

INFORMATION ON FARMERS NEED (HEALTH,

EMPLOYMENT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP ETC.)

D
REACTIVE
1. HELPLINE QUERIES
2.

ALERTS AND WARNINGS

3.

GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT

4.

EVENTS

MESSAGE MIX
FOR EVERY
DAY IS
DETERMINED

 Helpline Query Sample

-

Q.
?

A.

17.8 10 (15) 5

Call Back Facility

Every day up to four free voice messages
are delivered to subscribers on mobile
phone free of cost in local language on
areas of their interest.
However, for those subscribers, who could
not pick up the voice message call or have
missed a voice message, facility is
available to call a short code (534359)
which provides for listening to the
messages again.
This facility is available for listening the
same days alerts and advisories any time

Other Programmes through

Mobile Phone
Live phone-in-program on specific
subjects of interest to farmers. IKSL's
officials join at one place for redressal
of specific issues of the caller, provide
clarifications, etc.
Mobile based quizzes are organized to
sharpen the knowledge levels of
subscribers and attractive gifts are
provided to winners.

Focused Communities
To further improve the effectiveness of its
services, IKSL promotes Focused Communities /
Groups with common interest - such as Sheep
and Goat Rearing, Dairy, Fisheries, etc.
IKSL offers an opportunity to like-minded
Organizations to effectively communicate with
their farmer/customer base through IKSL Green
SIM card platform.
Here, the partner organization is empowered to
customize the content of 1 or 2 of the total 4
daily messages disseminated through Green SIM.

SUCCESS STORY COMMUNITY

Partners : VIDIYAL, COMMON
WEALTH Of LEARNING
Location: THENI (TAMILNADU)
No. of Women Members : 300
Focused voice messages & helpline
on
GOAT & COW REARING
EDUCATION ON WOMEN'S
RIGHTS
OTHER AREAS OF
INTEREST (WOMENS
HEALTH)
IMPROVED INCOME
LEVELS OF MEMBERS

LEVEL

SUCCESS STORY INDIVIDUAL LEVEL

Farmer Name : NAGAPPA

Village :

KUDARIMOTHI (KORPAL),
KARNATAKA

Land Holding : 0.8 Ha (Marginal

Farmer)
Crop
CROSSANDRA

Problem :

FLOWER

CROP

PLANTS NOT FLOWERING

Solution : SPRAY OF CALAXIN @ 0.5

Result : STARTED GETTING 5-6 KG

FLOWERS
EVERYWATER
DAY FROM
L/LITRE
0.2 HA AREA & Rs.15000 AS
MONTHLY INCOME

SUCCESS STORY INDIVIDUAL LEVEL

State:

RAJASTHAN

Village: DODASARA

Farmer: NAVRANG LAL

Problem faced: WEAKNESS IN BUFFALO,
LOW MILK YIELD

Solution given: HIMALAYA BATISA 50 GM,

ANARACZONE 2 TAB MIXED

WITH SUGAR LUMP ONCE
IN A DAY FOR THREE DAYS
TO THE BUFFALO.

Cost incurred: Rs.425/Benefit obtained: STRONGER BUFFALO,

INCREASE IN MILK PRODUCTIVITY.

Net increase in income :

Rs.4400/MTH

Partnership
Collaborative initiatives are taken up in association with many like minded
institutions and organizations to ensure appropriate input for the farmers
and others living in our villages. Such Partnerships include field level
activities as well as content development & syndication activities. Some of
the strategic partnerships are:
. GSMA Foundation
Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux International (CABI)
Prof M.S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF)
Commonwealth of Learning
Agricultural Universities / Institutions in India.
In addition, IKSL partners with several NGOs and institutions which are
committed to rural India.

Gram Sanjeevani-Rural Portal

Leveraging
long
years
of
association and experience with
rural India and the large volume of
data bases, IKSL has launched a
Rural Portal Gram Sanjeevani.
The rural Portal leverages the
voice content delivered to farmers
and also includes many new
features like supplementing the
information with images, providing
library services on large number
of topics and even promoting rural
handicraft.

Grameen Prayatan

Gram Sanjeevni- Android

App

Gram Sanjeevni- Android

App

Conclusion
An inclusive innovation is one which creates
products that can be accessed by all classes,
improving their productivity, and are not
restricted to the elite.
Different services like weather forecast for
farmers, Mandi prices, e-portal to help them to
enhance their production through scientific
inputs for the benefit of Farmers.
Further innovation in an enabling environment
can make substantial contributions to growth of
Agriculture Sector.

Mr. Barack Obama,

appreciates the Mobile-Phone
based initiatives of IKSL
"It is a Great Idea.
Do it across the
world.
Great Work.
Keep it up."

- Mr. Barack Obama, comment on IKSL

effort for Rural Empowerment during
Agriculture Expo. Visit at Mumbai,
November 7, 2010.

Today, India is
a leader in
using
technology to
empower
farmers, like
those I met
yesterday
who get free
updates on
market and
weather

President Barack Obama addressing the

Indian Parliament, November 8th, 2010

Thank You