On the heels of ITC’s ambitious e-choupal, corporate India is turning in greater numbers to new generation agriculture centres that offer ‘‘one-stop business solutions’’ to farmers. Tata Chemicals has just announced the launch of their Tata Kisan Sansar, where farmers will get access to credit, markets, training and farm implements under one roof.The first phase would include centres in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh covering 14,000 villages. Pilot projects have been rolled out in 256 villages. ‘‘The services offered range from agro input planning to crop procurement,’’ said Kapil Mehan, COO, Fertiliser division of Tata Chemicals. The company has invested Rs 30 crore in the project already and are hoping it to extend it to 500 outlets by 2005.It would be a hub-and-spoke model with nodal research centres with a network of franchisees around them, insuring maximum reach.The company would also be setting up kiosks at all key locations for farmers to know prices all over the country. The company will also have profiles of the farmers on the computer, a ready-made data bank.This is the upgraded version of the Tata Kisan Kendras started four years ago for providing agri-inputs to farmers.The Centre will have ‘‘buy-back arrangement from the farmer and will provide farm management solutions.’’ Also it will have tie-ups with private companies and government institutions like the Indian Council for Indian Agriculture.‘‘It is a question of time and place. With stress on agriculture in this government, agri-business may become a reality,’’ said P. Menon, Managing Director, Tata Chemicals.
