Case The ITC eChoupal Initiative
1. What was ITC’s motivation for creating eChoupal?
2. What were the old and new physical flows and information flows in the channel?
3. What principles did it employ as it built the newly fashioned supply chain?
4. What barriers did ITC face in embarking on this project?
5. How should ITC develop this project for the future?
Answer:
1. What was ITC’s motivation for creating eChoupal?
Answer: The main motivation of e-Choupal was the IBD’s idea of creating a sourcing
network with direct links to the farmers in the rural areas. In the past of the information
technology, supply chain is lake of local agricultural production and the output surface
efficiency. In the production, the villagers just only use by gathering information and
limited technical resources, such as limiting technology and transfer of knowledge. The
farmers also did not have access to quality and skill inputs for selling products. (Ex:
sowing seeds, herbicides, and accurate weather reports). On the output side, middlemen
clogged the supply chain, reducing profit margins for both farmers and buyers (Ex: ITC).
2. What were the old and new physical flows and information flows in the channel?
Answer: The old model of selling goods from farm to market, and then transported to the
plant’s. The new model through e-Choupal operation, the farmers can learn from the
information, such as crop information, market information, news, weather etc. Also they
have a more transparent and accurate of information to avoid middlemen pulled prices and
