To expand its successful rural retail format, ITC plans to associate with 10 million farmers across one lakh villages, and open 20,000 more e-choupals by 2010.
Currently, ITC’s e-Choupal network operates in six states with 6,400 kiosks in 40,000 villages, covering 400,000 farmers, while the new expansion will take it to 15 states.
“Currently, 40-50 per cent of our procurement of certain commodities comes from our Choupal network, and we are looking at taking it higher,” said M Srinivasa Rao, head of new initiatives, ITC.
“We are also looking at expanding our Choupal Sagar network from 25 outlets at present in three states,” he added.
ITC has tied up with 140 companies for selling their products at Choupal Sagars, informed Rao.
