ITC to add 20,000 e-choupals

ITC is looking at increasing its e-choupal footprint to nine more states by adding 20,000 more kiosks and 10 million farmers to its network by 2010.

ITC's e-choupal network currently operates in six states with 6,400 kiosks in 40,000 villages and covers 400,000 farmers. The expanded network will include one lakh villages in 15 states.

The company refused to divulge investment figures for the expansion plans. "Currently, 40-50% of our procurement of certain commodities comes from the choupal network. We are looking at taking it higher," said M Srinivasa Rao, head of new initiatives, ITC.

"We are also looking at expanding our Chaupal Sagar network from 25 outlets at present in three states," he added.

ITC has tied up with 140-odd companies for selling their products at the Chaupal Sagars, Rao said. ITC is scaling up Chaupal Fresh outlets at existing locations including Hyderabad, Pune and Chandigarh.

ITC is mulling entry into cotton and expanding its horticulture products' basket to add to its existing portfolio of soyabean, wheat, coffee and aquaculture.