Enabling Innovative Deployment of Mobile Phone for Empowerment of Indian Farmers

Description

IFFCO Kisan Sanchar Limited (IKSL) is the vision of IFFCO, a major stake holder in rural India, to transform the ubiquitous mobile phone of a farmer into a power house of knowledge. The Value Added Agricultural Services (VAAS) forms the core of IKSL’s activities on mobile phone. Five free voice messages per day of importance to farmers are sent on mobile which cover areas of their immediate interest and concern. The broad areas covered include: Recommendation on best agricultural practices, Nutrient related issues, Animal husbandry, Information on markets, Weather, Government schemes, Livelihoods, Education, Alerts on human health, etc. The uniqueness of the messages is that they are in local languages and provided in voice format to overcome illiteracy and language barrier. A Helpline is also set up to address specific problems faced by farmers or to obtain additional information. IKSL conducts other innovative special programs like Phone Into talk to Specialists on a specific subject and Quizzes on mobile phone to encourage active interaction. The services are provided in 10 Indian languages covering 18 states. IKSL also promotes focused communities with a common interest for intensive information services. Necessary ICT Infrastructure is developed for managing all aspects of services.

What we deliver

Description of Services Voice Messages Through the IKSL Green Card, every day, five free voice messages are delivered to the subscribers. Each such voice message is of one minute duration and cover diverse areas such as soil management, crop management, dairy and animal husbandry management, horticulture and vegetable management, plant protection, market rates, weather forecast, human & cattle health, employment opportunities, government schemes, etc. These voice messages are prepared by experts on subjects of immediate interest to the rural subscribers. To provide location specific input, the country is divided into 60 zones. 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. Experts are accessible on this helpline, who provide solutions to farmers. Where required, subject matter specialists are taken on conference call to provide a satisfactory resolution to queries. Call Back Facility For those subscribers, who could not pick up the voice message call or have missed a voice message for any reason, facility is available to call a short code which provides opportunity for listening to the messages delivered on that day once again. This facility can be used during any time of a day. Other Programmes on Mobile Phone In Programme Live phone-in-programs on specific subjects of interest to farmers are organized periodically. In these programmes, subject matter specialists join IKSL’s officials at one place for redressal of any special issues, clarifications, etc. Mobile Quizzes Mobile based quiz programmes are organized to sharpen the knowledge levels of subscribers and present attractive gifts to winners. These quizzes provide an opportunity for subscribers to assess their retention levels. Focused Communities To further improve the effectiveness of its services, IKSL promotes Focused Communities / Groups with common interest . This provides an opportunity to extend more focused services to the Community members. The voice messages, support on helpline and other programmes are intensively customized to address the common interests of the community. Here, all information services are tailored for the group so that the groups collective interest is met with. In these initiatives, often, IKSL partners with NGOs, SHGs, Cooperatives, Institutions who have interest in rural India. Intensive engagement with the participants is a major feature of this approach. Users At present, there are about 10 lakh farmers who are using IKSL services. In addition, 39 focused communities are actively availing focused services of interest to their Group.

Whom we deliver

40 Content Managers of IKSL are the active users of the back end ICT infrastructure under IIMS. Further, 60 outside experts access the System On-line for Quality Assurance Processes, Content Audits and development of Digital Library for Content Team. Various levels of Management of IKSL, have access to MIS and Analytics.

How is the project unique?

1.The innovativeness of over all concept is in leveraging a normal communication need of farmers for the purpose of improving the quality of decision making and empowerment. Inclusion, accessibility, scalability, replicability, sustainability are the inherent strengths of the model. To support such amodel, a unique system addressing wide ranging needs of Content Team is required. 2. Uniqueness of the ICT system used by IKSL in the form of IIMS is in addressing wide variety of challenges in a single system (a) Content Collation as a digital library, (b) Planning (c) Content Creation for voice messages, (d) Content delivery to farmers (millions of out bound messages per day), (e) Call back facility for re-acccess, (e) Managing new types of services (f) documentation, (g) Helpline monitoring, (h) QA Processes (i) MIS & Analytics. The System also provides for best practices for Content Team like compliance to protocols developed by national peer panels

Roadmap

Many more services are being planned by IKSL to empower farmers with mobile as channel. Such systems and the back end infrastructure are under planning stage.

Contact

IFFCO KISAN SANCHAR LIMITED (IKSL)
S. SRINIVASAN
C 1 District Centre SAKET NEW DELHI – 110017
URL/Website – http://www.iksl.in