Marketmirchi.com, a multilingual web-portal developed by IIT Bombay and Rural Technology Action Group (RuTAG), is transforming business in the agricultural sector by bringing together over 30,000 entrepreneurs, FPOs and self-help groups to buy and sell products.
Science and technology interventions are one of the major driving forces for India’s development, and this is true of the rural economy as well. And a great example of how the digital medium can bridge divides is marketmirchi.com, an online initiative that has enabled more than 30,000 entrepreneurs, FPOs and self-help groups across India to successfully buy and sell artisanal and agricultural products using their computer or mobile phone.
The direct interaction brings with it a host of benefits, a major one being the elimination of the need of the middleman, who is otherwise a part of the supply chain. Quite typically rural entrepreneurs, farmers and other stakeholders are dependent on local markets for buying and selling their produce. Middlemen take advantage of this situation and producers are often deprived of the correct price of their goods. Marketmirchi.com helps overcome this problem by providing a free digital platform for direct marketing.
This does away with the disproportionate profits that middlemen tend to make.
Marketmirchi.com has a pan-India presence. It is a free platform, and there is no entry or exit fee for its users, a large group consisting of rural entrepreneurs, farmer producer organisations, self-help groups, farmers and artisans from all over the country. The site also lists jobs in the rural sector.
Developed with the latest progressive web technology suited for use in rural areas, the website operates like an app. However there is no need to download the app. It is a free social model. This means that the website is an open buyer-seller hub where the two parties can forge an association without any kind of hurdles to overcome. It is not a closed business model like e-commerce companies.
The portal has been designed with ease of access and use in mind, especially for those lacking education. The homepage lists popular product categories like vegetables, fruits, flowers and dairy, and the user can either post an advertisement to make a sale in one of the categories or click on the options provided to make a purchase. Ads for jobs can also be put up on this site. The location of each seller is also displayed next to the bid information.
Users have to log in using a username and password, like any web account. They can set their preference to one of 10 regional languages offered on the platform.
Rural Technology Action Group (RuTAG) is an initiative of the office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India since 2004. It was conceptualised to provide a higher level of science and technology intervention and support to rural areas.
The interventions are designed to be demand-driven, focussing on bridging technology gaps at the grassroots level, upgrading technology and providing training and demonstrations through innovative projects.
The RuTAG centre in Mumbai is housed at the Centre for Technology Alternatives for Rural Areas (CTARA) at IIT Bombay. It has supported and mentored many useful technologies for rural empowerment.
Marketmirchi.com was conceptualised and developed by Pragati Gokhale, advisor, Rajiv Gandhi Science and Technology Commission, government of Maharashtra, in association with RuTAG and IIT Bombay. The latter has provided support for technical advancement and also created training videos on how to use the app. These videos are available on the YouTube channel in 10 Indian languages. RuTAG has also conducted 28 training programmes in various Indian states to generate awareness and handhold end users in using the app.
This work was done with the CSR funds of Coal India Ltd.
The lead image on top shows a farmer watching his mobile phone. (Screengrab from a YouTube video of Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Govt. of India)
