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Agri-business Caselet
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Agri-business Caselet
Rice
Wheat
Maize
Cotton
Oilseeds
9.8 (Egypt)
7.7 (UK)
9.1 (USA)
11.1 (China)
4.0 (Germany)
World Average
3.9
2.8
3.3
7.3
1.8
India
2.9
2.7
1.1
4.6
0.8
Worlds Best
Another study in Paddy Cultivation in UP revealed that the best performing farmers
overall profitability was 77% higher than the average farmers, purely because of
farming techniques used. This indicates the large opportunity to be realised by farmers
by improving their farming techniques - improved input usage, sowing techniques and
pest management. The below-par state of agriculture and Indian farmer can be
attributed to a weak decision making process of the Indian Farmer as s/he struggles
with challenges on multiple fronts. Timing right is of utmost importance in the cropping
cycle, and yet the Indian farmer relies on a loose network for guidance even today. In
addition to the vagaries of nature in the form of drought, floods or pests, the farmer is
forced to depend on sub-optimal local expertise, delayed good expertise or fellow
farmers in the same plight, to tackle the various challenges pertaining to farming. Even
if (s)he moves through the challenges somehow to deliver the crops, (s)he is forced to
depend on the local trader for an optimum price for the cultivated produce. An
Assocham study in 2014 quantified the losses to crops each year due to pest and
disease at INR. 50,000 crores.
Indias rural market accounts for about 402 million mobile phone users, which is 41% of
the total user base; of which 53 million are also mobile internet users (25% of the total
mobile internet user base) as of June 2015. However, there are not enough apps
relevant for the rural market or customised for farmers needs. Mahindra has studied the
following habits and behaviours of farmers:
Adoption of android phones are increasing, with 10-15% of the farmers currently
using them. For the rest, most of them have atleast 1 family member who owns
an android phone.
The awareness of Internet is high with most internet consumption happening
through the mobile phone with an average spend of INR. 100/-.
Internet is used mainly for entertainment, with only a few exploring farming related
updates and information. Some users are advanced, using even Google Voice
search for browsing.
Farmers with smartphones use WhatsApp and Xender extensively, and are also
aware of Facebook.
To solve these challenges facing the Indian farmer through modern technology,
Mahindra created MyAgriGuru - an Android App based digital solution to help farmers
increase their income through effective management of their various challenges Aamdhani Badao - Increase your Income - is the clarion call of MyAgriGuru. With
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Agri-business Caselet
MyAgriGuru, Mahindra has brought all agri-related knowledge on one platform, with
intuitive navigation, engaging content, useful solutions and unbiased recommendations.
Currently, the MyAgriGuru app has the following sections that help farmers through
relevant information and advises:
Section
Crop Calendar
Information Areas
Crop Protection
Budget Tracking
Discussion Forum
Market Price
Profile
Videos
Weather
Updates
Created in Hindi & English, the app has been launched in Madhya Pradesh &
Uttarakhand in June 2016. After an initial 3-month pilot, the app will be expanded to all
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Agri-business Caselet
Hindi speaking states. Farmers are the primary target for MyAgriGuru, with the
secondary target being Agri-Professionals Scientists, Agricultural extension officers,
KVK scientists, agronomists, professors, students and other people engaged actively in
agriculture. MyAgriGuru aspires to connect the complete eco-system of agriculture to
enable effective knowledge sharing among farmers and agri-experts. MyAgriGuru also
intends to be relevant to the entire spectrum of farmer base, by delivering content in
regional languages, with geographically relevant and mapped solutions.
What can be the different modes by which MyAgriGuru can directly, and significantly
increase the income of the farmer? What should MyAgriGuru do to be the must-have
app for every farmer and agri-professional? What other offerings should be added to
make the app more relevant to farmers? What partnerships are to be looked at, and
why? What are the potential revenue streams for the platform, and how to realize them?
Who will pay for these value additions, how and how much? Should MyAgriGuru follow
a freemium model - if so, what services need to be added? Should MyAgriGuru be
Mahindra specific, or should it be opened for other companies to participate too? If so,
why?
Based on this background, prepare a comprehensive business plan to maximise
market and financial value of MyAgriGuru App, and significantly impact atleast 5
million farmers over the next 3 years.
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