Empowering farmers through innovative mobile VAS

One97 has developed and deployed the VAS platform for the Airtel IFFCO Krishna Sanchar project to connect farmers.

 Airtel-IFFCO Kisan Sanchar and One97 provides a platform where people of a region having relevant information can share it with other members of group. E.g. if a person comes to know about scheduled power cut, information on crop diseases and treatment, weather information, new market price of a certain crop or any other relevant information etc. He/she can share with predefined group by simply dialing a short code i.e. 534359 and recording the information. Information is sent out to all registered group members via outdialers. Through this unique VAS platform each user will get  five free voice messages on mandi prices, farming techniques, weather forecasts, dairy farming, animal husbandry, among others on a daily basis. Incase a farmer missed out the outdialer call he can call back to one of the dedicated shortcode i.e 53435 to listed the recordings of the day.

 In addition, the farmer can to call a dedicated helpline shortcode i.e 534351, manned by experts from various fields, to get answers to their specific queries.

 Currently this service has over 1 Lakh+ subscribers. The service has been widely accepted and used because:

1.     If offers free daily voice updates in local languages on mandi prices, farming techniques, weather forecasts and fertilizer availability to the farmers.  

2.      In addition, the farmer can call a dedicated helpline, manned by experts from various fields, to get answers to their specific queries.  

3.      It is a voice base service and any one can use it.

4.       User can share information in 8 regional languages. The messages are then forwarded to the user group in the same language.  

5.       Its real time.

In the first phase of roll out this service was implemented in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. The second phase services are being made live in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, and Andhra Pradesh HP.

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