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Tamil Nadu
Airtel rolls out customised service for farmers
Special Correspondent
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Free updates on Mandi prices will be provided
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Tariff for calls within closed user group pegged at 50 paise A dedicated helpline will respond to queries from farmers
CHENNAI: Airtel on Wednesday launched a customised mobile telephony package aimed at adding value to the farm sector in the State.
The ‘Grameen Mobile Puratchi’ package, with free updates on Mandi prices, farming techniques and weather outlook, has been rolled out in collaboration with the India Farmers’ Fertilizer Cooperative Ltd (IFFCO), a cooperative society with a membership of 67 lakh farmers.
Joint venture
Airtel and IFFCO have floated IFFCO Kisan Sanchar Ltd as a joint venture to run the scheme.
“The scheme looks beyond rural penetration and attractive tariffs to aim for helping farmers increase incomes by equipping them with access to vital and relevant information,” Airtel Chief Executive Officer (Mobility) Rajiv Rajgopal told a press conference.
The scheme, which bundles a handset (variable pricing) and Airtel lifetime connection for Rs. 200, is expected to expand Airtel’s footprint to the remotest regions of Tamil Nadu, Anirban Ghosh, Chief Operating Officer said.
The largely untapped rural sector would crest the next wave in mobile telephony, he said. At present, of the estimated 27 million users in Tamil Nadu, rural subscribers aggregate just 7 million.
The special tariff for calls within the closed user group of those who opt for the scheme has been pegged at 50 paise a minute.
Community-building and networking is another likely outcome of this low rate for enrollers, officials said.
Relevant information
The farmer will receive five free calls every day to provide relevant information, ranging from animal husbandry inputs to fertilizer availability. Besides, a dedicated helpline (534351), manned by agriculture experts, will respond to queries from farmers.
Calls to the helpline are chargeable. Tamil Nadu is the third Airtel Circle in the country to launch this initiative.
The pilot launched in select agrarian districts had helped farmers add to their income, A. Jinnah, manager of IFFCO Kisan Sanchar Ltd, said. The first two customised packs were handed over to farmers Chinnasamy of Pollachi and Arasu of Kancheepuram.
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