Use of Information Kiosk

Udit Jain
Network-cum-Programming Assistant
O/o Vice Chancellor, PAU, Ludhiana
 KIOSK

• A computer terminal featuring specialized

hardware and software designed within a
public exhibit that provides access to
information and applications for
communication, commerce, entertainment and
education.
• Integration of technology allows kiosks to
perform a wide range of functions, evolving
into self-service kiosks.
• Most popular and useful kiosk – ATMs
TYPES AND USES OF KIOSKS

• Tele kiosk
• Financial services kiosk
• Photo kiosk
• Internet kiosk
• Movie ticketing kiosk
• Restaurant kiosk
• Way finding kiosk
• Information kiosk
 KIOSK FOR FARMER

• Kiosks can help farmers in:

– Improving their standard of living by
expanding livelihood options
– Empowering with latest information, tools and
services including education and healthcare
 APPLICATIONS OF KIOSKS
Application Category Range of Services
E-Governance Online forms, filling of petitions and
grievances, application for license, dob
etc..
Education Computer skills training, results,
decision support systems
Communication Telephone communication, email, etc
Livelihood enhancement Information provisions related to
production, marketing, products,
consultation, with export on various
livelihoods, agricultural prices etc..
 REQUIREMENTS

• Training for using Kiosks

• Sensitive to location and population
• Power requirement (UPS)
• Connectivity (VSAT, WiFi, WiMAX etc)
• Local Language
 KIOSK PROJECTS IN INDIA

• Around more than 150 Kiosk based projects

in India with diverse goals and paradigms
• Supported by different Govt. and Non-Govt.
agencies
• One aim of Knowledge Dissemination with
diverse goals including socio-economic
growth, improving governance etc.
 E-Initiatives in India
E-Panchayat
• Panchayats were an essential part of rural life
• The Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 has introduced the
Panchayati Raj at the Village, Intermediate and the District levels, as
the third tier of governance.
• Information technology has further helped the government to meet the
challenge in this sector.
• Rural India has been given access to the basic services and the first-
level of government interaction through e-Panchayat.
• It deals with issue of trade license and NoC, house related services,
issue of birth and death certificates, copy of proceedings of Gram Sabha
and Action Taken Report and dissemination of data
 E-Initiatives in India
E-Seva
• It was initiated with an aim of “one-stop non-stop service” by
Andhra Pradesh Government.
• The Government of AP uses the technology and followed an
integrated approach by combining departments of the state and
central governments.
• ESeva is a transparent, efficient, flexible and reliable service.
• There are 51 eSeva centres with 400 service counters.
• User can take benefit from the services like eForms, eFiling and
ePayments.
• User can make the payment of utility
bills, can get certificates, check
the Transport Department Services,
does reservation along with many
more services.
 E-Initiatives in India
Bhoomi
• Delivery and management of land record has become very easy with an
online project Bhoomi which was initiated by the Karnataka government.
• It handles 20 million rural land records owned by 6.7 million farmers with
full transparency leaving no space for corruption.
• The project is operational throughout the state.
• The project offers two important services to the landowners:
– Procurement of land records
– Requesting changes to land title
• A Biometric Finger Authentication
system ensures the authenticity of the
data
 E-Initiatives in India
Information Village
• Pondicherry got the project Information Village in 1998 with the help of the MS
Swaminathan Research Foundation.
• The project won the Stockholm Challenge award for extending the benefits of
information technology to rural villages.
• Empowering everyone with knowledge and new opportunities is the aim of Information
Village.
• Ten villages have been connected near Pondicherry through advance technology of this
project.
• Illiterate users are facilitated as the local language has been used in Information Village.
• Locale specific information is provided such as price of agricultural inputs and outputs,
entitlement, health care, availability of doctors, cattle diseases, weather reports etc.
• Village volunteers are selected with minimum educational qualification of a pass in
Standard VIII.
• They are then given computer training for three months for the success of Information
Village project.
CASE STUDY OF ITC,
E-CHOUPAL
 ITC e-CHOUPAL SYSTEM

SANCHALAK

CHOUPAL
FARMERS ITC
SAGAR

SAMYOJAK
PC and
INTERNET
 ABOUT E-CHOUPAL

• Started in the year 2000

• Target achieved so far 40,000 villages, 6500 kiosks,
17 states, 13 commodities, 4 million farmers
• Wholly owned by ITC
• A business model that delivers large scale societal
value by co-creating rural markets with local
communities
• Recognizing various challenges faced by farmers,
ITC designed e-Choupal as a more efficient supply
chain management system
65,000 eChoupals 13 commodities
40,000 villages 2 million tons
4 million farmers US$ 400 million
 WHY ORIGINATED?
• Fragmented farms
• Weak institutions
• Involvement of intermediaries
• Information Asymmetry
Low Risk Appetite

Low Margins Low Investment

Caught in a vicious
cycle of
underdevelopment
Low Value Addition Low Productivity

Weak Market
Orientation
ITC’s Supply chain before e-Choupal
Initiative
 Pakka Adtiya
(Registered Dealer)
Agri-Input Dealer/
Retailer
Companies Stockiest

Trader

Money
Farmer

Processor
Lender Broker

ITC-IBD

Agril University,
VLW (of Dept of
Met Dept,
Agriculture)
Insurance Co.
Kaccha Adtiya
(Un-Registered Dealer)
ITC’s Supply chain after e-Choupal
Initiative
 Inbound Inspection Weighing Technological
Pricing Hub Logistics
Logistics Grading and Payment support

• Pricing
– Previous day’s closing price used as benchmark price for
next day
– Mandi prices communicated to sanchalak through e-
Choupal portal
– Sanchalak inspects the sample, assesses quality and gives
farmer a conditional quote and a note (name/village/quality
tests/approx. quantity/conditional price), if farmer decides
to sell to ITC
 Inbound Inspection Weighing Technological
Pricing Hub Logistics
Logistics Grading and Payment support

• Inbound Logistics
– Farmer proceeds to the nearest ITC procurement hub with
the note
– Some procurement hubs are ITC factories, others are purely
warehouse operations
– ITC’s aim is to have a processing centre within 30-40 km
radius of its farmers
 Weighing
Inbound Inspection Hub Technologica
Pricing and
Logistics Grading Logistics l support
Payment

• Inspection and Grading

– At the ITC procurement hub, laboratory tests are
conducted on a sample of farmer’s produce
– To change farmer’s attitude and appreciating produce
quality, ITC is developing lab tests to reward farmers
with reward points for better quality supply
 Weighing
Inbound Inspection Hub Technologica
Pricing and
Logistics Grading Logistics l support
Payment

• Weighing and Payment

– Farmer’s produce is weighed on electronic weighbridge
– He is then given full cash payment
– Freight expenses are reimbursed
– Appropriate documentation at each stage and farmer is
given a copy of that
– Samyojaks handle cash operations
 Weighing
Inbound Inspection Hub Technologica
Pricing and
Logistics Grading Logistics l support
Payment

• Hub Logistics
– Farmer transports his produce to the nearest
processing centre or storage hub
– ITC incurs the transportation cost
– The farmer bears the risk of transportation until
produce is delivered and the sale is completed
 Weighing Technological
Inbound Inspection Hub
Pricing and
Logistics Grading Logistics support
Payment

• Technological support
– Nodal platform catering to commodity blending,
agricultural trading, e-choupal &rural distribution
– 24,000 personalized business function points
– 110,000+ pre-built business function points
– Integrated Business Systems for Direct Agriculture
Procurement, Rural Distribution, e-Choupal Management,
Exports, Insurance, Aqua Processing & Commodity
blending
– Support for 8 local languages
 7 P’s OF SERVICES

Product
• Processed Fruits (Mango, Guava, Papaya etc.)
• Food Grains (Rice, Wheat and Pulses)
• Feed Ingredients (Soya bean )
• Edible Nut (Groundnut)
• Coffee & Spices
• Marine Products (Shrimps and Prawns )

Place
• e-Choupal within 5km radius serving 10villages
• A processing center within 25 - 30 km radius
 7 P’s CONTD…

People
• Sanchalak
• Samyojak
• Farmers
• ITC staff

Price
• Transportation Cost
• Set – up Cost
• Mandi Cost v/s e – Choupal cost.
• Insurance expenses
 7 P’s CONTD……

Process

INBOUND INSPECTION WEIGHING & HUB

PRICING
LOGISTICS & GRADING PAYMENT LOGISTICS
 7 P’s CONTD……
Physical Evidence
• Choupal Sagar

Promotion
• Carries out CSR activities as part of promotions
• Provided livelihood to 5million people (work, education)
• Social and Farm Forestry
• Water shade development
• Agriculture development
• Choupal Pradarshan Khet
 A win-win Deal

Farmers gain ITC gains

• Better information • Disintermediation

Content savings
• Better info timing • Freight costs
• Less transportation • Quality control
Cost • Risk management
• Transaction duration
• Weighing accuracy
• Professionalism
Transaction cost in Mandi Chain (before e-Choupal)
Transaction cost in Mandi Chain (after e-Choupal)
 Companies using e-Choupal network

Source: Seminar on Bottom of the Pyramid and CSR, IIM-K, Sept. 24, 2008
Thanks