Rural Immersion Programme

TATA Agrico in association with TSRDS conducted a two-day Rural Immersion programme on 22nd and 23rd December in the Ganjam district of Odisha. TATA Agrico is a pioneer in providing innovative offerings for Indian farmers. TSRDS a part of the CSR wing of Tata Steel, is working closely with around 5000 farmers in Odisha through its Odisha Livelihoods Programme. The objective of the Rural Immersion Programme was to have direct interaction with the relevant stakeholders including the end consumers, i.e., farmers and to ensure adequate awareness regarding the innovations in the farming sector. This interaction was immensely helpful as it has given valuable insights into the farmers’ lives and their livelihoods. The programme aimed at demonstrating innovation by translating customer insights into meaningful technological applications, which will lead to an increase in agriculture productivity. Both the TSRDS and Agrico teams visited a gathering of 300 farmers in the field. Agrico’s products were displayed to the farmers and the team explained to them the product features. Valuable learnings and insights were gained from discussions with progressive farmers and influencers (Sarpanch and SHG leaders). The key learning from the programme was that Agrico has to come up with affordable and quality products, suitable for small and marginal farmers. The local farmer network of TSRDS can be accessed to reach out to remote locations.