Overview – Key Issues of Case
ITC is an Indian based company made up of many different divisions including tobacco, paperboard, retail, hospitality and food. The company’s mission is to sustain economic growth within India, which is considered to have a large number of economically disadvantaged citizens, and turn these individuals into viable consumers.
ITC’s International Business Division, also known as the agricultural export division of the company, has been lagging behind other divisions. The company’s chief executive officer is pushing for change. Given that soybean and related products comprise two thirds of this division, the company set its focus on this area.
Although ITC has done well selling soybean products, the entire value chain was very inefficient operating with limited resources and lacking good information flow. These two main factors locked the industry into an unproductive cycle. ITC’s challenge was to develop a new and efficient method to correct these issues and work towards achieving the company’s goals. Technology seemed the way to go but developing a new information technology system in an environment that is scarcely developed and where many individuals have not even seen a computer is a challenging task.
In order to begin this undertaking, ITC first must evaluate the culture and politics of the industry. Historically, in soybean producing areas villagers would gather to share stories and exchange information. The meeting place was called a Choupal. ITC decided to work with the existing cultural gathering to minimize change and culture shock. The new initiative flourished as an online community called an eChoupal.&nb ...