Cairns-RML

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A transformational business directly and
positively impacting the agri community
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The power of RML..

• A progressive farmer from Madhya Pradesh set up a
  small dairy to supplement the earnings from the
  agriculture. He chose the Jersey breed, quite
  unlikely in the area and set up a shed for 10
  cows. The decision was validated when his monthly
  net profit went to Rs. 30,000. Reuters Market
  Light published this information to their
  subscribers through a simple SMS in Hindi
• ?????? ???? ?????9981827471 ?? 10????? ???? ??
  ????? ????? ???????? ???? ?? ??????16????/????????
  ? ????? ?????? Rs30,000/??? ?????.
• Bahadur Singh was overwhelmed as he received over
  500 calls from farmers in almost every corner of
  the state. Bahadur Singh was exhausted but
  satisfied for he had become the role model for
  hundreds of farmers.
• Bahadur Singh Thakur
• Madhya Pradesh

On publishing of News by RML about the
achievements in Organic farming and Vermicompost
manufacture, a farmer received more than hundred
calls from farmers belonging to different parts
of Karnataka to know in detail about the
practices, few farmers had even visited his farm
to know about in person. He was overwhelmed and
happy to know about his contribution and service
to the farming community - Shivamma organic
farmer from Shimoga district in Karnataka.
RML SMS informed Maharashtra farmers of one of
the best rose farmers and he received over 700
calls to know more about the floriculture that
fetches Rs. 100,000 per acre. More than 200
farmers paid visit to his rose farm to get first
hand information and knowledge about the
floriculture. - D. G. Kathe from Nasik district
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Consumer Impact
Videos
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Journey so far
About RML
Impact Assessment
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The Need.

• What price should I expect for MY crop?
• When should I harvest and where should I sell MY
  crop?
• What is the likely weather condition in MY
  district?
• How can I boost MY productivity?
• Where do I get insurance, loan or the subsidy
  from?

Lack of timely, unbiased, localized and accurate
information
Nearly 60 percent of the working population makes
its living from agriculture
Economic and Emotional pain for the farmer
Avenues to easily purchase / access this
information in an easy to use format
By one estimate, a farmer in India gets only
20-25 price of their final produce vis-à-vis
40-50 in the developed world.
High dependency on the middlemen and a patchy
network of ad-hoc information sources
Hence, a need to develop a scalable agri
information model that could reach millions of
farmers in a cost effective, self sustainable
manner while providing for individual farmer
level personalization of information.
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RMLs Journey
2011 / 2012

• Rapid scale up
• RML Impact validated through studies conducted by
  various independent organizations like World
  Bank, USAID, GIZ, LBS
• RML crosses the 1 million unique registered
  consumers mark

2010

• Launch of the first crop specific product RML
  Potato.
• RML wins six awards including The World Business
  Development Award (WBDA) from the UNDP, ICC and
  IBLF.

2009

• Launch of RML Direct - RML launches an
  award-winning first ever card for
  Micro-information Services designed specifically
  for the farming community.
• Partnership with Idea Cellular
• Partnership with Biostadt
• Pan India expansion - RML expands content
  operations in 13 states of the country.

2007 / 2008

• Launch in Maharashtra in October 2007 RML was
  launched as a business
• RML launched in Punjab

2005 / 2006

• The Idea and Research Phase
• Seed Funding Research with hundreds of farmers
  all over India.
• Small scale market trials funding - A small scale
  service is run in Maharashtra along with running
  an ethnography study

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Journey so far
About RML
Impact Assessment
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Impact Assessment
About RML
Reuters Market Light (RML) is a pioneering,
multi-award winning service providing
personalized agri information over mobile phones
to agri community

• 1 million unique subscribers
• estimated 50,000 villages
• 17 states
• 600 crop varieties
• 3,000 weather locations
• 1,300 markets

• Service Highlights
• 8 languages
• Local content
• Simple user interface
• On all telecom operators handsets

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Impact Assessment
About RML
Designed to provide a very easy to use product
experience
Easy to use product experience
1. Purchase Card
2. Scratch Card
3. Call a toll free number
Service Starts
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RML creates, aggregates and disseminates best in
class agri content
Impact Assessment
About RML

• Market Prices
• Several hundred on-ground reporters
• World class data quality processes

Fastest and most accurate market prices

• Local Weather
• Partnerships with IMD private players
• Cross-validation of weather forecasts

Accurate local weather forecasts along with
weather based advisory

• Advisory Intelligence
• In-house experts at state and national level
• Partnerships with agri research institutions and
  universities

Relevant, actionable and easily understandable
information
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Journey so far
About RML
Impact Assessment
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Impact Assessment Farmer testimonials
Impact Assessment
About RML
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Impact Assessment Farmer testimonials (Gujarat)
Impact Assessment
About RML
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Impact Assessment Success Stories..
Impact Assessment
About RML

• ????? ??????? ????? ?? ????? ??????? ?? ?????
  ????? ?? ??? ?? ???????????? 30 ???????? 60??
  ???????????? ??? 8120617103.
• This news generated over 150 calls and 7-8
  farmers from Khargone, Dewas and Harda districts
  traveled to his farm to know more about Drip
  Irrigation and how it enhances the production and
  makes economy of water. This visit of farmers to
  my farm enhanced my reputation in the village.
  Its all because of RML, said Madhusudan Dhakad.
• According to P. K. Singh, Chief Agriculture
  Officer, District Udham Singh Nagar, he received
  over 70 calls from the farmers when RML informed
  its subscribers via SMS that subsidy on paddy
  thresher is available. The officer, who had
  initially consented to publish his telephone
  number, was taken aback as the department did not
  have adequate supply of thresher to meet the
  farmers demand. He, however, was excited with the
  power of RML and agreed to share relevant and
  important information with RML, which would
  positively impact farmers in the state.

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Independent validation of RML impact -
Impact Assessment
About RML
5-25 increase in income of RML Subscribers
interviewed -ICRIER study 2009 8 increase
in price realization for RML subscribers who sold
directly to traders -World Bank study
2010 80 farmers changed information sourcing
behavior after using RML -USAID study
2011 90 of farmers believed they benefited from
RML service, over 80 willing to pay for the
same -GIZ funded study 2011 7.6 reduction
in price dispersion across markets due to
availability of RML service -LBS study 2011
Marketing
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Few other recognitions by institutions of
excellence in India and around the world
Impact Assessment
About RML
RML helps farmers get clarity on the prices
their produce would fetch, when they should
harvest crops and the likely weather conditions
besides availability of crop insurance.
What we are seeing in RML is the front end of a
learning curve where the younger and more
progressive farmers are learning to exploit the
technology,
Innovative work of RML in India is spearheading
a service where farmers receive information on
the price of crops at markets of their choice
RML recognized at the WEF in Davos - 2010
This data suggests that the RML service can
significantly increase the availability of price
information for farmers
RML service was perceived as providing
information that was better tailored to the
subscriber and was considered easy to access
ICRIER study (2010) on agri information services
Case Studies
UNDP awards for achievement of Millennium
Development Goals in 2008 and 2010
FT JustMeans Social Innovation Award in 2010
Awarded to RML Cardas Runner-up in the Private
Sector - Agriculture Allied Activities  
Prof. C.K. Prahalad's path-breaking book
"Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid"
Mention in Nandan Nilekani's book 'Imagining
India'
Accenture Report Masters of Rural India
showcases RML as one of the 3 successful rural
brands alongside Unilevers and Hero Honda
And many more
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Thank You
For more information, please visit
www.reutersmarketlight.com
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Thank You
For more information, please visit
www.reutersmarketlight.com
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Backup data
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Impact Assessment Independent USAID ACDI/VOCA
PIKA study change in information sourcing
behavior
Impact Assessment
About RML
Preferred sources of information for farmers
Before Project intervention
After Project intervention
More than 90 farmers showed willingness to
continue the services
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Impact Assessment Independent GIZ study change
in information sourcing behavior
Impact Assessment
About RML
Preferred sources of information for farmers
Information Source During RML Subscription
Normal Information Source
Almost 90 farmers showed willingness to continue
the services
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Impact Assessment NABARD IMRB study highly
satisfied consumers
Impact Assessment
About RML
Whether would like to continue
Satisfaction
Yes - 89
No - 11
Extremely Satisfied
Recommend to other farmers
Somewhat Satisfied
Somewhat Dissatisfied
Extremely Dissatisfied
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Impact Assessment Few examples of Farmer Surveys
actionable and relevant content
Impact Assessment
About RML
Farmer feedback on benefits realized
Farmers use various components of RML service as
per their needs

• Key Insights
• 100 farmers are satisfied and they took
  decisions on the basis of RML information
• 80 farmers fetched higher prices for their
  produce
• 78 percent farmers could save their money
• 80 farmers realized incremental productivity

• Key Insights
• Every farmer has been benefitted from RML from
  one or more content
• RML Services brought in the behavioral change
  farmers are trying new things and calling up RML
  toll free for additional information