Indian farmers have been under the vicious circle of poverty decade after decade, due to non-adoption of cutting-edge farming technologies, and lack of proper marketing facilities. The Indian Tobacco Company (ITC) has been acting as an oasis by providing quality input to farmers and marketing assistance. These farmer-centric initiatives have developed a high level of loyalty among the rural masses. Therefore, ITC lauched its innovative rural mall "Choupal Sagar", to reap the benefits from its loyal group of customers. The company focus throws light on ITC's profit motive backed by its
social motive.

Indian Tobacco Company (ITC) is one among the world's best big companies with a market capitalization of more than $10 bn and a turnover of $3 bn. ITC has diversified businesses like cigarettes, hotels, paperboards & specialty papers, packaging, agribusiness, packaged foods & confectionery, branded apparel, greeting cards, and other FMCG products. ITC's agribusiness is one of the India's largest exporter of agricultural products and one of the country's biggest foreign exchange earners ($ 2 bn in the last decade). This is because of its e-choupal initiative in different parts of India. ITC's production facilities and hotels have won numerous national and international awards for quality, productivity, safety, and environment management systems. ITC was the first company to be rated by International Credit Rating Agency (ICRA) for Corporate Governance. ITC's Lifestyle Retailing business division has a nationwide presence through its Wills Lifestyle chain of exclusive specialty stores. It started with Wills Sport relaxed wear and then expanded to Wills Classic formal wear, Wills Clublife evening wear for the premium segment, and John Player for the mid-segment. The world-class products of Lifestyle Retailing business are now available in nearly 80 exclusive stores and 1300 multi-brand outlets in urban India. Last year, ITC started an innovative venture of organized retailing in rural areas, branded as Choupal Sagar. When not a single company dared to invest in organized retailing in hinterland, ITC braved to establish an oasis in the rural segment.

If one moves 40-odd kilometers journey from Bhopal towards Sehore and another four kilometers beyond the town, just before the village of Rafiqganj, a building with green and blue edifice will attract your attention. This is ITC's rural mall, "Choupal Sagar". For the first time in India, ITC launched its rural mall in the remote corner of India to serve high potential consumers. This mall was established on August 15, 2004. This mall is an extension of the warehouse of ITC, for storage of farm produce purchased from the farmers, and functions as shopping-cum-information center for the rural consumers.

Marketing Mastermind Magazine, ITCs Choupal Sagar, Indian Tobacco Company, Market Capitalization, Environment Management Systems, Corporate Governance, International Credit Rating Agency, Lifestyle Retailing Business, Risk Management, Agricultural Departments, Insurance Companies, E-choupal Transactions, FMCG Products.