Table of Contents

List of Tables
List of Figures
List of Boxes and Exhibits
Foreword Ireena Vittal
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Agri-input Market at Crossroads
I: THE PAST
Agricultural Situation in India and Agri-inputs
Land: The Fixed Factor of Production
Government Policies: Creating an Environment for Input Usage
Improve Agronomic Potential
Infrastructure Development: Removing Constraints
Agricultural Extension Programs in India
Adoption: The Beginning of the Agri-input Sector
II: THE PRESENT
Agri-input Market: Current Competitive Situation
Buying Behavior for Inputs
Impact of Agri-input Usage in India
III: THE FUTURE
Sustainable Agriculture: New Objective
Strategies for Agri-input Marketing (Basis for Positioning Strategy)
Technical Knowledge–based Marketing (Basis for Product and Pricing Strategy)
Building Trust through Knowledge Transfer (Basis for Promotion Strategy)
Integrated Agri-input Supply Model (Basis for Place Strategy)
Future Directions (Implementation Aspects)
Bibliography
Profile of Industry Experts Who Shared Their Views on the Subject
Author Index
Subject Index

About the Author

Pingali Venugopal, Associate Director, XLRI, Center for Global Management and Responsible Leadership, and Professor (Marketing), has teaching, industry, consulting, and research experience in the Marketing function in the Indian context for over 33 years. He has done his Post Graduate Programme and Doctorate from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He has been a Marketing Faculty at XLRI, Jamshedpur, since 1994 and the Dean of the Institute from 2004 to 2010. He has also been a Visiting Faculty to leading institutes in India including the Indian Institutes of Management in Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Indore and international institutes including American University of Armenia and Educatis University Switzerland. He has taught courses such as Marketing Management, Sales and Distribution Management, Agricultural Input Management, and Marketing Research at these institutes. Prior to joining academics, he has worked in Marketing Department of Coromandel Fertilisers and Nagarjuna Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd for a period of 10 years. While at Coromandel, he was also involved in the launch of their cement brand.

Venugopal’s research and publication cover different marketing topics, and he has authored seven books covering the areas of marketing and Indian economy. His books Sales and Distribution Management: An Indian Perspective and Marketing Management: A Decision Making Approach have been adopted as texts in several business schools including the Indian Institutes of Management. On the invitation of Government of India, he prepared the report on Input Management, State of Indian Farmer—A Millennium study wherein he evaluated the impact of the policy measures on the Indian farmers from Independence to 2000. After the formation of Jharkhand, he was part of the steering committee of the Jharkhand Development Report prepared for the Planning Commission. As part of the report he also prepared the agricultural plan for the newly formed state. He is on the Board of Tata Metaliks, Advisor to Kerzon Consultants, and on the Academic Committee of National Institute like National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management, Hyderabad and National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur. He has also been involved as an expert for programs conducted by some agri-business companies such as Zuari, UPL, and PI industries.

Ram Kaundinya, Managing Director, Advanta India Ltd, and Chairman, Association of Biotech Led Enterprises—Agriculture Group (ABLE—AG), is a member of the Board of Directors of Axis Bank. He has 35 years of experience in the agrochemical and seed industries. This experience includes 22 years in the agrochemical industry with companies such as Hoechst and Cyanamid involving marketing, manufacturing, operations management, strategic planning, and business development throughout India. His last assignment in the agrochemical industry was as the Managing Director of Cyanamid Agro Limited. Subsequently, he has been in the seed industry for the last 13 years, out of which the first six years he served as a Managing Director of Emergent Genetics India Private Ltd, and for the last seven years, he was the Managing Director of Advanta India. He served as the Chairman of Crop Life India from 1998 to 2002 as well as the Director of the Association of Seed Industry, Mumbai, from 2002 to 2006. He was the Vice President of the All India Crop Biotechnology Association, New Delhi, from 2002 to 2006.

He is a graduate in Agriculture from Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University, Hyderabad, and he is an Alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, where he did his Master’s in Business Management with a specialization in Agriculture.

Reviews

"Sustainability, without losing focus on self-sufficiency, is the key for agricultural input usage in India today. In this timely book, the authors have developed appropriate ‘solution-based’ frameworks which could be adopted by Agri-input industry. The book also will be of immense use to all the Agri Business Management students."
*National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management, Hyderabad*

"This is an exciting time for agriculture, globally but particularly in emerging economies such as India where the demand dynamics and farming patterns are changing. Agriculture input supply and marketing strategies will have to respond to these rapid changes, with newer technologies such as transgenics and innovative strategies such as public–private partnerships in input supply. This book titled Agri-input Marketing in India comes at a very crucial time and does an in-depth analysis of the journey of agriculture input industry in last few decades and an apt prophecy of its future trajectory and trend. The interesting mix of private sector, academia, and public sector perspective used in writing this book analyzes the shift in farmer’s perception toward agriculture inputs and their decision making process. While writing about the agri-input industry, the book does not limit itself to large agro industries but also speaks about the smaller/grass roots level inputs supply chain actors such as agro input dealers, farm entrepreneurs who continue to play an important catalytic role in agriculture. I congratulate the authors for summarizing their vast experience in form of this book that is ‘crafted’ for a cross section of stakeholders spanning policy makers, industry representatives, public sector organizations, students, and academic institutes. The pragmatic stance and the future projections described in the book will serve as a guiding tool for policy making and marketing strategy designing. I convey my best wishes and appreciation to the two authors, Pingali Venugopal and Ram Kaundinya, for the fantastic job and perfect articulation."
*International Livestock Research Institute*

"I am very happy to see this book on Agri-input Marketing coming from Prof. Venugopal and Ram Kaundinya at this juncture when we have achieved a record food grain production but we are faced with various issues that affect our agriculture and our farmers’ profitability. The two authors have brought out the perspectives of an academician and a person with agri-input industry background. The vast network of National Agricultural Research Service in India is also working on some of these issues. A multi-stakeholder approach involving the scientists, the farmers, the input and output industry, the Government, traders, food processors, consumers, intellectuals, and NGOs is required to address the complicated issues of Indian agriculture. I have no hesitation in saying that this book contributes a great deal toward this cause."
*Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi*