Saturday, December 20, 2025 | 06:15 AM ISTहिंदी में पढें
Business Standard
Notification Icon
userprofile IconSearch

Growing better crops

The adoption of hybrid seeds by Indian farmers was not an accident, but it was through the application of a well-designed consumer strategy

Cyclone Gulab, crops, agri, agriculture
premium

Cyclone Gulab, crops, agri, agriculture

Ambi Parameswaran
The first time I learnt about diffusion of new ideas was when I was having a chat with my summer internship mentor, Subhas Chakravarthy, in 1978. We were discussing the challenges of launching products in the context of a new magazine that was being launched by the Ananda Bazar Group. Who will pick up a magazine that offered in-depth content, long-form interviews, and very little politics and movies? Is it possible to specifically target these consumers?

Subhas, I remember, told me about the way Indian agronomists managed to convince the largely illiterate farmers to adopt new varieties of hybrid seeds.
Disclaimer: These are personal views of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of www.business-standard.com or the Business Standard newspaper