Technology Enabled Entrepreneurship under Poverty Alleviation Programme

This paper talks about how technology can be used for generating livelihood in poverty alleviation programmes. Lending from microfinance to the farmers may not be utilized fully for production purposes. Lack of knowledge about the optimum price for their produce and the market where the produce has the maximum demand often drive the farmers to desperation. In their eagerness to sell the produce, they sell their products to commission agents or in the near by market which often, does not result in full market potential of their produce. This paper shows how farmers can invest in cellular phones and get the benefits of technology for getting the maximum profit and become entrepreneurs in a self-sustaining manner. To illustrate the viability of the approach, e-choupal has been used as an example. Using the same example, return on investment has been calculated which shows that the investment in technology actually results in surplus which helps in improving their living conditions and helps in poverty alleviation.