MUMBAI, 28 July 2025: ITC Ltd’s value-added agri-business portfolio has doubled in size over the past five years, with a strong focus on scaling up future-ready interventions in agriculture, including digital platforms, biologicals, and climate-resilient farming.
Chairman Sanjiv Puri shared these developments during the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) for 2025, underscoring ITC's vision of transforming Indian agriculture through a holistic and technology-led approach.
Delivering his address to shareholders, Puri highlighted the company's three-horizon strategy — strengthening core agri-commodity operations, expanding value-added offerings, and pioneering innovations in NextGen agriculture.
Doubling Growth in Value-Added Agri Portfolio
Puri said the company’s value-added agriculture segment—comprising spices, coffee, horticulture, aqua products, and specialised maize—has clocked a 2X growth over five years. The segment has been supported by innovations such as attribute-specific maize for ethanol and expanded sourcing infrastructure across 22 states.
He noted that ITC’s subsidiary Technico has emerged as the world’s largest producer of pre-basic potato seeds, while collaborating with 15 global breeders to develop climate-resilient crop varieties tailored for diverse Indian agro-climatic zones.
ITCMAARS: Powering Digital & Sustainable Agri Ecosystems
One of ITC’s most ambitious recent initiatives, ITCMAARS (Meta Market for Advanced Agriculture and Rural Services), has evolved into a full-stack phygital solution offering AI-powered crop advisories, drone services, access to agri-inputs, credit, and marketing linkages to over 22 lakh farmers across 11 states.
The platform supports more than 2,050 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and is building an agri-tech ecosystem through 100 partnerships with startups. ITCMAARS is also fostering local entrepreneurship through models like ‘Drone Didis’, helping deploy precision-farming tools at scale.
“Focused interventions have already resulted in a 15–20% increase in yields and a 25–30% increase in net incomes for farmers,” Puri stated. The company also participated in the Government’s Operation Dronagiri initiative in Varanasi, showcasing successful drone-based farm solutions.
Building Climate-Resilient Agriculture
Puri reaffirmed ITC’s commitment to sustainable agriculture, noting that the company’s Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) programme now spans 31 lakh acres across 100 districts in 19 states, benefiting over 12 lakh farmers. The CSA model promotes high-yield, climate-resilient seeds, tailored agronomic practices, and responsible chemical use.
The company plans to expand CSA coverage to 40 lakh acres by 2030, aligning with national priorities for climate adaptation and food security.
Horizon 3: Biotech, Medicinal Crops and Export Expansion
Under its Horizon 3 strategy, ITC is developing new growth vectors such as biological extracts, medicinal and aromatic plants, and niche agri-exports. A 100-acre pilot farm in Madhya Pradesh now supports traceable cultivation of Ashwagandha and Turmeric across 4,000 acres, aimed at nutraceutical and cosmetic industries.
Further, ITC IndiVision, a company subsidiary, has commenced exports of pharmacopoeia-standard nicotine derivatives, adding to the firm’s global presence in high-value agri-linked exports.
Core Agri Leadership and Future Outlook
ITC continues to be one of the country’s largest agri-commodity procurers, with operations across 20 value chains and a sourcing base of over 3.5 million tonnes annually. While the core grains, oilseeds, and leaf tobacco segments remain robust, the company’s value-added and tech-enabled initiatives are poised to drive the next wave of rural transformation.
“ITC is building a future-ready, inclusive agricultural ecosystem that empowers farmers, enhances productivity, and supports sustainable livelihoods at scale,” Sanjiv Puri concluded.
