AHMEDABAD (India CSR®): As India accelerates its vision of Viksit Bharat by building a climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture ecosystem, empowering farmers with modern agricultural practices and digital technologies has become central to driving rural growth and national development. Supporting this agenda, GHCL Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of GHCL Limited, is driving agricultural transformation across rural Gujarat through its integrated initiatives in sustainable farming and digital livestock management.
The Foundation’s agriculture programmes are currently benefiting more than 40000 farmers across 175 villages, promoting sustainable agriculture, organic farming, water conservation, crop diversification and farmer capacity building. Complementing these efforts, its partnership with Nitara is enabling digital transformation in animal husbandry, benefiting 48,287 livestock farmers through technology-enabled livestock health and breeding management.
Key Highlights
| Particulars | Details |
| Agriculture Beneficiaries | Around 40000 Farmers |
| Villages Covered | 175+ |
| Livestock Programme Beneficiaries | 48,287 Farmers |
| Focus Areas | Organic Farming, Water Conservation, Sustainable Agriculture, Animal Husbandry |
| Digital Platform | Nitara Livestock Management Platform |
| Key Partners | Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Junagadh Agriculture University & Agriculture Experts |
| National Vision Alignment | Driving Rural Prosperity & Viksit Bharat @ 2047 |
The Foundation’s sustainable agriculture programme encourages farmers to adopt organic and natural farming practices, improve soil health, conserve water resources and diversify cropping patterns to enhance long-term farm productivity. The initiative has supported 396 farmers in adopting organic farming practices and facilitated the distribution of 40,160 horticulture plants to 1,413 farmers, alongside promoting drip irrigation, soil testing, nutrient management, kitchen gardening and climate-resilient agriculture.
Farmers are also provided with organic farming inputs including solar light traps, vermicompost bags, anaerobic tubes and Jivamrut kits, while extensive training programmes conducted with Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Junagadh Agriculture University and agriculture experts strengthen their technical capabilities. These interventions have helped reduce chemical fertilizer and pesticide usage, improve soil fertility, conserve groundwater and increase farm incomes—directly advancing the core pillars of Viksit Bharat by fostering sustainable, self-reliant agricultural communities, with several farmers reporting 20–30% growth in net income through diversified and sustainable farming practices.
A significant component of the Foundation’s rural livelihood programme is the adoption of digital livestock management through the Nitara platform, which enables farmers to monitor cattle health, breeding cycles and productivity using technology, aligning with the Viksit Bharat vision of empowering rural India through technology-led agritech solutions. The programme provides services including artificial insemination, pregnancy diagnosis, vaccination, deworming, mineral supplementation, balanced nutrition and disease detection through the California Mastitis Test (CMT).
The Nitara App allows farmers to maintain digital livestock records while receiving timely alerts on vaccinations, breeding cycles and animal healthcare. The platform also captures breeding data, enabling farmers to make informed decisions that improve cattle productivity and genetic quality. GHCL Foundation supports the initiative by training local technicians, strengthening veterinary services and ensuring the availability of quality breeding inputs.
The initiative has delivered measurable outcomes, with over 7,000 farmers and 27,000 animals connected through the Nitara ecosystem, more than 13,000 animals onboarded during FY 2025–26, and around 50% conception rate achieved under the Artificial Insemination programme. Early disease detection has significantly reduced treatment costs, while preventive livestock management practices have improved milk productivity and strengthened long-term dairy incomes.
The programme’s impact is reflected in the experiences of beneficiary farmers.
“Drip irrigation changed my farming completely. Earlier I could only grow wheat, but now I earn much more from watermelon while saving water,” said BhimshibhaiArshibhai Solanki, a farmer from Nakhda village, whose annual income increased from approximately ₹50,000–60,000 to ₹4 lakh after adopting drip irrigation and crop diversification. The intervention also reduced water usage by 30–50% while enabling additional seasonal cultivation.
Sharing his experience on organic farming, SomatbhaiRanchodbhai Makwana, an organic farmer from Ambaliyala village, said, “After adopting organic farming, my soil became healthier and my mangoes started getting premium prices in the market.” With support from GHCL Foundation, he transitioned from chemical to organic farming, reduced cultivation costs by ₹9,000 per bigha and increased annual orchard income to ₹5.5–6 lakh through premium-priced organic mango production.
The livestock programme has also transformed dairy farming livelihoods.
“The Nitara team helped us understand animal health in a simple way. Now we vaccinate and manage our cattle regularly,” said Kinjal, a dairy farmer from Khamba village. Through the Artificial Insemination programme, her cow successfully conceived using high-quality pedigree semen, creating the opportunity for an additional ₹80,000 in value through a superior-quality female calf.
Through its integrated initiatives in sustainable agriculture and digital livestock management, GHCL Foundation continues to strengthen rural livelihoods by promoting climate-resilient farming, improving livestock productivity and empowering farming communities with technology-driven solutions. The Foundation remains committed to creating sustainable, prosperous and future-ready rural communities while playing an active role in shaping a Viksit Bharat.
