NCDEX, Intel to set up rural info kiosks

The National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX), in partnership with Intel, plans to instal 500 to 1,000 information kiosks in rural areas using 'Community PCs' to keep farmers informed about the prices of various commodities in wholesale markets.

Community PC, launched by the Exchange and Intel in New Delhi on Thursday, has low maintenance cost, higher uptime and additional dust filters and is designed especially for rural areas, NCDEX Head of Technology Chandra Shekhar said.

Apart from providing price discovery, the kiosks would extend insurance and e-banking services and online trading.

"Online trading facility could be availed through internet but Intel is working for wireless facility 'Wimax' that is expected to come into operation by the end of this year," Chandra Shekhar told PTI.

NCDEX also plans to use the kiosks for e-learning programmes through which farmers would be informed about different commodities.

"We plan to roll out the e-learning programme by first quarter of 2006-07 to educate farmers about a particular commodity in the language they want," he said.

Initially, the exchange will provide e-learning in English and Hindi followed by other languages, he added.