Date:18/09/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/09/18/stories/2005091800630500.htm

Back ITC e-Choupal wins Development Gateway Award

Our Bureau

Kolkata , Sept. 17

ITC Ltd has won the Development Gateway Award for 2005 for its ITC e-Choupal initiative which has already grown into a movement in rural India.

ITC is the first Indian company and the second in the world to win this $1,00,000 award.

According to an official announcement by the company here, the Development Gateway Award, previously known as the Peterzberg Award, recognises ITC's e-Choupal as the most exemplary contribution in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT) during the last 10 years.

ITC e-Choupal won the award for its contribution to development priorities such as poverty reduction, its scale and replicability, sustainability and transparency.

As the largest information technology-based corporate initiative in rural India, ITC e-Choupal was chosen from 135 nominations from across the world.

The award was presented in Beijing at the Development Gateway Forum by Ms Frannie A. Léautier, Vice-President of the World Bank Institute, in the presence of Mr Austin Hu, Deputy Chief of Mission in Beijing for the World Bank, and Mr Alan J. Rossi, CEO, Development Gateway Foundation, to the ITC Chairman, Mr Y.C. Deveshwar, who received it on behalf of ITC.

Accepting the award, Mr Deveshwar said: "ITC e-Choupal demonstrates that the private sector can achieve synergy between creating shareholder value and rendering service to society. ITC e-Choupal is playing a transformational role in turning rural communities into vibrant economic organisations by fostering inclusive growth and enhancing their wealth creation capability."

Mr Deveshwar also announced that ITC would supplement the award money of $1,00,000 with a matching contribution to support e-Choupal's educational services programme, which will be launched in the coming months.

The forum, co-hosted with the Government of China and the World Bank, brings together leaders in IT and development sectors from around the world to address the theme of "Information Technology and Collaborative Development".