ITC to Develop Hybrid Agriculture Clusters for Traceable Fresh Produce Supply Chain

New Delhi, July 25, 2026: ITC has announced plans to establish four additional hybrid Open-to-Sky and Controlled Environment Agriculture clusters to strengthen a reliable and traceable supply chain for fresh fruits and vegetables. The announcement was made by ITC Chairman Mr. Sanjiv Puri during the company's AGM 2026, highlighting the company's strategy to advance technology-led agriculture and rural development.

The proposed clusters will build on ITC's recent horticulture pilot anchored by Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and integrate precision farming technologies through the ITCMAARS platform. These include IoT-enabled weather monitoring, remote sensing and drone-based services to improve productivity, traceability and climate resilience.

As part of its agriculture strategy, ITC is also expanding investments in quality seed production. Its wholly owned subsidiary Technico is setting up what the company describes as the world's largest aeroponic facility, comprising 60 high-tech controlled-environment greenhouses, increasing the combined production capacity to 100 million TECHNITUBER® potato seeds.

The company said its value-added agriculture portfolio, which includes certified organic crops, food-safe spices, horticulture, premium coffee, aquaculture and specialty commodities, has recorded a 33% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past five years.

ITCMAARS, the company's digital agriculture platform, has onboarded over 2.6 million farmers across 11 states and aims to benefit 10 million farmers by 2030. According to the company, early estimates indicate 15–20% improvements in crop yields and 25–30% higher net returns for participating farmers.

Speaking at the AGM, Mr. Sanjiv Puri, Chairman, ITC, said that the company is "building on a recent horticulture pilot, anchored by FPOs, for the supply of high-quality fruits and vegetables" and plans to develop "four additional hybrid Open-to-Sky and Controlled Environment Agriculture clusters to create a reliable, traceable supply chain for fresh produce." He added that ITCMAARS is progressively introducing precision-led agriculture and advanced agri-tech solutions, including IoT-enabled weather tracking, remote sensing and drone-based services, to promote smart farming.

ITC also highlighted ongoing research through its Life Sciences and Technology Centre (LSTC) to develop climate-resilient and disease-resistant crop varieties, alongside investments in biological extracts and medicinal plant ecosystems for domestic and export markets.