Do the Wholesale fruit and vegetable markets in India need more technology?
Motivated by this question, a few of us technology people at a software company set out to investigate the Wholesale fruit and vegetable market experience from both a supplier and buyer perspective. Being Delhi based, our nearest stop was Azadpur, Asia’s largest wholesale fresh produce market in North Delhi. Our first impression on entering the market was that compared to a modern supermarket, walking through Azadpur felt like an experience from a 19th century. Were we dreaming? We were told that every day thousands of trucks bring fresh produce to it from all over the country. Azadpur felt out of date with the rest of the city but we were told that it is the most important link in Delhi's food chain, and its mammoth operations are round the clock. Transactions worth hundreds of crores take place here every day. The methods by which the mandi works may be mysterious to the first-time visitor but seems to work. Farmers bring their produce to commission agents