IAS Gyan

Daily News Analysis

e-SANTA

14th April, 2021 GOVERNANCE

GS PAPER II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Context: Union Commerce and Industry Minister virtually inaugurated e-SANTA, an electronic marketplace providing a platform to connect aqua farmers and the buyers.

About e-SANTA:

  • It will enable the farmers to get a better price and the exporters to directly purchase quality products from the farmers enhancing traceability, a key factor in international trade.
  • The term e-SANTA was coined for the web portal, meaning Electronic Solution for Augmenting NaCSA farmers' Trade in Aquaculture.
    • National Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture (NaCSA) is an extension arm of Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), Govt. of India, Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
  • Significance: e-SANTA will raise income, lifestyle, self-reliance, quality levels, traceability, and provide new options for our aqua farmers.
  • It will change the traditional way of carrying out business from a word of mouth basis to become more formalised & legally binding.
  • e-SANTA will RAISE the lives & income of farmers by:
    • Reducing Risk
    • Awareness of Products & Markets
    • Increase in Income
    • Shielding Against Wrong Practice
    • Ease of Processes

Other benefits:

  • change the life standards of our fishermen
  • bring in substantive improvements in their lives
  • also enhance India’s reputation in the global trade.
  • e-SANTA will act as a Digital Bridge to end the market divide and will act as an alternative marketing tool between farmers & buyers by eliminating middlemen.
  • It will revolutionize traditional aquafarming by providing cashless, contactless and paperless electronic trade platform between farmers and exporters.
  • “e-SANTA can become a tool to advertise collectively the kind of products the buyers, fishermen & fish producing organisations are harvesting, so people in India & internationally can know what is available & in the future, it can become an auction platform
  • The Platform is available in many languages, which will help the local population.
  • It is a completely paperless and end-to-end electronic trade platform between Farmers and exporters.
  • The farmers have the freedom to list their produce and quote their price while the exporters have the freedom to list their requirements and also to choose the products based on their requirements such as desired size, location, harvest dates etc.
  • This enables the farmers and buyers to have greater control over the trade and enables them to make informed decisions.

Challenges in traditional aqua farming

  • Farmers were facing monopoly and exploitation
  • Exporters were facing inconsistency and quality gaps in the products purchased
  • Traceability is a big issue in international trade.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1711426