Seshu Kumar Tirumala Archives - Business of Food

On Kisan Diwas, bigbasket reaches milestone of 50,000 registered farmers in its Direct Sourcing Network

Business of Food Bureau — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 08:29:49 +0000

Marking Kisan Diwas, bigbasket, a TATA Enterprise, highlighted the scale and impact of its farmer sourcing ecosystem, which today connects over 50,000 farmers across 16 states through a network of 120+ farm-gate collection centres. This initiative enables farmers to access organised markets directly and reinforces bigbasket’s commitment to building a transparent, efficient, and farmer-centric fresh produce supply chain.

bigbasket began its direct engagement with farmers in 2015 with its first collection centre at Malur near Bengaluru. Over the past decade, the company has steadily expanded this model pan-India, enabling farmers to access organized markets directly from their villages and reducing dependence on traditional intermediaries.

Through this network, farmers supply fruits and vegetables directly to bigbasket, with the company ensuring payments within 48 hours of Goods Receipt Note (GRN) directly into their bank accounts. This has helped bring predictability, transparency, and income security to thousands of farming households.

The backbone of bigbasket’s sourcing operations is its on-ground team of 400+ agricultural graduates, including one agronomist at every collection centre. These agronomists work closely with registered farmers on a daily basis, mapping fields and crops using bigbasket’s in-house Farmus app, which enables geotagging of farms, crop estimation, and harvest forecasting. Farmers are also guided on cultivating high-demand and high-return crops, aligned with bigbasket’s requirements.

Speaking on the occasion, Seshu Kumar Tirumala, Chief Buying & Merchandising Officer, bigbasket, said, “Our relationship with farmers is central to how we think about building the fresh food ecosystem. As this network has grown, the focus has been on long-term trust, consistent engagement, and shared value creation, rather than short-term procurement. That approach has shaped how our sourcing model has scaled over the last decade.”

In addition to conventional sourcing, bigbasket has built a strong organic sourcing ecosystem through 12 exclusive organic collection centres, supporting around 6,300 organic farmers. The company facilitates organic certification for these farmers at its own cost and deploys Jaivikmitras, trained rural youth from local communities, to guide farmers on organic farming practices such as preparation of Jeevamruth, Beejamruth, and Neemastra, along with crop planning support.

Through these initiatives, bigbasket continues to strengthen its partnership with India’s farmers, reinforcing the message that empowering farmers is integral to building a sustainable and reliable food ecosystem.

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bigbasket signs MoU with Andhra Pradesh Government to empower organic farmers and boost sustainable sourcing

Business of Food Bureau — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 12:23:38 +0000

bigbasket, a TATA Enterprise, has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to strengthen the organic produce market linkage. This partnership will enable bigbasket to source organic fruits, vegetables, and staple items directly from organic farmers across the state and supply them to its distribution centres nationwide.

The MoU was signed in the presence of the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N. Chandrababu Naidu, marking a significant step towards strengthening the organic agriculture ecosystem and supporting the state’s farmers. As part of the collaboration, bigbasket will establish four new collection centres in Andhra Pradesh, ensuring a daily supply of fresh, high-quality organic produce. The initiative aims to improve the livelihoods of local organic farmers and enhance consumer access to sustainable, organic products.

Speaking on the occasion, Seshu Kumar Tirumala, Chief buying and merchandising officer, bigbasket, said, “This MoU with the Andhra Pradesh government is a monumental step forward, not just in terms of establishing robust market linkages, but in reshaping the future of agriculture. Our focus goes beyond simply supplying fresh, high-quality organic produce – it’s about creating an ecosystem where both farmers and consumers thrive. By extending our network of collection centers, we are creating a lasting impact on the local economy, reducing the carbon footprint of our supply chain and improving the accessibility of healthy, organic food for people across India.”

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bigbasket partners with Tanishq & MMTC-PAMP for Akshaya Tritiya gold & silver coins

Press Release — Thu, 09 May 2024 07:33:38 +0000

bigbasket now has partnered with Tanishq and MMTC-PAMP, for Akshaya Tritiya. Through these collaborations, bigbasket will offer its customers the opportunity to purchase gold and silver coins and bars, delivered within an impressive 10 minutes through the bigbasket now platform.

This partnership underscores bigbasket now’s commitment to providing its customers with a memorable shopping experience, characterized by convenience, authenticity, and quality. bigbasketeers in different cities across India can purchase MMTC-PAMP Lakshmi Ganesh (999.9 Purity) Silver Coin, 10 g; MMTC-PAMP Banyan Tree® (999.9 Purity) Silver Bar, 10 g; Tanishq 22 Karat Gold Coin, 1 g; and Tanishq 22 Karat Gold Coin With Lakshmi Motif, 1 g on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya.

Speaking about the collaboration, Seshu Kumar Tirumala, Chief Buying and Merchandising Officer, bigbasket, said, “Our collaboration with Tanishq, a trusted name synonymous with quality and craftsmanship in the jewellery industry, ensures that our customers can celebrate Akshaya Tritiya with the finest gold coins, reflecting prosperity and elegance. Additionally, our partnership with MMTC-PAMP, a globally recognized leader in precious metal refining, brings to our customers high-quality silver coins, adding a touch of purity and tradition to their celebrations. All of these will be delivered in 10 minutes.”

The word ‘Akshaya’ means ‘never diminishing’ in Sanskrit, and the day is believed to bring good luck and success. Purchasing gold on Akshaya Tritiya is a popular tradition, as it is thought to bring lasting wealth and prosperity. Marking this day, bigbasket is offering customers the finest quality gold and silver coins, ensuring that the values, blessings, or wealth acquired on the auspicious day grow and bring prosperity.

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