At the helm of this endeavour is Tata Chemicals Limited (TCL), the standout chemicals and fertilisers company in the Tata Group. TCL's extension services, brought to farmers through the TKS, use remote-sensing technology to analyse soil, inform about crop health, pest attacks and coverage of various crops predicting the final output. This helps farmers adapt quickly to changing conditions. The result: healthier crops, higher yields and enhanced incomes for farmers.

Staff members at each sansar are equipped to find solutions to every agriculture-related problem. A well-stocked library of journals and magazines helps farmers keep abreast of news and the latest global developments. In addition, the sansars mail regular bulletins on farm-related news to subscribers. The training halls at the TKS are used for workshops and the screening of films related to agriculture.

The TKS network runs crop clinics where agronomists use computers to access information from the geographic information system (GIS) and advise farmers on what to grow, where and when to grow it, and how much urea and nutrients to use. At the soil-testing laboratory, technicians analyse soil samples to determine their composition and confirm what the satellite maps have indicated. Additionally, the TKS network operates experimental farms where scientists conduct agricultural research and development.

TKSs stock seeds, pesticides and fertilisers that farmers can buy at affordable prices, and they lease out farm equipment and implements to farmers who cannot afford to buy expensive modern machinery. One of the biggest worries for small farmers in India is finance. The sansars take care of this need too. Farmers can get credit, insure their crops against natural disasters, and even avail of buyback facilities.

The sansars also have exhibition halls where special events — educational, social or just pure entertainment — are held for members of the Tata Kisan Sahyog Parivar, an organisation promoted by the TKS network to build relationships with farmers and their families.

The unique, end-to-end solutions offered by the Tata Kisan Sansars go beyond providing services and products to India's agricultural community. With their technological innovations, farming know-how and social commitment, these one-stop centres for agricultural solutions are changing the face of rural India.