Tamil Nadu’s cooperative department has invited self-help groups, cooperative marketing societies and farmer producer organisations to register with Santhai, an online procurement system intended to help them sell products directly without intermediaries.
The initiative is part of the state’s new procurement policy for consumer goods, according to an official press release reported by Deccan Chronicle. The department said the system would create marketing opportunities for producer organisations by connecting them more directly with procurement channels.
Private players have been excluded from the initiative, the department said. The stated purpose is to ensure that self-help groups, cooperative marketing societies and farmer producer organisations benefit from the procurement system rather than competing with private entities within the same platform.
Under the arrangement, eligible organisations can use Santhai to offer their products through an online procurement process. The department’s announcement does not specify the categories of goods to be listed, the buyers who will procure through the platform, the procurement volumes or the payment timelines.
The move places the cooperative department at the centre of a market-access mechanism for producer groups. For self-help groups and farmer producer organisations, the ability to reach buyers through a state-backed system could reduce dependence on traditional intermediaries, although the department has not released details on how prices will be determined or how transactions will be monitored.
The announcement also leaves open operational questions about registration, product verification, logistics, delivery arrangements and grievance redressal. No details were provided in the reported release on whether the system will handle only procurement requests or also support payments, transport and order fulfilment.
Cooperative societies and other eligible organisations have been asked to contact 8838034739 during office hours to register for the Santhai online procurement system. The department’s registration call is the immediate next step for organisations seeking to participate.
