The encyclopedia · Strategy & Leadership · Operational decision · 2016-2026
India's e-NAM linked fragmented mandis into one national market
India's e-NAM put 1,600+ mandis on one trading platform; by 2026 it carried over Rs 4.84 lakh crore of trade.
Small Farmers' Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) · India's Ministry of Agriculture
the move
Before 2016 India's farm trade sat inside regulated APMC mandis, each state running its own rules and prices, so farmers could not reach a wider buyer pool.
e-NAM, launched in April 2016, connected mandis to one digital portal handling gate entry, lot tracking, quality assaying, online bidding and electronic payment to the farmer's bank account.
By March 2026, 1,656 mandis across 23 states and four union territories were integrated, with over 1.80 crore farmers and 2.73 lakh traders registered.
why it works
- One platform gave farmers access to bidders beyond their local mandi, improving price realisation.
- A state-unified licence let a trader bid across state boundaries, not just within one mandi.
- Live bidding and a public dashboard made price discovery transparent instead of broker-driven.
- Direct electronic payment to the farmer cut reliance on intermediaries and formalised the transaction.
what transfers
When a product is traded through thousands of fenced local markets, one shared platform with live bids reconnects them and raises the price the farmer receives.
what came after
From 2016 to March 2026 e-NAM enabled trade of 13.25 crore metric tonnes with a total value of about Rs 4.84 lakh crore, up from Rs 3.19 lakh crore in 2024; integration with e-warehouse receipts let farmers store produce and borrow against it rather than sell in distress.
references
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