MUMBAI: ITC e-Choupal has been shortlisted among the six worldwide finalists for the Development Gateway Award 2005.

The winner of the $100,000 award, which recognises outstanding achievement in using Information Technology (IT) to improve people's lives in developing countries, will be announced in September..

The six finalists have been chosen from 135 nominations.

ITC e-Choupal also creates a two-way direct marketing channel for rural India, eliminating wasteful intermediation and multiple handling, thus significantly reducing transaction costs and improving logistical efficiency.

Over the next decade, the ITC e-Choupal network aims to cover over 100,000 Indian villages, representing one sixth of rural India, and create more than 10 million e-farmers.