Role of Information and Communication Technology in Mitigating Risks in Indian Agricultural Supply Chains

Theorising from a resource-based view perspective, the intersection of supply chain management and the use of IT has been investigated in this study. This work aims to investigate supply chain performance as an essential outcome of the use of IT and explores the effect of supply chain collaboration on supply chain performance. In addition, volume uncertainty has been explored and tested to establish whether various associated uncertainties can be mitigated when the use of IT is involved. A sample of 121 senior executives from agri-tech firms was collected by travelling and meeting the executives in person in various states of India. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesized relationship of volume uncertainty to supply chain performance via the use of IT and supply chain collaboration. The results show that volume uncertainty significantly impacts supply chain collaboration via the use of IT and supply chain performance via supply chain collaboration. The use of IT positively and significantly impacts supply chain performance via supply chain collaboration. Witnessing the potential benefits of the emerging use of IT in the uncertainty reduction as reported in this study, agri-tech firms operating in emerging rural and agricultural economies can enhance supply chain collaboration to improve supply chain performance. The study unfolds how risks in agricultural supply chains sourced due to the volume uncertainty can be mitigated through the use of IT and supply chain collaboration to influence supply chain performance in rural agricultural and developing economies. Volume uncertainty at agri-tech firms and farmers is a ground reality that has led to an inability to plan and prepare, resulting in wastages and disruptions in agricultural supply chains and farmers’ struggles.