Language Barriers, Technology Adoption and Productivity: Evidence from Agriculture in India

29 Pages Posted: 7 Mar 2019 Last revised: 3 Jul 2023

See all articles by Apoorv Gupta

Apoorv Gupta

Dartmouth College

Jacopo Ponticelli

Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management; NBER

Andrea Tesei

Queen Mary University of London - School of Economics and Finance; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute); London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) - Centre for Economic Performance (CEP)

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Date Written: January 29, 2021

Abstract

We study the effect of language barriers on the ability of farmers to access information about agricultural technologies in rural areas of India. We use call-level data from a government-sponsored call center for agricultural advice offered in different languages across Indian states. Exploiting differences in the language spoken by farmers and call center advisors, we document that language barriers limit the adoption of modern agricultural technologies { such as high-yielding variety seeds. We find no impact of language barriers on agricultural productivity within five years from introduction of call centers, although small but significant differences arise in the longer run.

Keywords: Official Languages of India, HYV Seeds, Kisan Call Centers.

JEL Classification: O10, Q16, Z13

Suggested Citation

Gupta, Apoorv and Ponticelli, Jacopo and Tesei, Andrea, Language Barriers, Technology Adoption and Productivity: Evidence from Agriculture in India (January 29, 2021). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3335542 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3335542

Apoorv Gupta

Dartmouth College ( email )

Department of Sociology
Hanover, NH 03755
United States

Jacopo Ponticelli (Contact Author)

Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management ( email )

2211 Campus Dr
Evanston, IL 60208
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/ponticelli/index.html

NBER ( email )

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Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Andrea Tesei

Queen Mary University of London - School of Economics and Finance ( email )

Lincoln's Inn Fields
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London, E1 4NS
United Kingdom

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

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Munich, DE-81679
Germany

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) - Centre for Economic Performance (CEP)

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United Kingdom

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