Engaging India is an online column analysing the issues, trends and forces behind the business and politics shaping India and its impact on the world. Engaging India appears on Thursday mornings exclusively on FT.com India, a dedicated online section on India, and is written by Jo Johnson, the Financial Times’ South Asia bureau chief; Amy Yee, New Delhi correspondent; and Joe Leahy, Mumbai correspondent.

Last year I took several trips into rural India on which I witnessed how seemingly simple knowledge can have a big impact on farming communities. I have puzzled ever since over why information-driven initiatives have not flourished.