Mr. Ishan Vidhyadhar will present his MTP2 as per the details:

Date: Tuesday, 16th June 2026

Time: 1600 - 1640 hrs.

Venue: C-TARA Conference Room No.1

Topic: Electric Fences in Human-Wildlife Conflict: An Empirical Study of Manufacturers, Dealers, and Farmer Adoption

Guide: Prof. Pankaj Sekhsaria

Examiners: Prof. Anand B. Rao, Prof. Mahendra Shahare

Abstract: 

This MTP presents an empirical investigation into the socio-technical and economic landscape of electric fencing systems used to mitigate human-wildlife conflict (HWC) in India. The research was initiated with a comprehensive, multi-narrative document analysis evaluating state regulatory frameworks, academic conservation reports, media-recorded risk narratives, and commercial marketing strategies. This initial phase showed a disconnect between strict top-down regulatory ideals and fragmented market realities on paper. Moving beyond this baseline documentation, the second phase of the study shifts into direct qualitative and technical fieldwork to trace the value chain from factory floor to end-user.

Field research within the Kathwada GIDC industrial cluster in Ahmedabad documents manufacturing dynamics, detailing the internal technical architecture of electric fence energisers, localised production constraints, and a reliance on seasonal migrant labour. It reveals a highly informal mass market where strict safety thresholds established by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) are routinely bypassed in favour of high-voltage customisations (up to 18 kV) driven by farmer demand. To trace the downstream flow of these technologies, fieldwork was extended to distributor and dealer networks in Ahmednagar and Sawantwadi, coupled with ground-level farmer interviews in the villages of Dhamangaon and Madkol.

On-site empirical findings revealed how local dealers deliberately bypass formal government subsidy frameworks to sell directly to farmers to avoid tedious bureaucratic processes. Some interviewed farmers were in favour of this, as there was little time wasted in the purchase and deployment of the fence while some were entirely unaware that a state subsidy scheme existed. Furthermore, to minimise prohibitive transit costs and turnaround times, dealers routinely absorb maintenance responsibilities on-site, acting as localised repair nodes despite active manufacturer warranties. Despite these regulatory gaps, field observations confirm that the adoption of these devices has successfully achieved significant mitigation of crop-raiding behaviour from highly destructive target species, specifically the wild boar (Sus scrofa) and the Indian gaur (Bos gaurus). The research highlights diverse operational adaptations on the ground, contrasting the collective management of community-based fences in Dhamangaon with individual configurations in Madkol. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that the real-world efficacy of electric fencing as a conservation and developmental tool is governed not merely by technical voltage outputs, but by a complex interplay of rural price sensitivity, supply-chain informality, bureaucratic friction, and the localised adaptation strategies of dealers and end-users.