India-based firm, Jain Irrigation Systems (Jain Irrigation), and its acquisition of NaanDan Irrigation Systems (NaanDan) offers an opportunity to explore supply chain sourcing and coordination as well as supply chain management and global innovation. At the time of the case, Jain Irrigation's supply chain focus was mainly in India and the United States. While Jain Irrigation had deep knowledge of and production capabilities in the agriculture industry, Jain Irrigation believed that it would benefit from an Israel-based drip-irrigation company's technology and supply chain, so it arranged a meeting to talk about a joint venture. From its humble beginnings on a kibbutz in 1930, NaanDan had become a major manufacturer of micro irrigation with a global presence. NaanDan had manufacturing facilities in Israel, the United States, Chile, Brazil, Spain, and Australia. With its vast supply chain, NaanDan could get its product anywhere in the world. What the company leaders wanted was to create a competitive advantage through an investment in technology. In early 2007, NaanDan announced on its website that it was looking for a partner. The question was, should it sell the company to a large global firm such as John Deere, which had formed its own micro- and drip-irrigation business in 2006, seek private equity firms that had industry-specific knowledge and global networks, or pursue opportunities with competitors?
