This article has been contributed by Megha Pavan, Founder and CEO, Arkaa Cluster Private Limited.
Food has been the basic necessity of life and Agriculture has been the central point of human civilization in one way or the other. But with the ever increasing population of the world and the pressure being put on natural resources latter is experiencing a kind of revolution. This change is anchored on AgriTech, which is a rising industry that strategically applies technology and innovation to solve some of the pressing issues in the agricultural field. Thus, relying on artificial intelligence, biotechnology, data analysis, and automation, AgriTech provides exceptional opportunities to increase the yields, sustainability, and revenues in agriculture.
The Evolution of AgriTech
Affiliated to agricultural technology or commonly known as AgriTech, is the broad term referring to innovations that seeks to optimize farming. Over the course of farming history it has been embracing new tools and methods starting from the plow to genetic modification of crops but today’s AgriTech is characterized by its focus on digitization and precision farming. In the recent past, farmers adapted to the modern technologies that include; sensors, drones, robotics, and machine learning in an attempt to enhance efficiency in the utilization of some of the resources like water, fertilizers, and pesticides. It is with this technological advancement that one expects to witness yet enhanced yields and food production plus minimized wastage hence food security considering the current changes prevalent in climatic conditions, depleting natural resource base and changing consumer trends all of which are likely to be occasioned by climate change.
AgriTech Market
Here Are Some Emerging Opportunities in the Agri Tech Sector
1) Precision Agriculture
Precision agriculture can be described as a process of closely tracking and controlling crops with the help of application of data. Soil conditions, moisture, and overall plant vigour is known using drones, satellite imaging, and remote sensoring. Using this information farmers can know when and where to irrigate, apply inputs, and spray pesticides and fertilizers; in this way, one reduces costs and gets good yields. Firms focusing on precision agriculture technologies are being paid large sums of money as the solutions offered by the industry will unlock agriculture production and reduce the impact on the environment.
2) Indoor and Vertical Farming
Due to the increase of the rate of urbanization and decrease of arable land, innovative methods like vertical and indoor farming have appeared to produce food in limited spaces. Compared to conventional farming, these systems require fewer water, less land, and generate less pesticide usage and crops can be grown all year round irrespective of weather conditions. Vertical farming, in particular, has been adopted in the cities since the available space to farm is restricted and more so the markets demand locally grown produce. Advancements in lighting technology, automation systems, and hydroponics are the main trends in the AgriTech sector, present possibilities for clients to change the approach to urban food production.
3) Millets: A Climate-Resilient Crop
Therefore, Millets are slowly proving to be a promising area within AgriTech because these crops do not require good soil, and optimum climate conditions to grow, and even yields better results in unfavourable conditions like dry lands. In comparison to other grains, these small-seeded grains are actually much drier than rice and wheat – a factor that makes them perfectly suitable to regions experiencing water stress. Millets are rich sources of dietary fiber, protein and various micronutrients which are very useful to meet the growing popularity of health foods in the world. Millet farming is one area that is hosting innovation by AgriTech companies that create solutions of increasing yield, processing and distribution. The emphasis on millets correlates with sustainability objectives and paints a picture of increased profitability for small farmers in regions of hardship common to many developing countries hence makes economic headlines for AgriTech, Food Security, Environmental stewardship.
This compels authorities in charge of agriculture to search for new solutions from available technologies, and biotechnological developments in particular. Techniques like the CRISPR system help researchers to grow crops that can withstand difficult conditions including drought, diseases, pests among others. Moreover it has presented its bio-solutions that are under development at several biotech companies which includes pest control solutions in form of bio pesticides, fertilization in form of bio fertilizers and other soil improvers which helps in improving soil health in order to make it more suitable for agriculture. Technological advancement in agricultural sector specifically biotechnology helps to minimize the hazardous chemicals usage for crop production and increase yields and has vast prospects for new business models.
5) Agricultural Robotics and Automation
Long-standing and particularly in the developed countries, the shortage of workers for agricultural work is leading to the automation of the process. These include planting, weeding, and harvesting since agricultural robots have the capacity of doing any specific job with great precision. It can also drive machinery for watering the crops and spraying fertilizers and also help identify diseases through drones at an early stage hence cutting costs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the use of this technology in farming will create the future of AgriTech. The AgriTech sector has great potential for development since it answers two major cognizances of humanity: food security and the preservation of the planet. As a driver of high technology in the areas of precision farming, biotechnology, indoor agriculture and automation, there are much significant prospects that the sector has to offer on the changing dynamics of the food production, processing and consumption. Business people, venture capitalists, and authorities are gradually awakening to the fact that AgriTech may become the key to the further development of agriculture that will be more efficient, environmentally friendly, and able to feed the growing population. As the future of the global food industry unfolds to uncertainty in the face of climate change, resource scarcity, changing trends of diets among others, the AgriTech sector will remain to be a critical player in shaping the future of the food economy.
This article has been contributed by Vivek Gujar, Director, IndoAI Technologies P Ltd.
One of few innovations today which gathered attention and interest is AI facial recognition. From empowering marginalized communities to revolutionizing essential services, the applications of this breakthrough technology are as diverse as its impact. This technology involves artificial intelligence and biometrics, and holds promise for a wide range of applications, from improving security measures to revolutionizing the customer experience. However, alongside its transformative potential, AI facial recognition raises significant ethical considerations that require careful consideration and proactive safeguards.
The Technology: It uses advanced algorithms to analyze and interpret facial features from digital images or video streams. This technology identifies unique facial attributes such as contour, proportion: extract and interpret distinctive facial features such as the distance between the eyes, the shape of the nose, blinking & smile ( liveness factor) and the contour of the jaw and texture by using deep learning models, specifically convolutional neural networks (CNN). Through iterative training on massive datasets, the accuracy of these algorithms continues to improve, enabling accurate facial recognition and verification capabilities.
Law Enforcement: AI facial recognition can help identify suspects, locate missing persons, mob moods and prevent criminal activity.
Border Control: Airports and border crossings use this technology to enhance security measures and streamline immigration procedures.
Critical Infrastructure: Facial recognition process can streamline visitor management for Government building, defence establishment, etc.
Personalization and Customer Experience:
Retail: Retailers are using AI facial recognition to analyze customer demographics and preferences, provide customized product recommendations and improve the shopping experience.
Hospitality: Hotels and entertainment venues are using facial recognition for faster check-in, personalized service and increased guest satisfaction.
Public Safety and Health Care:
Contact Tracing: During pandemics and outbreaks, facial recognition helps with contact tracing and identifies people who may have been exposed to an infectious disease.
Access Control: Hospitals, healthcare facilities, pharma, etc use facial recognition for secure access control to ensure restricted areas are protected.
Applications in Key Sectors
Financial Inclusion at the Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP):
Access to Banking Services for the BoP: AI facial recognition simplifies the bank account opening process for BoP individuals and facilitates extensive documentation.
Microfinance: Optimizing loan applications through facial recognition helps people access loans faster, pursue entrepreneurial ventures, and improve their livelihoods.
Access to Healthcare and Telemedicine
Access to Healthcare in Rural Areas: Doctors with the help of Facial recognition technology remotely monitor patients in rural health centers to ensure timely intervention and identify needed Improve access to health services.
Telemedicine: Facial recognition improves security during virtual visits and makes telemedicine platforms more accessible and efficient for remote communities.
Education
Access to online learning: Facial recognition technology ensures secure access to digital learning platforms, closing educational gaps and providing equal learning opportunities.
Attendance Tracking: Facial recognition reduces administrative burden and increases efficiency by simplifying attendance tracking in schools with limited infrastructure. A group photo of a class in a second can save several hours of roll call.
Agriculture and Rural Development
Fair Trade Practices: Facial recognition verifies farmers’ identities at collection points, ensuring fair prices for agricultural products and increasing transparency in trade practices.
Crop Seed Distribution: AI facial recognition assists in crop seed distribution and provides valuable insights into weather conditions to sustainably optimize crop yields.
Social Distribution
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): Facial recognition can verify the identity of beneficiaries during the distribution of social assistance benefits, reducing losses and ensuring effective use of government initiatives.
Public Distribution System: Facial data may be key to getting access to essential items such as rice under the public distribution system (PDS).
Facial Recognition Market Size Worldwide from 2019 to 2032
Employment and Skills
Job Matching: Facial recognition accelerates the employment process by matching BoP job seekers with suitable employment opportunities based on their skills and qualifications, thereby increasing economic empowerment and self-employment.
Women’s Safety and Empowerment
Safety App: Smartphone app with facial recognition technology makes women safer by issuing emergency alerts in stressful situations, providing immediate assistance, and promoting empowerment.
Access to Government Services
Facilitate Government Services: Facial recognition simplifies the authentication process at local e-government centers, allowing seamless access to government programs, land records, and important certificates. eKYC through Facial Recognition helps Senior citizens in pension, health benefits, etc. Government can keep accurate tab of orphans, special people, senior citizens of old age homes.
Disaster Relief: Identification and Aid Distribution: During natural disasters, facial recognition allows authorities to quickly identify victims and efficiently distribute aid, ensuring rapid aid to those in need.
Ethical considerations are paramount
AI facial recognition has great potential, but its widespread use raises significant ethical concerns that require careful consideration and improvement strategies:
Privacy and Data Security:
Consent: In the wake of DPDP act, users must be fully informed about what is collected. The storage and use of facial data is subject to explicit consent for each application. The ongoing deepfakes worldwide is worth mention here.
Data Protection: Robust encryption protocols and strict access controls are essential to protect facial data from unauthorized access and potential misuse.
Bias and Discrimination:
Algorithmic Bias: Facial recognition algorithms can exhibit biases that lead to inaccurate identification or disproportionate targeting of certain demographic groups.
Fairness and Justice: Developers must prioritize fairness and justice in data collection and algorithm design to reduce the risk of perpetuating social bias.
Surveillance and Civil Liberties:
Mass Surveillance: The widespread use of facial recognition for surveillance purposes raises concerns about the impact on individual privacy and civil liberties.
Regulatory Oversight: Clear regulatory and oversight mechanisms are essential to ensure responsible deployment and use of AI facial recognition systems.
Navigating the complex landscape of AI facial recognition requires a fine balance between upholding ethical principles and protecting fundamental rights while harnessing the transformative potential of technology is need today. Technologists, policymakers, ethicists, and citizens need to help AI facial recognition become a force for positive change, shaping a future that promotes safety, efficiency and inclusion while respecting individual autonomy and dignity. Through thoughtful debate with society’s cooperation, transparent governance and ethical responsibility, this technology is for progress and prosperity based on principles of justice, equity and respect for human rights.
Farm Bot made a splash in the news, but it’s far from the only farming startup working directly with farmers to improve farming practices. Robots are taking over farms – US tech startups want to bring automation to farms. Robots are the latest farmhands in a resurgence of interest and investment in agricultural tech. Farms are getting into computers and IT once again, with innovations made possible by improvements in sensors and semiconductor technology. Recently, a new wave of tech startups is working hard to automate agriculture with robots and AI. For example, a technology that hoes fields using computer vision autonomously identifies weeds and destroys them with targeted amounts of herbicides or pesticides. It can do this much more cost-effectively than humans can.
Farming is a highly competitive industry. Farmers are under constant pressure to grow more crops and livestock while keeping production costs low. As the world’s population increases, farms will need new ways to boost productivity and efficiency. This may include adopting technologies once thought of as science fiction, such as self-driving tractors and robotic milking machines.
The machinery and technology that farmers use are constantly evolving to make them more efficient. This can positively impact the environment, but it’s also led to some negative consequences, such as the loss of many jobs in farming.
Farmers have invested in drones for aerial imaging, GPS-guided tractors, and other technologies to boost efficiency and reduce labour costs in recent years. In the next decade, robots may be able to help with more complex tasks such as weeding, harvesting and pruning.
The seed-planting machines can operate at night and in the rain, so they don’t have to wait for ideal weather conditions. It’s all part of the farm’s efforts to remove humans from the equation and use technology to boost productivity.
The advances in agriculture have been nothing short of spectacular. Farm equipment gets more powerful, precise and efficient every year. Farms are becoming more automated in almost every way imaginable. Barns have become more comfortable and efficient for animals. Crops are being grown in vertical greenhouses and hydroponically — without soil. There are even robots that milk cows now.
What are the advantages of robots on farms?
Robots can do the farm work without getting tired. Even if they get damaged, you can easily repair them. Robots are more accurate than humans, and they can do a lot of work in a short period. Unlike humans, robots don’t need water or food to survive. Machines don’t have to rest day or night. They can work 24/7. Here are a few of the top advantages of having robots on the farm.
More efficient work
Robots can be programmed to pick the fruits and vegetables in a certain way so that only the best produce is selected and sent to market. This means that farms will waste less food. After all, it will no longer need to be picked by hand, which requires more employees and results in wasted produce because it was picked incorrectly or bruised during transport.
Reduced labor costs
Robots are becoming more common in factories because they can perform more efficiently than human workers. The same is true on farms. Robotic equipment can be programmed to handle tasks requiring precision and speed while also performing repetitive tasks without getting tired or injured. This reduces labour costs for farmers with robotic equipment deployed on their farms.
Reduced risk of injury
Farms pose many potential hazards for humans – from sharp machinery and heavy equipment to dangerous chemicals and inclement weather conditions. By automating certain tasks that require human interaction with these dangers, you can reduce the risk posed to your employees – keeping them safe from harm.
Increased productivity
As well as working longer hours than humans for minimal cost, robots can also increase productivity levels by performing tasks faster and more accurately than their human counterparts.
They’re cheap
Robots can be programmed to do a certain job, and once they’ve been programmed, they won’t need any more training; they’ll just do the job repeatedly without getting tired or bored.
They’re fast
Robots can work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without any breaks. This means that a farmer can get more work done in less time. In addition, the faster you complete your work, the less money it will cost you in labour costs and equipment wear and tear.
Big data and machine learning algorithms can help farmers increase harvests while reducing their environmental footprint. The conventional farming techniques and methods that we’ve used for decades are becoming obsolete — machines and computers are taking over farms. So what is happening with farm bots? Let’s look at these companies and their technologies.
FarmBot – The First Open-source CNC Farming Machine
FarmBot – Agritech Startups in the US
FarmBot is an open-source CNC farming machine and software package designed for small-scale personal farming. It uses a web application and Arduino-powered firmware to control a set of stepper motors that move a tool head around a patch of soil, performing the various tasks required for farming. The goal is to empower people to grow food with confidence in their backyard or community garden by offering you an easily deployable, scalable, and customizable robotic gardening system.
The Farmbot team’s vision is that one day farmers and every person will have access to healthy food grown with love at home, in their community gardens, and on local farms — regardless of their background or income.
Abundant Robotics – Apple Harvesting Robot
Abundant Robotics – Agritech Startups in The US
Abundant Robotics is working on a harvesting robot for apples. The company’s prototype can identify and pick apples with more precision than a human.
The robot uses a vacuum system to pick the fruit from the tree. Technology does not appear to damage the apple or the tree. However, the company says that it needs further testing before making this technology commercially available.
The robot uses a combination of cameras and computer vision software to find good apples on trees and suction cups to grab them without damaging them gently. It can pick an apple every 12 seconds and works day and night.
The technology is limited to apple growers in Washington state but hopes to develop robots that can harvest various soft fruits and vegetables.
Burro formerly (Augean Robotics) – Agritech Startups in The US
Burro, formerly known as Augean Robotics wants to replace herbicides and manual labour with fleets of robots that patrol vineyards, orchards, and farms.
The Augean robot looks like a mini tank on treads. It has two wheels, each with vertical blades that cut down weeds as it moves along the rows. It also sprays vinegar to keep weeds from growing back.
The idea is that farmers would use a fleet of wheeled drones that would be able to successfully detect weeds and kill them, allowing farmers to increase their crop yields and earn big.
Boston Dynamics – Atlas Robot
Boston Dynamics – Agritech Startups in The US
Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot can do an impressive range of activities, from tai chi to parkour. And now, it can help out around the farm.
Boston Dynamics has released a video showing Atlas carrying a crate of lettuce heads across an obstacle course and then placing them in a box.
Atlas is a bipedal robot that stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 180 pounds. It’s designed to tackle human-like tasks, including lifting heavy objects, opening doors, and walking in rough terrain.
In the latest video, Atlas steps over hurdles positioned in its path. They then balanced on one foot while picking up the crate using the other foot. It then bends over to place the container into a box.
Iron Ox – Autonomous Growing Facility
Boston Dynamics – Agritech Startups in The US
Iron Ox, a California startup, deploys autonomous growing, harvesting, and delivery for local farms.
The Iron Ox approach has some similarities to the indoor farms you’ve probably heard about: The produce is grown in a warehouse-like building that allows for year-round cultivation.
But there are several significant differences. First of all, Iron Ox’s facility isn’t stacked with trays of plants under grow lights. Instead, it uses hydroponics, which involves directly exposing the plants’ roots to nutrient-rich water rather than soil. The company says this approach allows its system to cultivate plants with the same taste and nutritional qualities as those grown in open fields or greenhouses but use 90% less water and 99% less land.
The company grows greens in climate-controlled shipping containers (they are, after all, based in Silicon Valley) using an AI system called Angus. Then, according to each plant’s specific requirements, Angus monitors the plants’ needs and sends them what they need — water and nutrients.
Blue River Technology – A Technology That Hoes Fields Using Computer Vision
Blue River Technology – Agritech Startups in The US
In the 1950s, when a man named John Deere invented the first tractor, he probably did not think that a self-driving tractor would be hoeing fields one day.
Blue River Technology is a tech company that uses computer vision to help farmers make faster and better decisions. As a result, farm management should be more economical and less environmentally harmful. Still, many require regular manual inspection of crops—a time-intensive process with a high margin of error. Blue River Technology has created see-and-spray technology that allows its machines to distinguish between crops and weeds. Once they know what’s what, they can spray herbicide at just the right moment through real-time analytics software.
The idea is cashier-less stores by Amazon. The company has created see-and-spray technology that allows its machines to distinguish between crops and weeds. Once they know what’s what, they can spray herbicide at just the right moment. This will enable farmers to save money by only spraying the plants that need it.
The promise of Blue River’s tech is huge: less waste, more productivity, and lower costs for farmers.
The future of farming looks like a science fiction movie, with robots planting crops, drones monitoring fields and satellites providing information from space. But are robots taking over farms?
Not quite yet. Despite the many advancements in technology, there is still a significant need for people on farms. Many tasks still require a human touch, like planting delicate crops and harvesting them.
The world of farming is changing. Advances in technology, including robots that can be programmed to work together, have allowed those working in the fields to get more done with less labour. These innovations are making farming more efficient and, at the same time, cheaper for farmers.
Farm automation is already revolutionizing the way farming is done. For example, robots are now being used to help farmers plant and harvest crops more efficiently. The future of agriculture is even more exciting, as modern technology will soon allow farmers to do things they couldn’t even dream possible with no human intervention at all.
Conclusion
US Tech Startups making Farming Robots will change the world with technologies of the future.
Innovation can make businesses more efficient, with substantial cost savings. Farms could benefit immensely from automation. Their use has already helped farmers, and their numbers are snowballing. Automating farming will lead to immense cost savings, which will allow businesses to focus more resources on the more pressing issues they face. Agricultural robots are already here, and there’s no sign that they’ll stop making life farmer’s life easier any time soon. We should pay attention now because agricultural automation is on the horizon. Robots will revolutionize farming, and they will do it faster than you’d think. Fields that formerly needed thousands of workers to plough will soon be mechanized. Instead of being job killers, AI farms could provide work for thousands of people in the future, managing the robots and maintaining them, among other things. Automating farming will lead to immense cost savings, which will allow businesses to focus more resources on the more pressing issues they face. Humanity will be better off with robotics in the future, and the world is excited to witness this.
FAQs
Are robots used for agriculture?
Robots are used for many purposes in agriculture. Some examples are:
Harvest Automation
Autonomous Growing
Orange Harvester
Apple Harvester
Autonomous mowing
Lettuce bot
Weed-killing
Which are the companies working for robotics farming?
Some of the best Robotics Companies working for robotics farming are:
Blue River Technology
Harvest CROO Robotics
Iron Ox
Boston Dynamics
Trace Genomics
Burro Robotics
FarmShots
Abundant Robotics
What are the top technologies ruling Agriculture?
Top Technologies ruling agriculture are:
FarmBot – The First Open-source CNC Farming Machine
Since the Indus Valley Civilisation, agriculture has been the lifeline of India. We have 70% of Indian households still dependent on farming, contributing 17–18% to the country’s GDP, according to the latest report.
Agritech startups have great potential in India. There is a huge scope of Agritech startups for India’s farmers who are striving against unreliable climate changes, water scarcity, price hikes, and many other problems.
Agritech is the concept of applying modern technologies to the agricultural sector with a view of enhancing and producing with efficiency and generating sufficient revenue to support livelihoods.
The concept extends to any kind of applications, practices, products, and services that enhance any aspect, whether input or output, of the agricultural process.
Why is there a Need For Agritech Startups in India?
Today’s farmer faces a lot of challenges to sustain their livelihood through farming. Malpractices in the unorganized agricultural markets and the absence of organized marketing systems for production are becoming a major concern for Indian farmers.
Moreover, they have to deal with poor transportation and storage services and much more. They have limited access to superior technology to get timely information and agricultural solutions which leaves them vulnerable and all by themselves.
Agritech startups have the potential to address these challenges from the very beginning, and subsequently change the face of Indian agriculture. They are the knights in shining armour for Indian farmers.
Initiatives by Indian Government For Agritech Startups
The Government of India has been dynamically making policies to improve farmers’ lives in India. In fact, the government has promised its citizens to double the incomes of farmers by the end of 2022.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also said that the government will support new entrepreneurs in driving value addition to farmers’ produce from the field.
The NITI Aayog is collaborating with companies like IBM to pilot technology-driven solutions for the agriculture sector in order to provide real-time advice to the farmers. As a result, artificial intelligence is being used to develop crop-yield protection models.
The Agritech sector is a fast-growing sector with great potential to benefit Indian agriculture and eventually raise farmers’ incomes. Currently, India has 450 Agritech startups and is reported to grow by 25% every year by NASSCOM.
A wave of Agritech startups has emerged in the last few years in India. In India Agritech sector has come a long way with 43 startups in 2013 to more than 1000 startups in 2020, driven by rising in rural internet penetration, a rise in post-harvest and supply chain losses, a growing number of investors interest in the sector, etc.
They are now able to solve agricultural problems such as the use of outdated equipment, supply chain management, lack of proper infrastructure, and farmers unable to access a wider range of markets with ease.
According to the latest report, over 3.23 billion dollars were invested in the agriculture sector worldwide. Of this,53 Indian Agritech startups raised 313 million dollars. This is a huge breakthrough for Indian startups and these figures will inspire young entrepreneurial minds of our country to seek in the direction of agricultural technology.
Which States are Focusing on Agritech Startups in India?
Although all states are aware of the importance of Agritech startups for agriculture to flourish, some states have actually established startup ecosystem hubs. Karnataka and Maharashtra together account for almost 50 percent of the total Agritech startups opened in the past 5 years in the whole country.
Although Gujarat has a low share in Agritech startups, according to the State Startup Ranking Report 2018 published by The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), it is the best-performing state in the Indian Agritech startup ecosystem hub.
Leading Agritech Startups in India
1) Ecozen Solutions
Ecozen Solutions Logo
Based in Pune, this Agritech startup was founded in 2010 by Devendra Gupta, Prateek Singhal, and Vivek Pandey. It focuses on developing technology-enabled products to strengthen the farm-to-fork value chain of perishables, with a focus on renewable energy and sustainable development.
Till now, Ecozen has developed two products so far:
Ecofrost, is a device that acts as a portable cold room that maintains a low temperature. It works on solar power.
Ecotron, a pump controller for irrigation that also works on solar power.
According to the company, approximately 20,000 farmers in India have used their products. But the owners don’t want to stop there. They are planning to enter new areas for irrigation sales and launch a new set of cold-chain products.
2) FreshVnF
FreshVnF Logo
FreshVnF is founded by entrepreneurs Atul Kumar, Vikas Dosala, Sumit Rai, and Aashish Krishnatre in 2018. It is a Mumbai based Agritech startup that uses machine learning (ML) to optimize a farm-to-fork supply chain by connecting farmers with hotels, restaurants, and cafes.
FrenshVnf is a prospering company, having recently raised 2 million dollars in a funding round led by Equanimity Ventures. It has delivered around 15 tonnes of fresh produce per day to more than 300 clients. The company now aims to provide fresh farm produce to the end customer within 16 hours of harvesting.
3) FIB-SOL Life Technologies
FIB-SOL Life Technologies Logo
FIB-SOL Life Technologies is an agritech startup that was founded in 2013 by a team of post-doctoral and doctoral scholars of IIT Madras. The company’s technology is focused on developing low-cost bio-fertilizers that help farmers to improve crop yield and soil quality.
The company offers three products for its customers under GEL and DROPS which provide microbial nutrients to enrich the fertility of farmlands. They are priced at Rs 420 and Rs 100, respectively.
FIB-SOL also aims to improve product shelf life for manufacturers, help suppliers stock inventory efficiently, and eventually boost farmers’ income. In May last year, the startup received Rs 1.5 crore in angel investment from Keiretsu Forum in Chennai.
Agritech startups are the need of the nation right now. More and more entrepreneurs are setting up companies in this field, grabbing the opportunity to transform the sector. The government policies are also giving thrust to these startups so that they can easily find investors. The farmers can finally look forward to better price realization now and embrace this new initiative.
FAQs
What is agriTech?
AgriTech is the concept of applying modern technologies to the agricultural sector with a view of enhancing and producing with efficiency and generating sufficient revenue to support livelihoods.
How many agritech startups are there in India?
There are nearly 600 to 700 agritech startups in India.
Are there any listed agritech companies in India?
Bayer CropScience, Godrej Agrovert, and PI Industries are some of the listed agritech companies in India.
Why is agritech important in India?
AgriTech promises to help farmers increase crop yields, improve animal health, reduce waste, lower carbon footprints, and improve scalability by easing the burden of labour-intensive tasks.
What do agritech companies do?
AgriTech companies work on products, services or applications derived from agriculture that improve various processes. Technology and data can open new opportunities and help solve problems with production, traceability, and the preservation of natural resources.
Adani Group is known to one of most well-known business conglomerate and a leading integrated player in infrastructure and energy spaces in India. The company is founded by Gautam Adani in 1988 and has its headquarters based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Adani Group has businesses in different sectors like Energy, Resources, Logistics, Coal Trading & Mining, Real Estate, Aerospace, Public Transport Infrastructure, Consumer Finance, Solar manufacturing, Defense, Gas distribution and Agriculture among others.
In 2015, Adani Group was ranked India’s most trusted infrastructure brand according to the The Brand Trust Report. It is the country’s largest integrated infrastructure conglomerate with a revenue of about $13 billion with operations at 70 locations in 50 different countries.
Adani group has focused on serving the diverse need of Indians and contributing towards nation building, as the company also invests part, of its revenue to protect and develop communities.
The company is known to be the country’s largest port developer and operator with more than 10 ports and terminal like Mundra port under its control. Adani group owns the largest edible oil brand called Fortune Oil, through joint venture with Wilmur International from Singapore. Adani is also the largest private power producer after adding the fourth unit 660 megawatts at its Tiroda Thermal power station. The Group has mines in various countries including India, Indonesia and Australia and also supplies coal to Bangladesh, China, and some Southeast Asian countries.
In 2018, the Adani Ports & SEZ Limited, added equipment and machinery making it the largest dredger fleet in India. The company has reached great heights because some of it’s main subsidiaries which are Adani Enterprises Limited, Adani Green Energy Limited, Adani Ports & SEZ Limited, Adani Wilmur, Adani Power Limited, Adani Total Gas Limited, Adani Transmission Limited, among others.
Adani Group had its humble beginnings as a commodity trading firm in 1988 and then got into the import and export of various commodities.Adani group then established the Adani Enterprises Limited which was previously known as Adani exports with just Rs 5 lakhs. In the 90s the company started to develop its own port and by 1995 it began construction at Mundra (which became the largest private port in India in 2002). In 1999, Adani began coal trading and started its joint venture in edible oil refining with Adani Wilmar in 2000.
Over the years, Adani established ports, mines, railway lines, power plants and ships in and outside the country. Later on in 2006, Adani became the largest coal importer in India with 11Mt of coal handling. After Adani won the Orissa mine rights in 2010, it became the the country’s largest private coal mining company in India. Adani bought Galilee Basin mine in Australia with 10.4 Gt of coal reserves and went on to commission India’s largest solar power plant with a capacity 40 MW.
Adani became the largest private sector thermal power producer in India after achieving the 3,960 MW capacity. By 2012 the group shifted its focus on to its businesses in the sectors of resources, logistics and energy. In 2014, Adani power became India largest private power producer, by the next year Adani Renewable Energy Park made a 50:50 joined venture with the Rajasthan Government so it can set up the country’s largest solar park with a capacity of 10,000 MW.
In 2016, Adani’s Aero defense sector signed a pact with companies like Elbit-ISTAR and Alpha Design Technologies in order to work in the field of Unmanned Aircraft Systems in India. The Adani Group acquired a part of Reliance Infrastructure for Rs. 18,800 crore in December 2017.
Under the guidance of Gautam Adani (one of the richest men in India), the company has reached great heights and improved business operations in the sectors likeenergy, resources, logistics, and agriculture, amongst others. With a net worth of 59.9 billion as of 2021, he has entered the list of top 20 billionaires as per Forbes. He recently Witnessed a Wealth surge of $17 billion in his Net worth.
Adani Enterprise is one of the major subsidiary and the primary holding company of the Adani Group. The company focuses on establishing other new businesses in the sectors of energy and infrastructure. It acts as an Incubator that converts opportunities into thriving or successful businesses. So far Adani Enterprise has expanded its presence in different industries and has emerged as a market leader.
The company is so successful that it was listed at Bombay Stock Exchange and The National Stock Exchange of India. Since it was established and listed in 1994 the company has come a long way to where it has the market cap of Rs 22,909 Crores. So far companies like APSEZ, Adani Power, Adani Transmissions, Adani Green Energy and Adani Gas have demerged from Adani Enterprise to get independently listed on the Indian stock exchange market.
The company aims in delivering consistent value, maximizing returns for stakeholders and helping in the activities that build a nation. The vision of Adani Enterprise is to build infrastructure for airport, water, roads, data centre, solar manufacturing and have a sustainable value creation.
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited
Adani PSEZ – Adani Group Subsidiaries
APSEZ is known to be the largest commercial port operator in India as it accounts to more than one fourth of the cargo transport that takes place in the country. APSEZ was originally called as Mundra Port and special Economic Zone Limited until it was changed in 2012. The company started its operations in Mundra Port, but has increased to 10 ports which comprise of 45 berths and 14 terminals across 6 states which are Gujarat, Goa, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha.
It is one of the main subsidiaries of Adani group with a market cap of Rs. 77,715 crore. The CEO of the company is Karan Adani. The company has a widespread national footprint because through Adani Logistics Ltd., APSEZ operates 3 inland containers depots and a storehouse of goods before they are custom cleared at the ports. The facilities of the port are specifically equipped with the latest cargo-handling infrastructure which best in class in order to make it capable of handling the largest vessels.
A national geographic documentary on Mundra port
These ports are also well equipped to handle diverse cargos, from dry cargo, liquid cargo, and crude to containers. APSEZ also provides Dredging and Reclaimation solutions for port and harbor construction. Which is why APSEZ currently operates 19 dredgers making it the largest capital dredging capacity in India.
The Mundra SEZ spans over 8000 hectares making it the largest portoperational and notified multi-product SEZ in India that offers investment options like Free Trade and Warehousing Zone (FTWZ) and Domestic Industrial Zone in India.
It also helps large scale industries for manufacturing set-up based upon cluster-based development for various industries. APSEZ has also undertaken mangrove afforestation activities to help the environment and also announced in 2016, that all ports and townships are being prepared to run on 100% renewable energy.
Adani Power Limited
Adani Power – Adani Group Subsidiaries
Adani Power is another major business subsidiary of Adani Group. The company has its headquarters based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat and is known to be largest private thermal power producer in India.
The company has thermal plants in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and has a power generation capacity of 12,450 MW. It also operates a huge solar plant of 40 MW at Kutch, Gujarat. Adani Power generated a net profit of Rs 634.64 crores in the fourth quarter.
Adani power plants
This Indian company is the world’s first company to set up a coal based thermal power project registered under the clean development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto protocol. Adani power was established as a power trading company in 1996 and has since signed long term PPAs of about 9,153 MW with the government of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana Rajasthan, Karnataka and Punjab.
Despite being a new to power generation in 2006, the company went on to set up its first power plant at Mundra successfully. The company is also planning to implement a 1.600 MW plant at Godda, Jharkhand.
Adani Power has many successful subsidiaries under it, which are Adani Power Maharashra Limited, Adani Power Rajasthan Limited, Adani Power Dahej Limited, Mundra Power SEZ Limited and Adani Power Overseas Limited. Once Adani obtained the Udupi Thermal Power Plant in a 6,000 crore rupees deal.
In 2014, Adani Power got ahead of Tata Power to become the country’s largest power producer. The company’s power plant at Mundra is also the world first coal fired plant to receive carbon credits from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The company was also awarded from the Government of Karnataka for the Udupi Power Plant.
Adani Transmission Limited
Adani Transmission – Adani Group Subsidiaries
Adani’s journey in the transmission industry started way before Adani Transmission Limited was established in 2006. Integrated in 2013, the company handles commissions, operations, maintenance of electric power transmission systems. Adani Transmission Ltd has a total transmission capacity of the company is 16,200 MW and is currently one of the largest private sector power transmission company in India.
The company operates a total network of 12,200 circuit kilometers and additional 3,200 circuit kilometers are under various stages of construction, as of 2020. Adani Transmission was founded by Gautam Adani and has its headquartered in Ahmedabad. The company got into the distribution space with the acquisition of Reliance Infrastructure’s Power Generation, Transmission & Distribution Business in Mumbai in 2018.
Now, the Adani Electricity Mumbai Limited which works under Adani Transmissions caters to more than 3 million customers and their electricity needs in the Mumbai. The company aims in setting up 20,000 circuit kms of transmission lines by 2022 with the help of organic and inorganic growth opportunities. Lastly it is the country’s first private power sector player to secure an international investment grade rating.
Adani Green Energy Limited
Adani Renewables – Adani Group Subsidiaries
This Adani subsidiary is one of the largest renewable companies in India with a current project portfolio of 13,990 MW. Adani Green Energy is known for developing, operating, building and maintaining solar and wind farm projects. The electricity generated is supplied to central and state government institutes or even government backed corporations. The company has now expanded to more than 11 Indian states.
National Geographic documentary on Adani solar power plant
The company uses the latest technologies in its projects and has an impressive portfolio of 54 operational projects and 12 projects under construction. It is leading India on its renewable energy journey and aims to provide a cleaner, better and a greener future for the country. The company operates one of the largest solar photovoltaic plants in the world (Kamuthi Solar Power Project).
Adani Green Energy also has over 39 subsidiaries under it and recently won the world largest solar bid worth 46 billion by the Solar Energy Corporation Of India. The company is known to manage over 5,290 MW of wind energy and solar power plants.
Adani Wilmar
Adani Wilmar – Adani Group Subsidiaries
Adani Wilmar was created out of a joint venture between Adani Group and the Singaporean company Wilmar International Limited. Wilmar one of the fastest growing food FMCG company in India and is Asia’s leading agri business group. The company has the largest range of edible oils such as Soya, Sun, Mustard, Rice bran, Groundnut and cottonseed.
Besides oil it also makes products like Basmati rice, pulses, Soya chunks, Besan, Fortune Wheat flour, Rawa, Sooji, etc which are all well known products in India. Brands like Fortune, King’s, Bullet, Raag, Avsar, Pilaf, Jubilee, Fryola, Alpha, Alife and Aadhar work under Adani Wilmur.
The company has the largest distribution network among all the branded edible oil players in India because it has over 95 stock points, 5000 distributors, 1.5 million outlets across the country.
Adani Wilmar has become successful internationally after selling its Edible oil to Middle-East and is now exporting its products to more than 19 countries in the Middle-East, South East Asia, East Africa, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.
This Adani’s subsidiary is a city gas distribution company that mainly serves industrial companies and residential customers in Indian states. Adani Gas is currently uses City Gas Distribution networks in order to supply Piped Natural Gas to commercial, domestic and industrial companies in the country. The company also provides Compressed Natural Gas to the transport sector.
Adani Gas has so far set up city gas distribution networks in cities such as Ahmedabad and Vadodara in Gujarat, Faridabad in Haryana and Khurja in Uttar Pradesh. Natural Gas is not just a environment friendly, but is also convenient and reliable which allows consumers to enjoy a high level of safety, convenience and economic efficiency.
Conclusion
Over the past three decades Adani Group has kept growing to make itself a global leader in various sectors like Energy, Resources, Logistics, Coal Trading & Mining, Real Estate, Aerospace, Public Transport Infrastructure, Consumer Finance, Solar manufacturing, Defense, Gas distribution and Agriculture.
The company is also benchmarked the global standards in all the sectors. The company has so far been successful because of its numerous successful subsidiaries and will continue to grow and reach greater heights in the future.
FAQs
Who is the Chairman of Adani Group?
Gautam Adani is the Chairman of Adani Group.
Where is the headquarters of Adani Group?
Adani Group has its headquarters in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
What does Adani group do?
Adani group is involved in business operations in the various sectors:
Slaughter-free meat eventually manages to jump from the laboratory to the manufacturing process. Imagine biting on a juicy steak without slaughtering animals. Meat from a laboratory of harvested cells makes the idea a reality. Several firms grow beef, pork, poultry, and marinades developed in laboratories.
If broadly accepted, lab-grown meat, often referred to as clean meat, could eradicate much of the cruelty of food-growing animals. The cost of meat processing could also be greatly reduced; energy would only be required to produce and preserve cultivated cells, not an entire organism from birth.
As long as we can look back on history, people eat beef. We’ve all taken it for granted, but science has lately been able to change this. Food can now be grown in a laboratory totally without the body of an animal. This is referred to as cultured meat or lab-grown meat.
Described as clean meat, cultivated meat, cell agriculture, or in-vitro meat by a large array of different terms, the new industry attempts to disrupt traditional approaches to manufacture agricultural products in order to minimize the number of animals slaughtered for food as well as establish a worldwide more humane and ethical culinary framework.
Lab grown meat is eco friendly
How is Lab-Grown meat made?
To launch the production process for cultured meat, scientists will use the stem cells of the animal, the blocks of the muscles, and other organs. Cells are put in amino acids and carbs in Petri dishes for the purpose of multiplying and developing the muscle cells. Where there have been ample muscle fibers, meat-like ground beef has been the result. The meat is first made from an animal’s muscle sample. Technicians are extracting stem cells from the tissue and significantly multiplying it to discriminate between primitive fibers and then building up muscle tissue.
Is Lab-Grown meat as healthy as Conventional meat?
Lab-grown meat is more environmentally conscious than standard meat. It reduces the need for animals that could cut energy consumption by as much as 45% and emit up to 96% fewer greenhouse gases. It is also animal friendly and no animals are unethically damaged or handled.
In laboratory-grown meat, fat and cholesterols can also be regulated, theoretically leading to better health effects as elevated blood cholesterol can lead to cardiovascular disorders, for example. Lab meat can, as certain items are today such as milk, cereals, and bread, also be fortified with the use of vitamins and minerals for optimum nutrition.
Cultured chicken and duck raw materials are not only in the works but also in beef grown in laboratories. In the same method of cell agriculture, scientists often experiment with dairy, egg, and leather production.
Fun Fact
Here is the list of Lab-Grown Meat Startups in the USA:
1. Finless Foods
Finless Food Logo
Finless Foods manufactures real stem cell fish flesh. To this end, a fish-derived serum begins to replicate the cells in a stable environment. Then the fillets and steaks are structured. The final product is also not animal-free, but is almost absolutely cruel and eliminates contamination, overfishing, and degradation of the ocean.
Finless is actually the first startup to make real strides on cultured seafood; other start-ups rely on poultry or beef. The start-up then had to carry out its own protocols from scratch.
Finless Foods needs to supply new customers with experiences, including developing cells in animals that Western consumers have never had before, instead of merely replicating meat and producing a smaller duplicate.
The startup is best known for its organic alternatives to eggs, mayonnaise, cookie dough, and salad dressings, but is also exploring cell-based safe meat. While the company initially announced the production of chicken, its emphasis has since changed to Wagyu beef. Via working in close partnership with an existing Japanese farm, it wants to produce high quality cultivated beef that is sold on the same channels as Wagyu.
3. Memphis Meats
Memphis Meat Logo
Cooked chicken, beef meatballs, and duck cells produced in laboratories were successfully made and tasted by Memphis Meats. The team claims that their goods will be ready to be put on sale by 2021 though a little further from an inexpensive commodity — by 2017, the beef costs $5.280 per kilogram.
In order to build a pilot production plant, Memphis meat will use the funds. CEO Valleti has, nonetheless, warned the industry that a commodity may be launched too quickly, stressing the importance of correcting or risk disturbing the industry’s reputation for several years.
The startup has raised over the US $20 million and counts Bill Gates, Richard Branson, and Kimbal Musk, as founders. Memphis Meats is now a venture capital favorite.
The BlueNalu, which is quickly advancing, produces seafood lab-grown meat to reduce typical fishing and ocean plastics and food. They build yellowfish on cells, which is to prepare and to cook. Other development targets include cod, amber jacket, and red snapper.
The corporation is planning a large range of marine species but initially concentrates on Mahi, red snapper, tuna, and yellowtail finfishes. Their yellowtail commodity recently displayed the same culinary property as traditional, raw or baked, like seeded, grilled, and fried yellowtail.
5. Because Animals
Because Animals Logo
Because Animals have produced the first meat pet food grown in a lab, which involves FBS and unfermented products with a production of serum/growing phase. They are expected to release their lab-grown pet food in 2021. In 2018 Animals released its first offering, a cultured probiotic substitute, at Cultured Pet Food Company. About 250 million probiotics are found inside the all-natural human-grade substitute, one for cats and one for dogs. Over two dozen scientific journals have documented the beneficial properties of this bacterial species and found that the probiotic will lead to better digestion and immunity.
Mission Barns produces fat from laboratory-grown items, including duck, pork, and chicken. In the middle of August, the organization will pick 50 to 100 taste testers to sample the fresh bacon, according to Eitan Fischer, CEO, and co-founder of Mission Barns. The exact number of guests who are permitted to stay at the restaurants while still following rules on social distance.
Bond Pets Food provides cruelty-free, snappy care bars for dogs, packaged with protein. While not anti-meat businesses, they are committed to supplying organic foods that protect the earth and wildlife. they are responsible and food-producing.
Conclusion
Clean meat must be proven healthy to eat to obtain consumer acceptance. There is no justification to assume that lab meat poses a health threat. Meanwhile, conventional meat farmers are repulsed to argue that the products created by the laboratory are not meat at all and should not be branded as such, and analysis indicates that the public only has a particular interest in consuming meat from laboratories. The clean meat firms still go on amid these obstacles. Clean meat could make our everyday eating habits more sustainable and eco-friendly if they can create authentic food goods that are also affordable.
Agriculture is one of today’s most sophisticated and challenging markets. Alot of farming companies are currently rising fast.
Any of these farms may be achieved with less money, while others can require tremendous capital investments.
About 60% of the world’s population is dependent on subsistence agriculture. This is why technological innovations have been made to ensure that agricultural goods are continuously supplied to support the masses.
Since then, technical innovation contributed to some of the most profitable agricultural business concepts in 2020, generating business prospects for agriculture around the world. Small farms grow up with traders moving rapidly to benefit from the ideas of money-making growers.
We have found a way out of farmers who believe they struggle forever in their lives because of famine, credit, and last rain. Even small farmers will now produce more simple farming revenue. In agriculture, there are different ways to earn a good income.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind before starting a business in agriculture:
1. Understand what your plan is and what will you be offering to the consumers
You should first have an idea about what you are going to do, what you will be providing, etc before you start something new. This is teamwork. You should also include in this package the revenues you wish to makeover a given period, the equipment you will need to do that, the correct permits for your agri-business, and the correct policies to protect your new businesses in the case of injuries or emergencies.
2. Get your fundings prepared!
Fundings for your Agricultural Business
Find the best way to fund your agriculture. A bank’s loan is becoming extremely difficult to secure for new ventures due to the state of the economy of our country. There are several alternative funding solutions to help the company get started on the right foot.
You should consider agriculture factoring because the company already has incoming and outgoing orders for customers. In periods where you might have more than just going out, agricultural factoring will help your organization monitor the money flow.
As you frequently face outstanding invoices and demands, you will be purchased in advance by a factoring firm to provide you with a cash advance.
3. Have the right approvals and legal documentations done
You need special licenses to run your company, according to your state. The correct documents can be found from the office of the Secretary of State. When you intend to do business with foreigners, make sure you complete the right papers for the countries that you are selling or buying.
4. Establish a Roadmap for Marketing
Roadmap for Marketing
Your organization is ready to work. Farmers, vendors, and others will be made aware of your company by a Marketing Campaign. Your company would suffer without a good marketing campaign.
5. Gather employees to complete your empire and get started
You should consider recruiting staff after you have built a robust marketing strategy and are beginning to reel in new customers. It is not a work to complete orders for your farmer. Get the support you need to give your new buyers a lasting first experience.
You will burden yourself by beginning your agri-business. We hope these 6 tips will enable you to trust your agricultural sector.
Now, we will be able to assist you with multiple fruitful ideas in agriculture if you wish to make your career in agriculture:
1. Mushroom farming
Mushroom Farming Business Ideas
Champagne agriculture is one of the most lucrative farmers, with low investment and less room to launch. The cultivation of mushrooms in India is rapidly increasing as an alternative source of income for many. Largest mushroom growers throughout the country, the United States, China, Italy, and the Netherlands. Uttar Pradesh is India’s leading champagne maker and Tripura and Kerala.
While a farmer who grows only 100 logs of mushrooms cannot be considered a full-time grower of mushrooms, he also can profit. The farmers from the countryside who sterilizes their compost in a barbecue pot and raises just 12 sleeping places in their basements, either, won’t qualify as an official mushroom farmer.
2. Bee farming
Agriculturers considering commercial honey bee production should consider educating beekeepers. Normally, a queen, several thousand workers, and a few hundred drones make up a colony. Job is separated and the role of the different tasks is specialized. They make nests called ‘wax’ which are secreted from worker bees’ wax glands. The bees use their cells to produce small flour and store food. In the upper comb, the sweetheart is stored. Rows of pollen-storage cells, brood cells, and drone brood cells should be present in the comb. Some bee species produce one open pebble, while others develop several pebble pebbles on dark cavities.
3. Production of organic manure
The start of an organic fertilizer manufacturing business can, however, be viewed as a capital-intensive company. If you start your own organic fertilizer production business, you will also obtain subsidies from your government and other donor organizations. It’s important to note that you can think twice before launching an organic fertilizer production firm if you can’t carry offensive smells.
4. Poultry farming
Poultry farming Business Idea
A significant industry is poultry farming. There are essentially two kinds of cultivation – broilers, and layers. Broilers are chicken with beef that you raise. Chicken layers you raise for eggs. It is also important to consider whether to rear broilers or layers of eggs and to raise chicks. This is simply the decision to begin development to produce meat or eggs.
The marketing factor is one of the key aspects that should be remembered when you launch your poultry business. It is impossible to accomplish your company objectives without a marketing strategy.
5. Export fruits and vegetables
The most lucrative is the fruit export market, as fruits in all parts of the world are eating. It is well known that in every world several varieties of fruit do not thrive due to soil or temperature, so the fruit must be shipped to other countries from its countries of origin.
It needs very intensive investment as you would need to buy the fruit farm, rent/lease a factory, pay for transport, and other logistics. This is a very lucrative business but requires a very significant investment.
You should ensure that you comply with all rules and laws before starting to export fruit. I would also note that the business strategy is a very necessary part to be considered.
Before you can become a player in this industry, you don’t need to have a fruit farm; the willingness to know where various kinds of fruit are cheap and to sell to a ready market outside the United States is a key element of this sector.
6. Tea leaves plantation
Tea Leaves Business Ideas
Tea is an Asian native always green shrub. It is known as a drink that is typically drunk sweet, either with water or with milk. Tea is believed to be from southwest China, where it was eaten as a medicinal drink. The reputation of tea steadily spread to countries in East Asia and reached Europe in the 16th century. In FY 2018 India has become one of the world’s leading tea producers with a production of 1325,05 million kg. Tea export income has also grown to 5064.88 crores.
The movement towards cultivating more varieties and mixtures is slowly on the rise, and more area can be cultivated. Ensuring good production and management after the harvest will increase the efficiency of the tea industry.
7. Piggery
Now, when we are talking about the most commonly used meat in the country, it’s pork meat or pig meat and that’s why most people who want to get into the livestock industry choose pig farms.
This agricultural activity primarily focuses on the cultivation, breeding, and selling of pigs. Pigs are known as highly qualified chicken feed converters. In India, socially backward groups have performed this farm for the most part because they don’t have other career opportunities to earn the same income.
Pigs grow faster than other species and take a limited time to be sold as adult pigs on the market. In chemical and soap manufacturing, paints, and poultry feed, the market for pig fat is immense.
Finally, a pig farming company promises a high even break and ROI ratio.
8. Fish farming
Fish Farming is the Fastest Growing Sector
Aquaculture in which fish are raised in enclosures to be sold as food is a method of fish farming. It is the fastest-growing sector in the processing of animal food. In these artificial ecosystems, about half of the world’s fish eaten are cultivated. Farm species are widely grown such as salmon, cod, cacao, trout. These “Aqua-Farms,” or concrete enclosures on the ground, can take the shape of mesh cages immersed in nature.
9. Fertilizer distribution business
In the broader agricultural manufacturing landscape, fertilizer companies belong. Many do not know how important farming and other modes of cultivation are to fertilizer companies. In the fertilizer sector, the dedicated worker has a host of money-making opportunities.
Farming requires fertilizer, by its very existence. Fertilizer not only progresses in agriculture but in general usage, especially organic fertilizers like manure or compost.
10. Potato chips production
Potato Chips Manufacturing Idea
Potato chips are in great demand. With more number of people depending on fast food, Chips are also increasing in demand. By the next few years, it is expected that the demand for home made potato chips may increase every year by around 4 percent in the Indian market.
Being easily affordable and available, the demand and popularity of homemade potato chips are increasing. It is also becoming a part of our ever-changing lifestyle. Chips are also considered as low-fat healthy alternatives for healthy food. This means that in near future the market demand will further increase.
Conclusion
Whichever type of business you choose, do not forget to write down your whole plan and agenda before getting started. You should perform proper market research on the demand, the technological know-how and its marketing before beginning any agro-based company. Before doing this, you can develop an appropriate farming business strategy.
Thinking only of farming and cultivation every mind pictures flat expanses of open land pulsating with life, the fresh harvest of rice, wheat, paddy or vegetables. The canopy of branches with birds fluttering from one bough to the other on a sunny morning, away from cities’ smoke, completes the idea of the idyllic environment. But urban farming is quite different.
Farm spaces can be set up in an open space like a cubicle-sized room fitted with a tech support system that creates an artificial environment favourable for growth. These hi-tech, advanced model of sustainable farms, operate on the science of hydroponic farming, a soil-free farming technique.
What is Hydroponic System?
Hydroponic Farming System is a system of growing crops without soil, often called soilless farming. In the hydroponic system, the liquid nutrient solution is a mixture made up of essential plant nutrients.
The plant roots are suspended either in the static liquid solution or in a continuously flowing mixture. Unlike the traditional farming system, the hydroponic growing system requires continuous and undivided attention to the crops.
In hydroponic farming, plants grow naturally with minimal effort, drawing nutrients out of reservoirs filled with nutrients and water-rich solutions, under optimal positioning of lights and adjusted temperature conditions.
While the technique was a big hit in the other countries, where people initially used hydroponics and its farming variants to grow marijuana, it did not take too long to get the attention of scientists, entrepreneurs and practitioners of agriculture sector around the world.
The growing system for each type of crop can be different so as the hydroponic system. Before choosing the hydroponic system, it is important to know about the basics of that system which will help in making the decision. Here are some of the types of hydroponic systems.
Types of Hydroponic Farming System
Aeroponic System
Aeroponic System is a type of Hydroponic farming in which it drastically reduces the amount of water used in growing crops.
In this system, roots get their nutrients and water through the aerosol mist sprayed on them. The roots get oxygen from the air and this system is comparatively challenging to manage but much more economical in the use of nutrients and water.
Standing Aerated Nutrient Solution
This system is also known as DWC (Deep Water Culture) system. This is the system in which the nutrient solution is static, suspending the plant roots in the nutrient solution.
Replacement of nutrient solution is required 5-10 days (frequency depends on the number of plants and the volume). A crop of lettuce can be grown in this system on Styrofoam sheets floating on an aerated nutrient solution.
Dutch Bucket Grow System
As the name suggests, this system uses buckets to grow plants. The buckets in the system can vary in size, depending on the requirement of the person. The plants which have much larger roots are grown with the help of Dutch Bucket systems like tomato and cucumber.
Nutrient Film Technique
NFT, channels are used in this hydroponic system to grow plants, the nutrient solution keeps flowing in these gully channels. A pump connected to the reservoir pumps the nutrient solution to the channels.
One of the benefits of the NFT is the easy installation of the system and the relatively low cost of the materials. Also, there are two different types of NFT system which includes Horizontal and Vertical NFT System.
Indoor farming in a climate-controlled environment means farms exist in spaces where weather, as well as soil conditions, are unfavourable for a traditional food production system.
In this system, no chemical weed or pest control products are needed.
No wastage and chances of higher productivity than the traditional farming system.
Water is utilization very high when compared to the traditional farming method, up to 80-90% higher.
This system eliminates the attack of pests and insects as crops are grown in closed spaces and it provides up to 90% efficient use of water.
Production increases 3-10 times in the same amount of space.
Hydroponic Farming setup in India
Elements needed in Hydroponic Farming
There are several approaches to design hydroponic systems, but there are also necessary core elements.
Rich Nutrients
The plant needs plenty of magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, and other rich nutrients to stay healthy and productive just like plants growing in the ground need soil and fertilizer. When plants are growing without soil, this plant food must be included in the water that’s feeding the plants. While one can make a nutrient solution, it’s easy to buy mixtures online or in stores.
Freshwater
Primo, filtered stuff with a balanced pH is required. Most of the plants like water with a pH level of 6–6.5. The acidity of the water can be adjusted with efficient solutions found at the local hardware, garden, or hydroponic store.
Light
If the plants are growing indoors, one has to invest in some special lighting. Each type of plant will have a different requirement or need for the amount of light and the placement of lights.
Oxygen
In traditional farming, roots get the oxygen from pockets of air in the soil. Depending on the hydroponic setup, you will either have to leave space between the base of the plant and the water reservoir or need to oxygenate the container, which you can solve by buying an air stone or installing an air pump.
Root Support
Even though this system doesn’t need soil, the plant’s roots still need something to hold on to. The typical materials include vermiculite, perlite, peat moss and coconut fibre. One has to maintain distance from materials that might compact (like sand) or that don’t retain any moisture (like gravel).
The Final Note
With a hydroponic system, one knows the conditions of plants that are being grown in. One has to only find the working formula of light, pH balance, and nutrients, you can replicate success without always getting hit with curveballs.
Compared to the traditional global financial systems or procedures, blockchain technology is considered to be in its infancy. Besides, the superior features that blockchain contains, they can potentially improve or evolve the existing solutions not only in industry and commerce but in all the aspects of our day to day lives, giving birth to the modernization.
The food passing through many hands and processes as it gets to the family dinner table or any restaurant. Who is to assure the quality? How credible is the quality assurance process? Besides what consumer can see and smell, how else can they verify the quality of what is before them at the dinner table? Let us see how the problems have been solved with agri-tech startups.
Blockchain technology adaption in Agriculture which represents 6.5% of the entire world’s economic production employing nearly 40-45% of the total global workforce and its total worldwide production is round about 5 trillion dollars. Farmers have been facing complicated ecosystems with seasonal financing structures, needing careful timing and a lot of moving parts. It has become vital to solving these solutions with modern Blockchain technology.
Blockchain is everything about recording or continuously monitoring the information in a particular way that makes it difficult to change, hack, or cheat the data or the system.
Blockchain is a special digital ledger of transactions by design that is duplicated and distributed across the entire network of computer systems. It is cryptographically secure and is a write once-append only, distributed and decentralized system.
Each block in the chain contains a set of transactions, and every time a new transaction occurs on the blockchain, a record of the respective transaction is added to every participant’s ledger.
Blockchain uses in Agriculture
Blockchain Technology in Agriculture
Blockchain in agriculture is one of the useful technology that makes the process of growing and supplying food simpler.
Blockchain in agriculture has been around in global markets for quite some time now and even in India, there have been projects for blockchain for food supply. The government had launched a blockchain-based marketplace which was aimed at helping integrate the farmers with markets in a transparent manner and lead to provide a fair price for the coffee producers.
The Blockchain uses in Agriculture:
Generating a better market data for better decision-making with data science in agriculture
Financing and insurance for small farmers
Simplifying all the stages of the agricultural supply chain process
Providing farmers and businesses with easy access to agricultural financial services
Reducing financial risks and promoting inclusive trade
Legally proving certifications to relevant authorities
Improving food safety and eliminating counterfeit items
Fair pricing through the value chain for all sectors
Emission reductions and support for environmentally friendly initiatives
More informed consumer purchasing decisions
Sustainable business and reduction of waste
Decreased transaction fees and less dependence on any services
Transparent transactions and elimination of fraud
Improved quality of products and fewer health diseases from food
Easy Data accessibility
How Blockchain works in Agricultural field
Some Successful Agritech Startups
Witnessing and adapting to the blockchain technology, new and creative start-ups are redesigning the agricultural landscape. Their Projects are mostly focused toward enhancing global traceability, easing international transactions, providing crop insurance, and optimizing the food chain. Here are some of the blockchain agritech startups.
Agri10x, one of the innovative startup, is a Pune-based agritech which has announced that it will collaborate with the Indian government to help the remote farmers to sell their produce directly in the market using blockchain and artificial intelligence platform.
It even provides farmers with transparency with a fair price, and assist them in collecting real-time data to manage their harvests efficiently. This approach will provide farmers with easy access to a global marketplace to sell their produce directly, without needing any middlemen.
AgaveCoin
AgaveCoin, an agritech organization, provides a secure transaction method with their native token AGVC. Its business is aimed at providing a global payment solution to ease the trade of agricultural products and services in the agave production chain. The diverse use of AgaveCoin provides versatile utility of agave-based textiles, biosystems, liquors, nanoplastics, biofuels, organic food, and many more.
AgriDigital
AgriDigital is a cloud-based blockchain program used for commodity management of grain. This handles all the transactions and logistics, buying, selling, and trading grain far better and easier while ensuring transparency and traceability.
It stores all data, manages inventory, and provides easy channels of communications with customers. For buyers, this system provides a dashboard to manage deliveries of grain orders and track the history of the products.
AgriChain
AgriChain is a distributed and decentralized blockchain platform that enables easy management and communication between supply chain participants. The software provides a secure, transparent platform for agricultural stakeholders to transact internationally reducing supply chain costs.
The farming and logistics management software also aims to link distributors, growers, and retailers, for smoother inventory movement.
Demeter
Demeter is trying to evolve traditional agriculture process through the rental of global microfields. It connects those who want to farm organically with those who have tilled land.
The system puts farmers in touch with places they can farm, and potential food customers in touch with farms selling produce. This is to reduce overheads for both parties, resulting in access to affordable organic food.
The Bottom Line
In the agriculture field, blockchain has proved to bea technology that can re-engineer the existing systems from settling transactions, tracing the food origin, tracking food supply and tracking the customer demand to creating new marketplaces. Considering the current competition in this field, it has become a necessity to stay informed of the most recent developments in the field to face the competition.
However, it’s clear that there are opportunities in the agriculture industry. The global agriculture industry is now worth over 2.4 trillion dollars and has over one billion people involved worldwide.
The emergence of Rural and Remote areas into marketing is untapped potential and so there’s an emphasis on the need to explore them. Marketers over the past few decades, with innovative approaches, have attempted to understand and give opportunities to rural markets. Rural marketing is an evolving concept, and as a part of any economy, has untapped potential; marketers have realized the opportunity recently.
The rural population has shown a trend of moving to a state of gradual urbanization in terms of exposure, habits, lifestyles, and lastly, consumption patterns of goods and services. Rural per capita consumption expenditure grew by 11.5 percent while the urban expenditure grew by 9.6 percent.
Rural marketing is a process of developing, pricing, promoting, and distributing rural specific goods and services leading to the desired exchange with rural customers to satisfy their needs and wants, and also to achieve organizational objectives. The concept of Rural Marketing in India Economy has always played an influential role in the lives of people. In India, leaving out a few metropolitan cities, all the districts and industrial townships are connected with rural markets.
Rural Marketing
The rural market in India generates bigger revenues in the country as the rural regions comprise of the maximum consumers in this country. The rural market in the Indian economy generates almost more than half of the country’s income. Rural marketing in the Indian economy can be classified under two broad categories. These are:
Rural Marketing in India Economy covers two broad sections
1.
Selling of agricultural products in the urban areas
2.
Selling of manufactured products in the rural regions
There’s a simple 4A model to streamline rural business is total customer-oriented. And if implemented, then your own rural business could skyrocket. The 4A’s are Affordability, Availability, Awareness, and Acceptability.
There’s a simple 4A model to streamline rural business is totally customer-oriented. And if implemented, then your own rural business could skyrocket. The 4A’s are Affordability, Availability, Awareness, and Acceptability.
1. Affordability
The design of the product should match the needs of the customer. The Customer should not think that they cannot buy it, which means it should be in their buying capacity.
2. Availability
The greatest problem in the rural market is to reach the customer or retailer. It’s the logistics way to make the product available there.
3. Awareness
The Awareness program should be in such a manner that it should reach the customers’ mindset. The only way of reaching the customer is through the commercials on media like TV, Radio, and banners.
4. Acceptability
The customer should think that they can buy the product by putting extra money on that. They should feel that the product is designed as per their needs and it should deliver a great solution to the customer.
How To build business in Rural markets? By Maanav Yashroy
Remote areas are a goldmine for any business person for a long time and who are obviously willing to take the risk. Such business not only increases your income among the rural folk but it’s clearly visible that there has been an improvement in consumer purchasing power, and therefore there is a demand for products and services. Although it’s never easy to establish the market in a remote area. You will face challenges such as underdeveloped infrastructure systems and a lack of proper distribution channels among others.
Here are ways in which you can overcome these challenges and run a successful business in remote areas
Strategies To Run A Business In Remote/ Rural Areas
1. Conduct Market Research
This is the most important factor in a business in a remote area. You need to understand the target customer base for your product. Get to know the income levels of the communities residing, the purchasing power of the basic family in that community, their needs, and how much they would be willing to spend for that product. This will not only help you identify your prospective customers but their characteristics too, such as age groups and social class among else. Also, have a look at what grants you could get in a rural area.
Promote small business in remote areas
2. Gain the Trust of the Local Community
Urban businesses are usually profit-centered and there’s no need for extra hard work like what’s needed in remote businesses because they are community-centered. If you want to achieve long-term success in a rural area, then you need to earn the trust of the people around you. Establish a long-term relationship by providing consistent, efficient, reliable, and cost-effective products. And if the community is satisfied with your services then, you will be able to retain existing customers and attract prospective ones.
The success of any business totally depends on the product or service reaching the intended customer base. It i often difficult to access them. What you can do is, you can develop a multilayer distribution channel where you have sub-distributors at different points. You can also have a delivery van to take the product to the customers’ doorsteps. To ensure you have excellent communication with your retailers and always ensure, the product is always available to the customers.
Distribution channels through supply chains
4. Use Rural Marketing Strategies
Businesses in remote areas need marketing strategies tailored to rural areas. One of the best marketing strategies for rural area business is to identify and develop rural talent into the business. They are always in a better position to understand the mindset of their people and then you can work with them easily. Locals are also likely to embrace business that gives opportunities to their own community. There is no better strategy for a remote business than training and promoting a local up among the ranks. You can also use the services of local influencers and opinion leaders to market the business.
Inventory management will help the business have a clear vision of how best they can cater to the needs of their customers, where they are doing and where they need to improve, and whether their marketing strategies are working or not. This sort of inventory helps keep a regular update of which products are moving and which ones are slow, and how the different categories of customers are responding to the different products.
How to market and build a business in rural araes?
6. Have a Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate social responsibility is a way of your business, to give back to the community. To gain strength, participate in the development of communal infrastructure and facilities such as the construction of dispensaries, environmental conservation efforts, and giving scholarships to needy students. You can also organize workshops for the unemployed rural youth or uneducated youth to equip them with job skills even if they won’t be absorbed by the business. This will go a long way in helping the business integrate into the community and gain acceptance everywhere.
Farm Market in rural areas: MANDI
The concept of rural marketing in India is often been found to forms ambiguity in the mind of people who think rural marketing is all about agricultural marketing. However, rural marketing determines the carrying out of business activities bringing in the flow of goods from urban sectors to the rural regions of the country as well as the marketing of various products manufactured by the non-agricultural workers from rural to urban areas.
The rural market in India is not a separate entity in itself and it is highly influenced by the sociological and behavioral factors operating in the country.
If you analyze, it’s quite easy to market your rural business and it becomes super easy if you perceive a customer-oriented approach.
Mansi Maheshwari
