Through an all-cash business transfer agreement, agritech startup DeHaat has acquired Olam Agri’s farm consultancy portal AgriCentral. DeHaat hopes to strengthen its position as India’s largest full-stack agritech platform, reach a wider audience within the farming community, and offer a wider range of digital services for farmers with this strategic purchase. With more than 10 million users, AgriCentral is an app-based platform for Indian farmers. It was established in 2018 and provides community engagement, health diagnostics, customised agricultural planning, and real-time crop prices. AgriCentral spearheads the shift to digital farming by utilising technology such as GPS, satellite images, big data, machine learning, and image analytics. Through a network of more than 15,000 DeHaat Centres, DeHaat has effectively built strong supply chain capabilities to provide 360-degree agricultural solutions to Indian farmers in more than 120,000 villages, according to cofounder and CEO Shashank Kumar.
DeHaat’s attempts to reach millions of underserved farmers with its full-stack agri-value chain services will be aided by AgriCentral’s affordable digital capabilities. In order to improve farmers’ livelihoods, it will also allow DeHaat to implement a number of value-added services, like precision advice, mechanisation, insurance, and cattle advisory, Kumar continued.
Now, 12 Million Farmers are Connected with DeHaat
Through the agreement, DeHaat will now provide services to more than 12 million farmers across the country, with the goal of surpassing its 2024 farmer network target. DeHaat is a comprehensive agritech platform that offers farmers end-to-end agricultural services. It was founded in 2012 by Kumar and Amrendra Singh. This includes market linkages to sell their produce, financial access, individualised farm assistance, and high-quality agricultural inputs. Temasek and Prosus Ventures are among the investors that have contributed $221 million to the business, which was once valued at $700 million.
DeHaat Expanding its Network
With more than 15,000 DeHaat centres spread across 11 states, the company has grown its digital network to provide 2.7 million farmers with individualised crop advising and digital farmer services. In order to promote sustainable agriculture, DeHaat has established exclusive distribution agreements with over ten international bio-agri-input innovators and distributes over 3,000 agricultural inputs through these centres. Due in significant part to an increase in total expenses, the Gurugram-based startup’s consolidated net loss increased by 3.76% to INR 1,133.1 Cr in the fiscal year 2023–24 (FY24) from INR 1,094.4 Cr the previous year. It was on course to reach breakeven by the final quarter of the current fiscal year (Q4 FY25); nevertheless, it reduced its operational losses by 42% YoY in FY24.
With the use of alliances with more than 1,000 agricultural organisations, such as input producers, produce purchasers, warehouse managers, and financial institutions, the platform’s supply chain capabilities extend throughout 120,000 communities.
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.
New Delhi [India] September 5: Mulyam an agri-tech marketplace based out of Pune, is one of the pioneer startups which is strengthening the supply chain process. It connects farmers directly with the organized sector’s retailers, institutional firms, and quick commerce firms, ensuring fresher produce and better market access, ultimately boosting profitability and sustainability. Mulyam has a network of 3000 farmers from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. A detailed discussion was held with Yogesh Kedari, Founder and CEO of Mulyam, about the company and how it is supporting the farmers.
Tell us about Mulyam. What does it offer?
Launched in December 2022, Mulyam is revolutionizing the agriculture supply chain by connecting farmers directly with bulk buyers of fruits and vegetables. Mulyam is developing a comprehensive marketplace (Platform) that enables seamless, transparent, and scalable transactions between buyers and sellers nationwide.
Beyond basic trade functions, Mulyam offers value-added services such as trade financing, logistics solutions, quality assessment, and mandi information. This integrated approach aims to create a robust ecosystem that supports efficient trading and fosters growth for all stakeholders in the supply chain.
What is the scope for Mulyam in the Indian agriculture and agri-tech sector?
Mulyam is creating an ecosystem that aims to transform both the Indian and global agriculture and agri-tech sector. Mulyam targets a diverse range of buyers, offering them the opportunity to source produce of their desired quality directly from farmers.
By developing the capability to liquidate all grades of produce to a broad spectrum of buyers, Mulyam gains a competitive edge over its peers. Mulyam empowers farmers and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) to trade seamlessly nationwide, enabling them to utilize their infrastructure better, take stock positions as needed, make informed sales decisions, seize trade opportunities across India, and build their own brand for fresh produce nationwide.
What inspired you to found Mulyam?
As a member of a farming family, agriculture has always been a part of my life. I have witnessed the challenges faced by both farmers and buyers. Farmers struggle to sell their produce at fair prices, while buyers face difficulties in obtaining consistent quality produce at competitive prices.
From a young age, I was passionate about contributing to the agriculture industry and ensuring that the food we eat is of high quality. After completing my undergraduate degree in horticulture and an MBA in agriculture, I sought to build a scalable solution within the agri-value chain that would benefit both farmers/FPOs and buyers.
How does it work for farmers and other stakeholders? Tell us about the latest developments.
Mulyam’s business model revolves around two key stakeholders: farmers and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and bulk buyers, including wholesale distributors, institutional clients, quick commerce platforms, and retail stores. Currently, Mulyam has a network of 3,000 farmers from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and West Bengal, with the goal to expand to 150,000 farmers by the end of FY 2025.
Our onboarding process begins with Mulyam’s sourcing managers connecting with farmers through mobile phones, WhatsApp, or face-to-face meetings to register them as suppliers. Once registered, farmers deliver their produce to Mulyam’s collection centres, where it undergoes quality and quantity checks. Mulyam then sorts, grades, and packages the produce according to buyer requirements, including bulk sizes (100 grams to 10 kilograms per the specific required packaging types).
The produce is distributed across 17 cities, with quick commerce and HORECA services provided in 7 metro cities. Payments are handled via banks for farmers and suppliers, while buyers settle transactions through bank transfers, UPI, or cash.
How is the journey so far and what is your long and short-term vision?
We are dedicated to building a robust and comprehensive marketplace that seamlessly integrates every aspect of the agricultural ecosystem. Our current business model is more of a trading-heavy operation, but with this, we aim to unify financial solutions, logistics, and trade matching, creating a streamlined and efficient environment for all stakeholders. We target to create a tech-enabled and data-driven platform, making it more accessible, efficient, and beneficial for everyone involved.
Please brief us on the business and revenue model. What is the revenue currently? Have you reached the break-even?
We source produce from farmers and FPOs and once procured, we perform grading, sorting, packaging, and delivery based on the specific needs of our clients. Currently, we have achieved a turnover exceeding INR 75 crores, with zero burn and a slight margin in the kitty. However, we anticipate to scale further and ensure we are delivering consistent and improving EBITDA positive margins.
Tell us about you and what your background is.
I have over 19 years of experience in business development, sales, procurement, and P&L management, with a particular focus on the perishables sector. I have held leadership positions at NCDEX eMarkets Limited and DeHaat, where I served as VP and Senior VP, respectively, overseeing the Perishables Business. Additionally, I have worked with renowned organizations like Aditya Birla Retail More and Bharti Wal-Mart, demonstrating my expertise in setting up and running businesses from scratch.
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture (Fruits, Flowers & Vegetables) from Pune Agriculture College and an MBA from VAMNICOM Pune. To further enhance my leadership skills, I have completed a Leadership Management Course from ISB Hyderabad.
What are your expansion and future plans to take Mulyam to the next level? Are there any fund-raising plans?
We aim to achieve a revenue of ₹4,000 crore by 2030 and are targeting an exit value of ₹120 crore+ by the end of FY 2025, which will mark a significant milestone for us in our first full year of operation. To support our growth, we have successfully launched our buyer platform and plan to introduce the seller module by FY 2025.
We are actively seeking investment from impact fund houses, venture capitalists, and other potential investors to fuel our expansion initiatives and take Mulyam to the next level.
The Digital Agriculture Mission, with a budget of INR 2817 crore (including the central share of INR 1940 crore), was granted authorization on 2 September 2024 by the Union Cabinet Committee, which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Various digital agriculture initiatives, including the Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES), Digital Public Infrastructure, and other IT projects undertaken by the Central Government, State Governments, and Academic and Research Institutions, are intended to be supported by the Mission.
With the advent of digital identities and the development of secure payment and transaction methods, India’s government and service delivery have been profoundly impacted by the recent digital revolution. As a result, India is now at the forefront of citizen-centric digital solutions, with a flourishing digital ecosystem in the financial, healthcare, educational, and retail sectors.
Why the Government Is Emphasizing Connecting Farmers Digitally?
In the Union Budget 2023-24, the government announced plans to construct digital public infrastructure specifically for agriculture, to undergo a comparable change in the sector. Also stated in the 2024–25 budget is a plan to boost the agricultural sector’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). Data on farmers, including verified demographic information, land ownership, and harvested crops, will be made available through the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Agriculture. Cultivators and tenant farmers shall be included according to the policy of the State Government.
To create innovative digital services focused on farmers, it would link up with the appropriate state and federal government digital infrastructure in India. This would allow it to access data on farmers’ livestock, fisheries, soil health, other occupations, family information, and the programs and benefits they have used. At its heart, the Digital Agriculture Mission is the DPI for Agriculture, which is in line with Viksit Bharat@2047.
The Three DPIs to Be Built Under the Mission
Soil Profile Mapping, Krishi Decision Support System, and Agristack are the three DPIs that will be developed as part of the Mission. Additionally, these DPIs will facilitate the development of digital services focused on farmers and ensure that the agriculture industry has access to accurate and up-to-date information.
With AgriStack, a farmer-centric DPI, services, and schemes can be delivered to farmers more efficiently, easily, and faster. It is a joint effort by federal and state entities, and its construction is taking place in a federated form. The State Governments/Union Territories established and maintained three essential databases or registries in the agricultural sector: the Crop Sown Registry, geo-referenced village maps, and the Farmers’ Registry.
As a reliable “Kisan ki Pehchaan,” AgriStack would provide farmers with a digital identification (Farmer ID) that is analogous to Aadhaar. A farmer’s “Farmer ID” will be dynamically associated with their land records, animal records, planted crops, family data, demographic information, and any programs or perks they have used. Digital Crop Surveys, which are mobile-based ground surveys, will be carried out by farmers every season to document the crops that are sowed.
The Central government and individual states are finalizing the details of the DPI for Agriculture by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU). The Indian government’s Ministry of Agriculture has inked memorandums of understanding with nineteen states thus far.
The agricultural sector has always been troubled by logistical challenges. India just cannot afford to lose food supplies due to logistical issues at this point because of its quickly expanding population. An estimated 194 million people in India experience daily hunger, as reported by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). According to the organization, the huge amount of food that goes to waste each year—roughly $14 billion worth—in India is the main cause of this problem. In reality, according to the UN, supply problems cause almost 40% of India’s food to be wasted before it reaches the customer. Fortunately, a plethora of entrepreneurs have stepped up to the plate, offering tech-driven ways to cut down on food waste.
It is now more important than ever to manage agricultural inputs and outputs, such as farm produce, due to the present unfavorable circumstances in which the entire world is experiencing an economic crisis. According to official statistical data, several research on India’s fresh produce and seafood have shown a loss percentage of 8–18% recently. Currently, farmers are facing numerous challenges, including a shortage of labor, low returns on their crops, and disruptions in the supply chain. They are hopeful that the IT sector will solve these problems.
To tackle these problems, numerous agro startups have been introduced to the market. According to the information provided by Data Labs, over a thousand startups are engaged in the agriculture sector. Many of these businesses are helping to solve problems in the industry by combining cutting-edge technology with fresh, original thinking.
Although the agriculture sector’s supply chain was already weak before the COVID-19 epidemic, it became much worse thereafter. The government made its position on not wanting to disrupt agri-business quite apparent when it classified agri-business as an essential commodity. However, the local authorities were the first to cause confusion by not distinguishing between agri-supply and other supply chains. As a result of the increased uncertainty caused by the states’ tug-of-war, the supply chain was impeded.
Startups came in to clear things up with their new tech-driven solutions. Even though farmers and others in this industry still have a long way to go before they can master technology abilities, these young entrepreneurs blew it out of the park by making their goods so easy to use that a child could do it.
Agricultural Technology (Agtech) Market Value Worldwide From 2020 to 2025
Connecting Farmers With Their Market
Startups have emerged with the sole purpose of reversing the traditional market dynamics and bringing large markets to farmers. To provide farmers with options, businesses like AgriBazaar, Oxen Farm Solution, Agribolo, Trringo, etc. have carved out this concept.
It has been a long-standing challenge for farmers and agro-business owners to get a fair price for their goods. There have been numerous reports of farmers and businesses tossing their products on roadways due to meager prices, which prevent them from recouping their production costs. In response, AgriBazaar established direct connections between farmers, state governments, and procurement firms.
Indian agritech entrepreneurs have a chance to prove themselves by coming up with novel and inventive solutions to the current predicament. We developed our project with the ever-present problem of logistics in the agro-industry in mind, and it has brought us great joy to see our product meet the needs of both farmers and procurement businesses, stated Amith Agarwal, cofounder and CEO of AgriBazaar.
At AgriBazaar, farmers can list their products and themselves on the website or app. Then, the business connects them with businesses that are looking to buy their goods. The practicalities of collecting the grain from the farmer’s doorstep and delivering it to the purchasers’ godown or warehouse are taken care of by the startup once the deal is finalized.
Similarly, Farmpal has opened a distribution center in Wadgaon Sheri, East Pune, and a fourth collecting center in Kopargaon, close to Shirdi. Using their distribution facilities, the corporation buys produce directly from farmers and then sells it to large traders. To ensure a seamless supply chain, the corporation uses its logistical chain to pick up the goods from the farmers’ station.
We have chosen to purchase directly from the growers to maintain a robust supply chain. One thing that sets us apart is that we buy whatever the farmers are selling. They can either deliver their fruit to our centers or even help us select it ourselves. The reason behind this is that, due to the current recession, customers are being less selective, stated Puneet Sethi, Director and Co-founder of Farmpal.
By Combining Traceability With AI, Providers Can Go the Extra Mile
Companies like these often promise farmers 15% greater prices than what local agents would pay because they don’t have to pay commission. This is how they get farmers to join their network. The amount of demand for a crop, the current pricing provided, and other facts are communicated to farmers through apps or SMS.
Better pricing, timed deliveries, and quality assurance are all available to wholesale clients and retailers who use an app to place purchases. Produce can be traced because it is monitored at every step.
In addition to procurement, these businesses have access to AI technology, which allows them to readily forecast demand by analyzing data that they have acquired. As a result, the fruit has a longer shelf life and there is practically no chance of food waste. Therefore, suppliers and traders can now more easily move goods to greater distances.
The farmer goes through a lot just to get his harvest to market, negotiate a price with middlemen, and then return home with a handful of pennies. He is responsible for covering all logistical costs and food waste in the event that the produce does not sell. We are able to go the extra mile to supply it because we buy it directly from farmers and equip it with our AI and traceable technology. Everybody wins in this scenario: farmers get good returns, while merchants obtain fresh produce that can now be delivered anywhere in the nation, said Thirukumaran Nagarajan, Co-Founder and CEO, Ninjacart.
Wasted Food Is Lessened Through End-To-End Monitoring
Food waste can be significantly reduced with end-to-end monitoring of produce while it is in transit. From a practical standpoint, it appears a little bit excessive, but when combined with technology, it becomes a reality. Many new businesses have focused on this one area of weakness and developed products to address it, with an emphasis on end-to-end monitoring.
Otipy, a new offering from farm-to-retail agritech startup Crofarm, is based on an end-to-end supply monitoring system that allows businesses to link their reselling partners with customers directly. More than 50,000 customers are already taking advantage of the company’s services, and it has partnerships with 500+ resellers around the Delhi-National Capital Region.
Otipy scours its partners for fresh goods and then delivers them right to customers’ doors thanks to its robust end-to-end supply chain network. In this business-to-consumer sphere, the firm not only aids its business associates in cutting down on food waste, but it also supplies customers with nutritious, freshly grown food.
Another agritech business situated in Mumbai, FarmLink focuses on the entire supply chain for produce. With this new business-to-business analytical tool, consumers can monitor their food’s journey from farm to fork, and farmers can rest easy knowing that their money is safe. Gramco Infratech is another company that provides services to rural areas and concentrates on the grain supply chain. From inputs and contract farming to financing and procurement, their services span the whole value chain.
These new businesses have already begun connecting farmers and traders so that everyone can win. When coupled with cutting-edge technology, fresh perspectives and ideas can have a profound impact in a country like India, which boasts a large and growing population. The only remaining concern is how these companies want to educate Indian farmers about their trading models; after all, the majority of farmers in this country lack sufficient knowledge of technology and current trends. Even more so, these new businesses are strapped for cash and can’t afford to spend much on ads (print, electronic, online, radio), thus it’s tough for them to consistently expand their nexus while running their day-to-day operations.
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by Aerobotics.
As the global population reaches 7.9 billion in November 2022 and is projected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, food security has become one of the major concerns across the world. With the scarcity of resources, there is a need to leverage advanced technology in agricultural practices to expand agricultural outputs.
It has been reported that with emerging agritech startups, the global agrotechnology market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 12.1% during 2020-2027. Since agriculture remains the main source of livelihood for a huge proportion of people, its crucial to address agricultural challenges.
Aerobotics is an agritech company set up for helping farmers improve their crop performance and production with AI-driven data analytics. Going through this article, you will know important details of the company- its founders, startup story, services, funding, growth, and more.
Aerobotics is a data analytics South Africa-based company that uses aerial imagery and machine learning algorithms for detecting pests and diseases in tree crops and optimizing crop performance for farmers worldwide. The company makes it possible for farmers to interact with this valuable data through its web and mobile applications.
It has two main offices in Africa and the United States along with Sales Managers working remotely and spending their day on the ground with its growers across the world. Moreover, the company has been able to help farmers manage more than 65 million trees with clients in 18 countries, including America, Africa, Australia, Spain, and Europe.
James Paterson and Benji Meltzer are co-founders of the company.
James Paterson and Benji Meltzer – Co-founders, Aerobotics
James Paterson
Along with the co-founder, James Paterson is the CEO of Aerobotics. He completed his Master’s in MSc, Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Benji Meltzer
Benji Meltzer is a co-founder and CTO of Aerobotics. He graduated from Imperial College London with a degree in MSc, Biomedical/Medical Engineering – Neurotechnology Specialization. He has also held the role of Business Analyst at The Cyest Corporation and Operations and Logistics Manager at Uber.
The size of the company’s team today is over 80 people, ranging from agronomists, engineers, creatives, product developers, and customer service experts.
Aerobotics – Startup Story
James Paterson grew up on a farm located outside of Cape Town and there he learned the challenges faced by his family and community of growers. After years, he met Benji Meltzer and they both decided to see how their combined skills can be used in aeronautics, machine learning, and aerial imagery to solve crop-related problems. They took drones and flew them on James’ family farm.
Soon, they were able to validate that artificial intelligence could be used to process aerial imagery and identify problems invisible to the farmers. Aerobotics was established as an agritech startup in 2014. They generated insights for more than 100 million trees to help growers, insurers, and investors improve their production and profitability.
Aerobotics – Mission and Vision
The vision and mission of Aerobotics are to provide intelligent tools for feeding the world.
Aerobotics – Products and Services
The company is known for offering two primary solutions – Farm and Insure. It offers a Tree Insights service that supports citrus, pome, stone, berries, grapes, nuts, olives, subtropical fruit, and pomegranates.
Moreover, it offers traditional crop insurance, precision crop insurance, detailed acre analysis, and optimal premiums through Insure solution. Aerobotics has developed two apps named Aeroview Scout and Aeroview InField.
Welcome to Aeroview: Getting Started
Aerobotics – Business Model
Aerobotics uses a combination of drone and satellite imagery for providing its customers with valuable insights into their farms. The imagery is further uploaded onto servers and then data analysis is conducted. With the help of data procured by the company, farmers can identify underperforming areas, including nutrient deficiencies, pest infestations, and irrigation problems, and also monitor the progression of the season.
Moreover, its advanced tree-counting technology aids farmers to know the plan count per block, per crop, and per cultivator. The company delivers customers’ Tree Insights within 4 to 7 days for serviced flights after their data has been flown and 3 to 7 days for self-serviced flights when the upload is completed.
Aerobotics has undertaken 7 funding rounds. The latest funding round- ‘Series B’ took place on December 11, 2020. Currently, it’s supported by 17 investors with 6 as lead investors, including FMO, Cathay Innovation, Naspers, BossaNova Investimentos, and Endeavor.
Date
Round
Number of Investors
Money Raised
Lead Investor
December 11, 2020
Series B
7
$13.5 million
Naspers Foundry
May 20, 2020
Venture Round
1
$5.5 million
Naspers Foundry
February 27, 2019
Series A
1
$1.5 million
Paper Plane Ventures
July 18, 2018
Series A
4
$2 million
Nedbank
November 29, 2017
Non-Equity, Assistance
1
$50K
Google Launchpad Accelerator
August 1, 2017
Seed Round
3
$42K
4Di Capital, Savannah Fund
April 26, 2017
Pre Seed Round
2
$15K
–
Aerobotics – Patents and Trademarks
The intellectual property of Aerobotics comprises 4 registered patents primarily in the category of ‘Computing’ and ‘Calculating.’
Aerobotics – Growth
The estimated annual revenue of the company in 2022 is $12.9 million per year ($145,000 per employee). Moreover, the employee count increased by 3%, and monthly web visits growth grew by 18.48%.
Aerobotics – Awards and Achievements
In the last 2 years, Aerobotics successfully captured 20% of South Africa’s citrus market and 40% of its macadamia market in the last six months. In addition, the company has received multiple industry-related prestigious awards. A few major achievements are:
Selected as one of 24 startups to be part of Google’s Launchpad Accelerator in 2018
Won AfricArea VivaTech Challenge
President Macron Tech Award
Innovator of the Year Award at the All Africa Business Leader Awards
This article is contributed by Mr. Chattanathan Devarajan, Co-founder, Arya.ag
Agriculture sector in India continues to be the backbone of rural economy employing almost 50 percent of the country’s population with a contribution of 19.9% on the GDP. There has been an increased focus on the growth of agriculture and the Government of India has been talking about doubling farm incomes. It is in this context, that it becomes crucial to understand the potential impact and change agritech could create in the country and how new age agri start-ups are contributing to income improvements in rural households especially within the farming community.
In the last few years, there has been a phenomenal growth in the agritech/agri-fintech space with substantial investments flowing in the sector. The pandemic allowed for a swift change and acceptance to digital technologies, and it is further anticipated that about USD 25 billion dollar investments need to flow into this sector. Also keeping in mind, the challenges of fragmentation, diversity and accessibility in the sector, the only way to bridge gaps is to overlay technology to the Indian agriculture ecosystem. Digital technologies led services that enable presence closer to farm markets can enable large scale irreversible positive change and the investments flowing into the sector are precisely working towards building these much-required efficiencies, traceability and trust in the agri value chain.
Pricing Factor in AgriTech Industry
Furthermore as is widely known, price is a factor of demand and supply and in India, the price of end produce is not absolutely under control. There is always a risk that continues to remain with some mitigation by way of MSP support by the Government. In this context, the ways in which farm incomes can be increased is through better yield and output. A farmer could work towards increasing productivity through high yielding varieties, the adoption of good agronomic practices and relevant inputs.
The problem of low incomes is further aggravated by the number of intermediaries in the value chain. Lower transparency of market prices, non-availability of competitive services closer to the farmgate and inefficiencies keeping with smaller quantities, often reduce the bargaining power of the small and marginal farmers. With limited access and resources, the cost of production increases and so do logistical expenses from farm to market. Each step of the value chain and the reduced efficiency that goes along with small and marginal farmlands, eat into the profit margins of the farmers and often, a farmer receives only 25% of the actual value of the agri-commodity.
Contributions of AgriTech Startups in Rural India
Most agritechs are working to solve these systemic challenges, re-balancing the agri value chain and shifting the power economics back into the hands of the producer. They are primarily trying to address the inefficiencies in the value chain and increase transparency, removing intermediaries as well as enabling easy access to finance.
We can broadly classify the agri startups contributions as follows:
Increasing incomes through cost reduction: There have been lot of new agriculture start-ups which have been trying to provide input market linkages through their respective tech interface innovations. They strive to effectively aggregate the needs at the farm level and enable direct supplies of inputs, tools and tech to effectively reduce costs.
Increasing productivity and optimisation of resources: By adopting information and technology-based farm management system more specifically called precision farming, and crop canopy management through satellite imagery, the use of better agronomic practices has led to appropriate usage of inputs and thereby increasing productivity and improving income of farmers.
Storage solution and access to finance: Lack of farmgate storage and access to finance, often force farmers into distress sales. New-age agritech startups are looking at creating integrated solutions by enabling famers to store their produce through near farmgate storage solutions, digitising agri-commodities, triggering innovation in storage infrastructure and providing easy access to finance and leveraging the price differentials between off season and on season to improve rural farm incomes.
Provision of higher price due to quality: Agritechs have had success with effective output quality management through AI and traceability due to technological advancements. This has had both reduction in food loss and better revenues.
Providing efficient market linkages: Providing a good platform for increasing the optionality for sellers. Enabling more buyers for the same produce, ensures producers have both choice of whom to sell, when to sell and at what prices to sell at.
While some agritech startups have focused on one specific benefit and improved revenues in that section of the value chain, others have layered multiple services. A few of the agri start-ups are in nascent stage, few have moved to the proof of concept and a few have established business models. With the emergence of integrated platform players, one can witness growth in access for services like never before. Access to competitive services, products and tools are no longer limited to the tertiary markets but have seamlessly shifted to the primary and secondary markets. The key benefit in this growth is to the producers in the rural spectrum. Technology advancements have allowed for the growth of efficient and transparent value chains and these interventions have benefitted farmers and other stakeholders with an increase in revenues anywhere between to 30%. Indeed the agritech sector has immense potential to enhance the overall socio-economic considerations of the country’s rural ecosystem.
Amazon has set high standards in e-commerce as well as in many other fields. But the Agritech sector is a new sector on which Amazon is focussing right now due to many different reasons. And also, when it comes to agriculture, you cannot ignore India. Amazon also has big plans for the Indian Agri sector. The Indian agriculture sector is currently experiencing a lot of influence from private players. Amazon is trying to Invest in the Agritech space in India to make some modern changes. This may secure the farm produce in the Indian agricultural sector. Let’s jump into the topic to know more about it.
Amazon retail is trying to help farmers in India by launching its agronomy services which will notify the farmers about important crop-related data. These early notifications and information will help the farmers to make the necessary decisions for their crops. Now, this whole process takes place through an application through which necessary information is conveyed to the farmers related to crops, and it’s production. Amazon has entered the Agritech sector to secure farm produce. This farm produce yields two-thirds of the country’s $1 trillion retail spendings. Also, in India, many crops are not grown throughout the year. The government aims to bring in the private players to improve the farm work by yielding good results from suitable technology available. Amazon is a private giant which can invest a nice amount of money in reforming the agricultural sector.
Reactive and proactive plant programs supported by Amazon will provide cutting-edge technology to farmers and other crop growers. The dedicated mobile application will provide farmers with real-time advice and information on crop data and insights. As a Private company, Amazon tends to stretch its boundaries in different sectors, and the Agritech sector is perhaps one of the most developing sectors in the current time. Also, crop data needs critical analysis to be processed, and farmers will proceed accordingly, which will improve the crop produce. Private players could fulfill these factors in a better way if they cooperate with the government.
How is Amazon Entering Agritech?
Agronomy services launched by Amazon retail is a new footprint by a private company in the Agritech field of Indian agriculture. This system will provide early guidance and advice to farmers on crop production and other insights. Also, Amazon focuses on machine learning to improve productivity and build a more convenient supply infrastructure. According to Amazon’s Indian senior officials, this technology will improve the quality of crop production and will yield good results.
Also, with this launch, the Amazon Agritech solutions have created an ecosystem through agronomist-powered field interventions. Also, tools were added to track down these field interventions. But every step requires huge support from the farmers on the field. Amazon needs to deliver good quality services with an agreement to supply vegetables and fruits of desired quality. Supply chain is a big challenge for Amazon. Old supply chains may damage the product, which will result in loss of trust and money. As a private giant, it’s not that difficult for the company to invest a big amount in the modernization of the supply chain.
Benefits of Amazon Agritech
Amazon Agritech
This system makes sure that farmers make accurate decisions about their crops on time. The instructions and timely advice help the farmers to get early data on how to manage crop production and increase farm produce. Also, the supply chains can be processed properly now with the interface as well as farmers will get informed about rotten or damaged fruits and vegetables. This will improve the quality of fruits and vegetables, which will reach millions of customers. The government is also aiming to harness profit through suitable technology available. India is a developing nation, so the agricultural sector must get proper reforms.
Also, farmers are showing interest in tech-led innovation in the field of farming. Smart farming methods will make it more profitable for the farmers to grow proper quality crops without much wastage. This technology will improve the results of the farming process and will deliver better. Amazon retail has also planned a proper temperature-controlled supply chain. This will ensure proper and safe transportation of the produce from the farm to the processing centers. After this, the packing process will take place with proper monitoring and will be dispatched to Amazon stores near customers. The Advancement in technology will help in upgrading the older ways of supplies and gathering farming data.
Government Plans For The Agritech Sector
The government of India is seeking a partnership of private giants to revolutionize the Indian agricultural sector. The technology provided by Companies such as Amazon will help to increase the farm yields. As a developing nation, India may see huge reforms in the agricultural sector in the next decade from a more modern perspective. The introduction to machine learning and artificial intelligence with modern supply chains and better advice on crop production are some of the examples. Some of these have already arrived in India, as the Amazon Agritech.
The aim is to increase profit revenue by increasing the farm produce. Also, time delays in supply chains can now be corrected, saving valuable time and capital. Farmers will get early warnings and important updates about the crops, which will help them to work more efficiently in the fields.
The government and private entities will work together to bring suitable reforms to the sector that employs half of India’s population. Also, the agricultural sector contributes highly to India’s GDP, which is why it needs a good amount of investment too. Private companies have huge capital reserves to invest in technologies which can be helpful for the government to bring reforms. But the end decision must stay with the farmers who will work day and night in the crop fields to feed the entire nation.
FAQs
What is Amazon Kisan store?
Amazon India’s Kisan Store help farmers with agriculture inputs like seeds, farm tools & accessories, plant protection, and many other agricultural products at competitive prices.
What is amazon agronomy service?
Amazon’s agronomy services empower farmers. It helps in following ways:
It gives them timely advice on farming.
It enables them to make proper decisions on actions needed for their crops.
It introduces machine learning technology for better production.
It helps in building a robust supply chain infrastructure.
Nitin Konde
