To increase its profitability, the agriculture supply chain company Waycool has terminated the employment of more than two hundred people across all departments. This is the third wave of layoffs that have been implemented at the corporation situated in Chennai.
Waycool’s businesses are all working hard to put their strategies into action to achieve profitability. A further simplification and automation of roles and structures is included as a component of this. A spokeswoman for Waycool stated that this will be an ongoing procedure at all times.
There was no statement from the corporation regarding the number of employees who were terminated. A total of more than 370 workers were terminated from their positions during the two previous firings, which took place in July 2023 and February of this year respectively.
According to a well-known media outlet, which was the first to report on the news, the layoffs have affected employees in the cities of Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, as well as staff working for the company’s two subsidiaries, CensaNext and BrandNext.
Why Did the Company Decide to Initiate This Move?
Waycool was reportedly in the process of negotiating a new round of funding on the order of more than fifty million dollars, which would have resulted in the company’s valuation being in the range of $900 million to $1 billion. The negotiations, on the other hand, did not succeed. The company’s most recent stock round resulted in a valuation of $700 million.
It is estimated that Waycool has received approximately $160 million in investment at this point from a variety of sources, including Lightrock, International Finance Corporation, FMO, and 57 Stars.
Several headlines in the media earlier this week brought attention to the fact that Waycool was having difficulty scaling and was unable to acquire a fresh round of funding. Even though the company has not yet submitted its annual report for the fiscal year 24 (FY24), it has reported a 62% increase in its operational revenue, which went from INR 772 crore in FY22 to INR 1,251 crore in FY23. The company continued to suffer losses, which increased by 89% to a total of INR 685 crore in the fiscal year 23.
Delayed Payment Hampers Brand Name
The situation has become worse as a result of unfulfilled payment obligations to various vendors, such as millers, logistics partners, and service providers such as SGSs. A report in the media stated that payments to vendors were made rotationallyover the previous three months; however, this practice has completely ceased since June because collections from customers have been delayed.
Several times in the past, salaries have been delayed, and the employer has not yet processed the payslip for June. As a result of the drought of funding, the payments from customers have become stalled, as mentioned in a media report.
Today, on the first day of the budget session, Nirmala Sitharaman, the union finance minister, presented the Economic Survey 2023-24 to the house. Tomorrow, she will present the Union Budget 2024-25.
In it, the Modi government laid out its plans to improve India’s startup scene and tracked the progress of the sector over time.
Interventions such as the Bharat Startup Knowledge Access Registry, the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) bill 2023, and the notification of Patent Rules 2024 all contributed to the expansion of India’s startup ecosystem.
Multi-Sector Growth in DPIIT-Recognized Startups
A total of 1,17,254 startups were recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as of 31 December 2023, up from 300 in 2016 (as reported in the Economic Survey), and these businesses have allegedly generated more than 12.42 lakh direct employment opportunities.
The government’s ongoing initiatives, including “simplification and handholding,” “funding support and incentives,” and “industry academia partnership and incubation,” are believed to be responsible for the significant increase in the figures.
There were about 2,000 tech startups in India in 2014, but by 2023, that number had jumped to about 31,000. 387 of the 1,000 agritech startups in the agricultural and related industries were founded by women. Over 13,000 AI, nanotech, and robotics startups recognised by DPIIT were also highlighted, showcasing the rise of deep tech in India. There was an emphasis on the growth of mental health startups as well.
It goes on to say that over half of all acknowledged startups hail from India’s tier 2 or 3 cities, and that over half of those have a female director, a sign of gender inclusion. Stand-Up India has 77.7 percent female beneficiaries, while the PM Mudra Yojana has approximately 68% female beneficiaries.
Financial Support and Patents
According to the survey, by the end of FY24, more than 135 Alternate Investment Funds had invested about INR 18,000 crore in startups, with over INR 10,500 crore allocated under the Fund of Funds for startups.
According to the report, between 2016 and March 2024, startups submitted over 12,000 patent applications, showcasing their commitment to innovation and its protection. The announcement of patent rules, 2024, which streamline the process of acquiring and managing patents, has further strengthened this.
Factors Boosting Startup Culture in India
Startups have been on the rise in many different industries, and this is due to a number of causes. A rise in internet penetration and shifts in consumer habits created an ideal environment for new retail IT companies to emerge. Notable events, such as the launch of UPI, sparked a boom in the Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) sector’s startup activity beginning in 2016. There have been 21 unicorns since 2014 in the Software as a Service (SaaS) industry, driven by the need for efficient and scalable cloud solutions. Due to the surge in demand for tele-consulting and remote learning solutions, industries such as HealthTech and EdTech experienced rapid growth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), India’s IT startup environment has outperformed both the United States and the United Kingdom, placing it third internationally. The capacity to scale, a big number of startups, and the presence of unicorns are the hallmarks of India’s tech startup ecosystem. India showcases its position as an innovation hub by rapidly adopting AI talents; it has 16% of the world’s AI talent.
For many years, agriculture has been the lifeblood of India’s economy, and the country has reaped substantial rewards from this sector. Various creative solutions have embedded themselves in this area, which is currently undergoing technological advancement. The ever-increasing population and the steady loss of farmable land make these sorts of improvements vital. An exclusive interview with Dhanashree Mandhani, Founder & CEO of Salam Kisan, was conducted by StartupTalky to provide a comprehensive overview of the technological advancements taking place in the country’s agricultural industry.
What are the future developments in technology that will drive the Indian agriculture sector?
Ms. Dhanashree: The agricultural sector is currently experiencing a transformative shift, driven by the integration of advanced technologies aimed at enhancing sustainability and revolutionizing traditional farming methods. This encompasses a broad spectrum of digitalization and automation processes, including artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), and virtual and augmented reality.
At the forefront of this digital revolution is agritech, which is rapidly gaining prominence and catalyzing significant advancements across various facets of agriculture. Technological innovations are elevating agricultural activities, leading to substantial improvements in efficiency and productivity. Notably, mechanization has streamlined crucial processes like tilling and harvesting, resulting in a significant reduction in manual labor.
Furthermore, the adoption of technology is reshaping irrigation methods and revolutionizing transportation systems within the agricultural landscape. From the implementation of precision irrigation techniques to the enhancement of transportation logistics, these advancements are collectively contributing to increased productivity, improved resource efficiency, and overall sustainability in the agricultural sector.
Looking specifically at the Indian context, these transformative developments hold the potential to revolutionize the country’s agriculture, making it more sustainable, productive, and resilient in the face of existing challenges. However, the successful implementation of these technologies necessitates collaborative efforts among government bodies, private enterprises, and farmers. Additionally, addressing infrastructure and connectivity challenges in rural areas is crucial for ensuring the widespread adoption and effectiveness of these advancements. Through concerted efforts and strategic partnerships, the agricultural industry in India can undergo a comprehensive and positive transformation, aligning with global trends in smart and sustainable farming practices.
Will the agribusiness sector also be impacted by the rising popularity of robotics?
Ms. Dhanashree: As robotics gains traction, the Indian agribusiness industry is positioned for a technological revolution. Robotics has the potential to completely transform the agricultural industry by providing accuracy and efficiency to a wide range of activities. Robotics adoption offers the potential to significantly improve productivity, reduce labor costs, and ensure operational precision for agribusinesses in a nation where agriculture is the backbone of the economy.
However, an elaborate plan is needed for the effective integration of robotics in agribusiness. It is necessary to take into account factors like the initial investment cost, the requirement for specialized training, and the smooth integration with current systems. To match these technological developments with the unique requirements and difficulties faced by the Indian agribusiness community, cooperation between technology providers and the agricultural sector stakeholders is essential.
What are the major challenges while embedding tech into agri sector?
Ms. Dhanashree: While using technology in farming has many advantages, it also comes with challenges. Some farmers, especially those who follow traditional methods, may be hesitant to use new technologies. This resistance can be due to cultural and generational factors, as some farmers might not be familiar with or unsure about the benefits that technology can bring to their farming.
To overcome these challenges, we need a comprehensive approach. This includes building better infrastructure, like internet access and electricity so that farmers can use technology more easily. Educational programs can help farmers understand how to use these new tools effectively. Ensuring the security of their data is also important to gain their trust. Financial support can assist farmers in affording the initial costs of adopting technology. Lastly, clear and effective communication is key to building trust and encouraging more farmers to embrace technology in their farming practices.
a. Accessibility and Affordability: One of the primary challenges is ensuring that small and marginal farmers, who constitute a significant portion of India’s farming community, have access to these technologies. Affordability and user-friendly interfaces are crucial factors to consider.
b. Infrastructure: The digital divide and inadequate rural infrastructure, including power supply and internet connectivity, pose significant challenges. Bridging this gap is essential to enable the seamless integration of technology into farming practices.
c. Education and Awareness: Familiarity with and understanding of modern technologies are not uniform across all segments of the farming community. Educational programs and awareness campaigns are vital to facilitate the adoption of these technologies.
d. Data Security and Privacy: With the increasing reliance on data-driven technologies, ensuring the security and privacy of farmer data is paramount. Clear policies and robust cybersecurity measures need to be in place.
e. Regulatory Frameworks: Developing supportive and adaptive regulatory frameworks is essential. This includes policies that encourage innovation, address concerns related to genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and streamline the approval process for new technologies.
Considering the Indian agricultural landscape, characterized by its diversity in crops, climates, and farming practices, any technological solution must be versatile and customizable to suit the varied needs of farmers across different regions. Collaborative efforts between the government, private sector, and research institutions are instrumental in overcoming these challenges and driving a technology-led agricultural transformation in India.
Govt is strongly pushing tech into agri sector to increase productivity and quality. How is this step being taken by the key players and how this will change the face of agri industry?
A revolution in the agricultural sector has been driven by the government’s push for technology integration in agriculture. To increase productivity and assure the quality of agricultural produce, significant companies are responding by making advances in cutting-edge technology like artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and robotics. An innovative ecosystem is being built by a rising number of collaborations with technology-related businesses and educational institutions.
This deliberate push to adopt technology in the Indian setting is likely to bring about a significant change in the agriculture sector. It could improve supply chain management, reduce waste, make agricultural practices more sustainable, and enhance farmers’ quality of living. The agri industry in India is evolving into a tech-enabled landscape, where data-driven decision-making and precision agriculture are becoming integral to the farming ecosystem.
What is your take on drone technology and what further upgrades are required in this?
Drone technology has been a game-changer in Indian agriculture, providing farmers with real-time data that helps them make educated decisions. Drones have become crucial for precision agriculture, pest management, and crop monitoring; this is especially true in India, where there is a wide variety of methods used in agriculture.
Ongoing improvements are necessary to maximize the impact of drone technology in Indian agriculture. Technological developments in sensors are essential for more precise data collection, longer battery life for longer operation, and better automation features. Ensuring accessibility and addressing regulations would be crucial to strengthening the advantages of drone technology in the Indian agriculture industry, especially for small and marginal farmers.
India has the second-largest agricultural land in the world. About 60% of rural Indian households make their living from agriculture. The agro-based industry saw growth at a CAGR of 16.4% from FY10 to FY18.
Agricultural exports from India reached US$ 38.54 billion in FY19 and in FY20 (till November 2019) US$ 22.69 billion. With many initiatives for farmers, the government aims to double farmers’ income by 2022. So we have compiled a list of agriculture startups in India that are making a name and increasing their growth in quick succession.
The agriculture sector in India is suffering from a variety of problems like the use of outdated equipment, improper infrastructure, and farmers unable to access a wider range of markets with ease while making just limited profits on crop sales. Proper infrastructure and supply chain management are the more pressing concerns.
With improvements in areas of technology, digitization and startup culture growing rapidly, there are many new ones entering the Indian startup ecosystem. The Agri startups in India are providing information, techniques and efficiencies to farmers.
Let’s look at some of the best agritech startups in India
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Founded by Kamesh Mupparaju and Linus Lindgren in 2018, SFarmsIndia is an online web application with two core functions; listing and fraction trading.
These two functions work together creating a great synergy. On the listing platform, buyers can find/search agricultural lands and sellers can list/post the agricultural lands for sale/lease.
On the other hand, SFarmsIndia’s main USP is that it makes an agreement with the seller (Agri-realty developer) to issue fractions by digital land contract against their lands.
Each agricultural land is assigned with a digital contract and divided into 2000 fractions per acre, thereby enabling medium to small income groups to acquire lands easily. After owning the fraction, people can sell it directly through the trading platform.
Technology is the core of SFarmsIndia’s business operations. Using technology, they intend to create an effective and efficient platform for Agri-lands that can eliminate the middlemen who inflate the prices.
Growth Timeline of SFarms India
2. KhetiGaadi
Founders – Pravin Shinde and Vishnu Dhas
Founded In – 2018
Headquarters – Pune
Total Funding Received – Bootstrapped
Khetigaadi.com Website
Founded by Pravin Shinde and Vishnu Dhas, Khetigaadi.com is the world’s first platform where one can buy, sell, rent, compare and review tractors and farm machinery, all with a simple click. It has been established to encourage farm mechanization and usage of technology and hi-tech products in agriculture to optimize yield in fewer man-hours.
Built on high-tech angular technology, the agritech company KhetiGaadi portal is as safe as any online banking portal. To make the platform user-friendly for the farmers, KhetiGaadi has made it available as an App in 10 languages and the company’s website can be viewed in 3 different languages, English, Hindi and Marathi. It is connected with 50 lac farmers.
The concept is techno-savvy and compatible with iOS as well as Android. They reached 5 Lac downloads in 2020 and more than 8 lac downloads as of 2022.
Khetigaadi’s GMV for 2021 was INR 500 Crore. As of 2022, this agritech startup is looking to raise funding & expected to triple the GMV to INR 1500 crore and INR 2500 Crore by 2023.
Growth Timeline of KhetiGaadi
3. Farm2Fam
Founder – Keya Salot
Founded In – 2019
Headquarters – Mumbai
Total Funding Received – NA
Farm2Fam Website
Farm2Fam is a Mumbai based startup which grows microgreens free from pesticides, herbicides and chemicals and delivers them straightly to the customer’s doorstep.
Farm2Fam aims to create awareness about the capacity of the human body to heal itself with natural nutrition. Their intention is to use technology in combination with traditional Indian agricultural methods to grow niche nutritional products.
Farm2Fam was founded in January 2019 by Keya Salot. She is a law graduate and worked with reputed law firms prior to starting Farm2Fam. This Microgreen-based agritech startup is soon going to partner with marquee brands like Pizza Express, Bay Route and White Charcoal. It sees itself in every household with a target of 300+ consumers per month.
Crofarm is an agricultural startup that was founded by Prashant Jain and Varun Khurana in May 2016 and is an F2B i.e. Farm to Business venture. Its platform has over 10,000 farmers on its network and has also partnered with Reliance Retail, Big Basket, Grofers, Big Bazar, Jubilant Foodworks and Metro Foods.
Crofarm generates revenue through commission. Starting from nearly 5% of the price in case of fewer perishables, like onions and potatoes, around 15% of the price of green vegetables, and 20-25% in case of fruits and exotics.
They procure products that have a longer shelf life from national sourcing zones and other products from regional sourcing zones. Crofarm is counted among one the leading agritech startups in India.
The company has also raised $1.5 million in seed funding from investors like Mukul Singhal and Rohit Jain, former Principals at SAIF Partners and recently raised $1 million from Smile Group for pre-series A round and entered B2B2C space with the launch of Otipy in 2020.
BOHECO – Bombay Hemp Company – is a Mumbai-based social enterprise founded in 2013 to research and promote industrial hemp. Their operations range from research, cultivation, harvesting, processing, manufacturing, trading, wholesaling, retailing, innovating, creating a market for and promoting Indian industrial hemp both across the country and around the world.
Bombay Hemp Company uses public-private partnership, contractual farming and processing, subsidiaries and collaborative research models with the aim to build an industrial hemp ecosystem.
Boheco is an agro-based startup that is reinventing the future of agriculture and sustainable living with hemp as its lens in India. The startup harnesses the power of agriculture by advocating industrial Hemp and its benefits to society.
They give assistance to local farmers in cultivating their crops by providing optimum seeds, best practices in cultivation techniques and innovating the Agro-products.
Aarav Unmanned Systems is a drone startup that manufactures unmanned aerial vehicles. It was incubated at IIT Kanpur with a team of designers, developers, artists, and engineers from IIT Kanpur, IIT Bombay, IISC Bangalore & IIST.
They aim to build the future of drones and their applications in the enterprise space. The company’s drones provide high-value engineering solutions to enterprises across geographic information system surveying/mapping, industrial inspection and precision agriculture. Thus, it holds the potential for making precision agriculture scalable in the nation, which is far behind in employing this type of technology.
They provide accurate 3D representations of the terrain surface and they can transform and change the way decisions are made in agriculture through their solutions to optimize irrigation, fertilization, pesticide distribution and early failure warnings. This Agritech Startup’s recent funding came in 2018 as a pre-series A round from GrowX Ventures, 500 Startups and Bellwether Advisors.
Aibono is founded by IIT Madras graduate Vivek as Airwood Aerostructures and rebranded as Aibono, which is a company that provides farming-related intelligence, technology, expertise and gadgets to farmers.
The startup advises farmers on the right amount of inputs to use for maximum yield. They began in the niche area of providing Farm Management-as-a-Service whereby, a farmer gets to outsource his entire measurement, production management and decision-making processes to a Service.
The agritech company has helped in increasing yields by nearly 50% for about 140 farmers. It works within the Nilgiri hills in Tamil Nadu. Precise day-to-day interventions to farmers are given by centrally managed Data Science and Recommendation Engines enabled by its data scientists and agronomists, which results in a 30 to 50% increase in yields.
Aibono recently raised $2 million in fresh capital from Rebright Partners and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital taking its total funding to $5 Million.
Growth Timeline of Aibono
8. AgricxLab
Founder – Ritesh Dhoot, Saurabh Kumar
Founded In – 2010
Headquarters – Thane
Total Funding Received – $775k
AgricxLab is a Thane-based online B2B platform founded by Ritesh Dhoot and Saurabh Kumar for connecting cold storage owners with bulk buyers for agri-products. They use smartphone imaging to assess the quality of Agri-produce through its mobile app which uses artificial intelligence and computer vision to on images to yield objective, accurate and faster quality assessment of agri-produce.
Agricx offers solutions to warehouses and enterprise clients with a plan to expand across the food production supply chain. The startup has raised a total funding of $500K from various investors, including Ankur Capital.
Growth Timeline of AgricxLab
9. Cropin
Founder – Krishna Kumar
Founded In – 2010
Headquarters – Bengaluru
Total Funding Received – $32.6 million
Cropin Website
Cropin is an agritech startup that integrates the agricultural sector with Information and Communication Technology by putting a network of ERP and BI i.e. Business Intelligence across rural India.
It is a Full-Stack Agritech organization providing smart SaaS-based solutions to agritech businesses globally. Cropin collaborates with the different value chain participants along the supply chain to monitor the farm produce status closely.
They provide farm businesses a farm management software and a mobile app, which enables them to do connected and data-driven farming.
It allows farm businesses to take advantage of real-time data and insight from farms with the help of an accurate view of their operation throughout the growing season and to improve financial, operational and agronomy aspects.
Cropin uses cutting-edge technologies, Big Data analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Geo-tagging & Satellite monitoring to revolutionize the agri-ecosystem. This agriculture startup has raised a total of $32.7 Million in funding to date, with its recent Series C round in 2021 for $20 Million from ABC World Asia.
Growth Timeline of Cropin
10. Fasal
Founder – Shailendra Tiwari and Ananda Verma
Founded In – 2018
Headquarters – Bangalore
Total Funding Received – $9.9 million
Fasal Website
FASAL is a Bengaluru-based agritech platform founded by Ananda Verma and Shailendra Tiwari in 2018 which is developed by Wolkus Technology Solutions and is an AI-powered platform for the agricultural ecosystem.
It records a variety of growing conditions on the farm and then uses artificial intelligence and data science to make on-farm predictions, before delivering the insights anywhere on any device including Android, iOS, tablets and the web.
FASAL has saved close to 3 Billion Liters of freshwater to date. This agritech startup is on a course to the close FY21 with 1000 farms and 20, 000 acres of land under its purview. It is also looking to hit an annual revenue run rate of $1 million.
Growth Timeline of Fasal
11. Gold Farm
Agriculture Startup
Gold Farm
Founded In
2012
Headquarters
Bangalore
Founders
Abhilash Thirupathy
Investors
Mahindra Rise, Infuse Ventures, Intellecap
Founder – Abhilash Thirupathy
Founded In – 2012
Headquarters – Bangalore
Total Funding Received – $2.5 million
Gold Farm is a Bangalore-based agritech company founded in 2012 which is based on the mobile app to provide agriculture farm equipment through booking farm agents. It was founded by Abhilash Thirupathy.
They provide solar water pumps for agriculturist farming in power shortfall regions in our country. Gold Farm provides an opportunity door to the farmers to book farm equipment through the call service and mobile application.
Currently, Gold Farm runs over 250 booking agents and 500 tractor owners connected to their mobile app. They aim at enhancing the growth and sustainability of farmers by structuring productive ecosystems through innovation and technology. The startup has raised total funding of $3 million.
Ninjacart is one of the leading Bangalore-based agriculture supply chain companies in India. It was founded by Thirukumaran Nagarajanin 2015. It currently moves more than 60 tons of produce a day from farm to store in less than 14 hours at a lower than traditional supply chain.
Ninjacart helps more than 2,000 farmers to sell more than 80 vegetables and fruits every day to more than 800 retailers and restaurants in Bengaluru. They also claim to have wasted 4% wastage in the entire supply chain.
As of 2021, Ninjacart raised total funding of around $194.2 Million of which Flipkart and Walmart recently invested $30 Million in this agritech supply chain startup. Currently, Ninjacart is equipped to move 1400 tons of perishable from farms to businesses, every day, in less than 12 hours.
13. Waycool
Founder – Sanjay Dasari
Founded In – 2015
Headquarters – Bangalore
Total Funding Received – $221.5 million
Waycool Website
Waycool is India’s fastest-growingagricultural startup and food distribution company that has a network of 35,000 farmers across vegetables, fruits, rice, pulses and other food products.
It was established in July 2015 with the aim of fixing the disorganized perishable supply chain. They have a retail presence, currently present in Chennai through the brand SunnyBee, operating retail stores, mobile stores on trucks, as well as e-commerce.
They also have a large number of high-quality private label products that SunnyBee produces and brands through partnerships with sister companies.
Waycool has raised total funding of $64.9 Million, of which its recent funding came in 2021 from Lightbox Ventures ($32 Million – Series C), IndusInd Bank ($5.5 million – debt) and $7.8 Million came from Samunnati, RBL Bank and InnoVen Capital. Waycool is actively using 19 technologies for its website and has a $2 million estimated revenue annually.
Growth Timeline of Waycool
14. Intello Labs
Founder – Milan Sharma, Nishant Mishra, Himani Shah and Devendra Chandani
Founded In – 2016
Headquarters – Gurgaon
Total Funding Received – $13.7 million
Intello Labs Website
Intello Labs does a quality assessment of food commodities using computer vision and AI. Intello Labs help food businesses like growers, traders, retailers, food service companies, exporters, etc. to improve their customer satisfaction and cut down losses.
Intello Labs reports being aggressively growing in India while also pursuing global markets, including the likes of China, Southeast Asia, and the USA. Some of Intello Labs’ larger clients include Reliance Fresh, Dole, Ocean Spray, and many of the leading e- grocery companies in China and Southeast Asia. In 2020, Intello Labs raised $5.9 million, which is approximately Rs 45 crore, in Series A funding led by Saama Capital.
Growth Timeline of Intello Labs
15. Agrowave
Founder – Anu Meena
Founded In – 2017
Headquarters – Delhi
Total Funding Received – $2.6 million
Agrowave Website
Founded by Anu Meena, Agrowave is an Agritech company that aims at helping farmers by directly connecting them to businesses and constructing sustainable supply chain management.
It has built several pick-up stations for farmers where they can load their products and that they don’t have to travel very far to sell them. It has a mobile app running on IOs and Android, where farmers sell their produce, the delivery trucks pick up the produce from farmer gates and pick-up stations and allow hassle-free payments. This produce is then delivered through systematic route mapping to the end customers.
Anu Meena, alumni of Delhi IIT, conceived this brainchild after witnessing the struggles and challenges of her grandfather back in Rajasthan who happens to be a farmer himself. She aims at simplifying business for farmers all over by eliminating middlemen and giving farmers the best price for their produce.
Growth Timeline of Agrowave
16. BharatAgri
Founder – Sai Gole, Siddharth Dialani
Founded In – 2017
Headquarters – Pune
Total Funding Received – $21 million
BharatAgri Website
BharatAgri is a personalized service where farmers are educated about the crop they’re planning to plant and provides complete guidance and expertise on how to grow it.
The service includes expertise on pesticides and critical advisory on weather and soil analysis. It ensures maximum yield on production with timely analysis of production costs.
BharatAgri lends support at every stage of farming through offline and online technology including In-App chat support, Interactive voice response (IVR), and Whatsapp.
Co-founders Sai Gole and Siddharth Dialani quit their high-paying jobs in 2017 to learn about the challenges that farmers face and lived in a village near Pune to understand and implement their IIT learning experience into practice and find solutions to farmers’ woes.
With a farmer base of 3000 onboard, the agritech startup has now shifted to the B2F (Business to Farmer) model, so that they can provide better services to farmers needing technical help through digital farming.
Growth Timeline of BharatAgri
17. BigHaat
Founder – Satish Nukala, Sachin Nandwana
Founded In – 2015
Headquarters – Bangalore
Total Funding Received – $16.1 million
BigHaat Website
BigHaat is an Agri input and digital marketplace for farmers who seek guidance and information on various aspects of farming. The company has a wide range of services and products such as advisory services related to crop nutrition and farming, products such as seeds, agricultural machinery, and much more.
It has also built an Agri platform in collaboration with Microsoft, called Kisan Vedika which addresses issues and queries through experts in regional languages. BigHaat’s marketing team works both offline and online to acquire a customer base.
In addition to this, they offer a support channel that is also available for any queries. The farmers have to give a missed call on the designated number and the Agri expert will revert with the necessary guidance.
Founded in 2015 by Satish Nukala and Sachin Nandwana, BigHaat boasts about providing Agri advisor services and products to 4 million farmers in the country. BigHaat has raised 2 million in its latest funding series through investors such as Ankur Capital, Rockstud Capital, and Beyond Next Ventures.
Growth Timeline of BigHaat
18. Bijak
Founder – Nikhil Tripathi, Mahesh Jakhotia, Nakul Upadhye, Jitender Bedwal, Daya Rai
Founded In – 2019
Headquarters – Gurugram
Total Funding Received – $33.9 million
Bijak Website
Bijak is an Agri commodities exchange platform that aims to bridge the gap between buyers and sellers. It also acts as a bookkeeping app that helps you keep all transactions and related documents on your phone.
Bijak helps buyers with quick loan disbursals and immediate payments to suppliers, with real-time, hassle-free payments. It is spread over 27 cities and union territories and covers more than 100 agricultural commodities on its platform.
The B2B platform was founded in 2019 by a team of five: Nikhil Tripathi, Mahesh Jakhotia, Nakul Upadhye, Jitender Bedwal, and Daya Rai. It has raised close to $33.9 million in funding. The ambitious startup aims at providing buyers and sellers with considerable working capital and improved logistics.
Growth Timeline of Bijak
19. Clover Ventures
Founder – Arvind M, Avinash B R, Gururaj S Rao, Santosh Narasipura
Founded In – 2012
Headquarters – Bangalore
Total Funding Received – $14.6 million
Clover Venture Website
Clover Ventures is a Bangalore-based agritech company that deals in the creation and management of farm networks in Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. It aims at tapping several agricultural roadblocks faced by farmers such as complex and inefficient supply chain, consistency and quality issues, and lack of stable backend supply.
It aims at creating and solidifying an organized supply chain for fresh produce. The company currently manages over 70 acres of farmland and provides fresh produce to various fine dines, Retail stores, food processors, and online Internet Kitchens.
The logo with four leaves of the clover represents Arvind M, Avinash B R, Gururaj S Rao, and Santosh Narasipura, the co-founders of the company. The core functions of the company work on the model of the demand-backed supply chain for perishables. The key focus is on the quality of the produce, consistency, and traceability. The B2B company is about to launch a B2C service out of Bangalore and Hyderabad this year.
Ergos is one of the best agritech companies in India that facilitates storage for food grains and provides digitized solutions for the management of the same. Indian farmers who lack storage capacity often face grain loss in quantity and deterioration of quality and this leads to selling their produce at lower prices.
Ergos helps them store their grains in their “Grain bank” and facilitates loans and supply chain management through networks with NBFCs and Banks. Farmers can always withdraw their produce, even a single bag of grains, at their disposal.
The Patna-based startup was founded in 2012 by Kishor Jha, Priyanka Kumari, and Praveen Kumar. Ergos claims to support 25000 farmers so far and aims to extend its footprint outside Bihar by setting up 500-600 new grain Banks across various states. The company raised INR 81 crore in its recent funding round and is assertive in building better post-harvest and supply chain management.
Growth Timeline of Ergos
21. FreshoKartz
Founder – Rajendra Lora, Nagendra Yadav
Founded In – 2016
Headquarters – Jaipur
Total Funding Received – $1.6 million
FreshoKartz Website
FreshoKartz is an eCommerce marketplace for farm-fresh produce, based in Jaipur Rajasthan. It offers various services such as soil advisory and products such as pesticides, seeds, fertilizers, etc for farmers.
The company works on the on-demand procurement of fresh farm produce and helps farmers avail themselves right prices. FreshoKartz offers transparent weighing and immediate payment of the produce. It also offers financing facilities for farmers during the harvesting season.
Founded in 2016 by Rajendra Lora and Nagendra Yadav, FreshoKartz is funded by iStart, an incubator run by the Rajasthan Government to support startups. Recognized by the government early on, the company has been provided with a co-working space and the best knowledge imparting mentors in the Agritech industry.
These mentors help the company find VCs and angel investors. The company has also been awarded the Bamasaha techno fund worth INR 20 lakhs and a marketing fund worth INR 10 lakhs.
FreshoKartz aims at eliminating middlemen in the process of selling fresh produce directly from the farmers to other businesses. Their B2B clientele so far includes ITC hotels, Hilton Jaipur, and several other commercial kitchens in Jaipur.
Growth Timeline of FreshoKartz
22. MeraKisan
Founder – Prashant Patil
Founded In – 2014
Headquarters – Pune
Total Funding Received – $1 million
MeraKisan Website
MeraKisan is an online marketplace for a wide range of freshly produced farm products. The farm-to-fork company aims to support local farmers by providing seasonal and regional fruits and vegetables directly to consumers. Its products range from pulses and cereals to exotic and seasonal vegetables along with superfoods and organic cooking oils.
The company recently launched its own range of handcrafted juices, smoothies, salads, and refreshments under the brand Saboro Lounge. It also provides end-to-end soil advisory and other farming facilities.
MeraKisan was roped in by a joint venture between Mahindra Univeg Pvt. Ltd and Belgium-based Univeg (Greenyard Foods). Prashant Patil, the founder of MeraKisan is an IT engineer by profession and started operating in 2014.
Patil, through a fresh issue of shares, holds 66% of MeraKisan Pvt. Ltd. The company claims to have more than 500 sellers on its website. In March 2020, the Mahindra-backed company found a new investor in Ajinkya Rahane, the vice-captain of the Indian Test Cricket team.
Growth Timeline of MeraKisan
Conclusion
This was our list of best agricultural startups in India. Hope this helps you in building your own agritech business. If you know any great agriculture startup which we should feature, please mention it in the comment.
FAQs
What is an agritech startup?
An agritech startup is a startup that uses technology in the field of agriculture to help farmers.
How many agritech startups are in India?
There are nearly 1400 agritech startups in India.
What are some of the top agritech startups in India?
SFarmsIndia, KhetiGaadi, FarmtoFarm, Fasal, Ninjacart, and BharatAgri are some of the leading agritech startups in India.
Startups have now become a viable option in the world, people are willing to indulge themselves in this so that they can achieve their dream to be an entrepreneur. Starting something innovative takes a lot of courage, one can be on top of the world, and on the very next day, you might see them at the bottom. Everything depends on the execution of the plan and the customer.
With over 1.3 billion people living in this country, eradicating malnutrition and hunger is not an easy job and in the future, it is only going to be more challenging. As per reports, 71% of Indians consume meat and it is a primary source of protein. Climate change is one of the most problematic factors now, it is being an obstacle to produce meat in a sustainable way.
Thanks to innovative technology and creation, people are finding ways to put food on everybody’s plate without harming nature and its creatures and by tackling climate change. Plant-based food items are on rising to provide a sustainable food system to everyone and by being slaughter-free. Just like the rest of the world, India also took partake in this industry and decided to make slaughter-free food products for its citizens.
“What do you need to start a business? Three simple things: know your product better than anyone. Know your customer, and have a burning desire to succeed.” – Dave Thomas
What is Plant-Based Meat?
To be specific plant-based meat are nothing but food items that are made by plants and look, feel and taste like meat. Nowadays plant-based meats’ popularity has increased given the positive factor that they are environment friendly and healthy as well.
They have enough amounts of proteins; calories and fiber needed for a healthy human body and cut off fat content that is harmful to the body. Plant-based meats are mostly made of soy, mushroom, wheat gluten, and beans.
Some of the most popular plant-based meat startups that are able to entice people who prefer slaughter-free products are listed below.
This article will list down the popular startups that have decided to accept the process of making cruelty-free and slaughter-free food items that are plant-based.
This food tech startup was founded in 2016 with only one aim and that is to provide plant-based products that serve the taste of real meat to anyone and anywhere. It was founded by Abhishek Sinha, Deepak Parihar, Shruti Sonali, Stephanie Downs, and Taranum Bhatia and the headquarters is situated in Udaipur, India.
The products come at affordable prices and provide its customer with a healthier option for protein. The food items that are consumed are created by soya, pea, and wheat protein.
Some of the popular items are, ‘Veg Bytz’ that looked and taste like chicken strips. There we also have ready to cook ‘Vegicken’ and not to forget, chunks of mocked chicken ‘Proteiz’.
Evo Foods
Evo Website
This startup founded in the year 2019 by Shraddha Bhansali and Kartik Dixit is making headlines since the very first day. The main reason is being, although all the items are plant-based liquid eggs, they do taste, smell, and look like normal eggs that we consume. The liquid eggs are created by mung beans.
The startup is based in Mumbai, India, and claims that these vegan eggs make omelet fluffier than normal chicken eggs. Plus they are healthy to consume as they are cholesterol-free and fat-free. Omelets and scrambled eggs made by these vegan eggs taste really good.
This startup not only provides plant-based meat but also provides seafood as well. It was founded in the year 2018 by Rupinder Singh and Simarjeet Singh, its aim is to save the environment by providing meat and seafood in a cruelty-free manner to its customer and at an affordable price.
Apart from all these, the Faridabad, India-based startup sells ready-to-eat meals that contain no preservatives and are consumed by the customer. The shelf life of these products is more than a year and can be kept at room temperature without any problem. The main attraction is the plant-based seafood and meat products for the customers.
Greenest
Greenest Website
Like its name, it food item made up of green and healthy plants. It was founded in the year 2017 by Gaurav Sharma, Kannan Krishnamoorthy, and Dinesh Jain the main goal is to give nutritious tasty, and healthy food to the consumers in Asia without harming the environment.
Based in New Delhi, India the customer’s favorite food items are kebabs, meatballs, patties for burgers, and keema all of them are plant-based but taste exactly like real meat. Free from preservatives, this company takes care of its customer’s health as well as the planet.
Vezlay
Vezlay Website
This 2011 based startup founded by Amit Bajaj gives out vegan food items to its customers that are nutritious, delicious, and healthy for them. Based in New Delhi, India the food products looked and tasted like real meat but are actually made up of soy and wheat products.
Their famous food items are Seekh kebabs, Shami kebabs, Rogan josh and not to forget their Soya Vegget an exact replica in texture and taste of chicken nuggets. These ready-to-eat food products are cost-friendly for the customers and are environment friendly as well.
Wakao
Wakao is a plant-based meat startup promising to provide juicy and delicious food. The startup was founded by Sairaj Dhond in the year 2020. The company is situated in Goa, India. The company’s main aim is to serve food that is good for its customers as well as the environment.
The company also takes care of the food soldiers through their Friend’s of Farmers initiative. Whenever someone purchases their product, the company donates 1% of that sale to local farmers. The target audience of this brand is people with high incomes.
Imagine Meats
Imagine Meats is a plant-based meat startup founded by popular Bollywood couple Ritesh Deshmukh and Genelia D’Souza. The startup was founded in the year 2021, to provide delicious food according to Indian taste buds.
The brand is created to provide people with healthy, tasty and guilt-free plant-based meat products to the customers. The wide range of kebabs, nuggets, burgers and biryani main aim is to keep the planet safe without harming it by killing animals.
We live in a time where climate change has become one of the biggest challenges of our time. With an increasing population, it is not possible to provide food without increasing carbon footprints and harming the environment.
India is the second most populated country in the world; plant-based food items will not only contribute in saving the planet but will also help its consumers living a healthy life by having tasty and nutritious food.
FAQs
Is Plant-Based Meat Available in India?
Yes, plant-based meat is a fast-growing item in the food industry and is available in India.
How Big is the Plant-Based Meat Industry?
As of 2020, the market size of the plant-based meat industry was $5.6 billion. It is projected to reach USD 8.3 billion by 2025.
Is Plant-Based Meat Healthier than Regular Meat?
Plant-based meat is considered healthier as they are lower in saturated fat and calories.
What are the plant-based meat companies in India?
Some of the plant based meat companies in India are:
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 Hesa.
The number of internet users in rural India is on a steady rise. In a report published in June 2021 by the Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and consulting firm Kantar, it was revealed that in 2019-2020, while the internet users increased by 4% in urban India, in rural India, the growth is 13%. However, despite this increasing number of internet users, the majority of the rural population is still deprived of e-commerce and e-banking facilities. While the rural population is comfortable using the internet for entertainment, communication, and for accessing social media platforms, many village dwellers are yet not comfortable with making online payments. Also, it is not easy for businesses like e-commerce companies and e-banking and financial service providers to deliver their products and services to rural areas due to the lack of infrastructure. Vamsi Udayagiri understood these issues and came up with a solution- HESA. Today HESA is helping thousands of villagers take advantage of not just e-commerce and e-banking facilities but much more. By offering a platform that lets the rural population buy and sell products via e-commerce, Hesa aims to become the Amazon of rural India. Here is the story of the Indian agri-tech startup, HESA.
HESA is a platform that is all set to revolutionize the lives of rural Indians. This platform serves as a bridge between the rural population of our country and various businesses, Corporates, SMEs, Banks, governments, and NGOs. HESA has a lot to offer. HESA helps e-commerce companies by managing the supply chain at the village level, helps the villagers in accessing e-banking facilities, helps the village farmers sell their agro products, and also helps brands with product promotions and surveys.
HESA has a network of on-ground workers known as Hesaathis, who act as the go-to persons who help the villagers access various products and services online. Any individual from the village who has an entrepreneurial mindset and who is tech-savvy enough to use the HESA app is eligible to join HESA as a Hesaathi.
Here is a detailed look at the services offered by HESA:
Banking, Finance, and Insurance-related services.
Villagers can easily access any banking and financial service with the help of the HESA platform. One just needs to visit the Hesaathi ( an 0n-groud HESA worker), who logs into the HESA platform and helps the villagers avail of the required financial solutions. Cash withdrawals, deposits, loans, and insurance, all financial services can be availed online via the HESA app.
Ecommerce solutions
HESA serves as a bridge between e-commerce companies and rural customers. It manages the supply chain, promotes the products of its partner brands to the villagers, and conducts consumer surveys on behalf of its partner brands. HESA also offers assisted buying and selling services to rural consumers.
Agro-Based Solutions
HESA offers complete solutions to access and transact with the farming community. HESA helps farmers access various information and marketing facilities with the help of technology. Hesaathis help farmers sell their products on various online Agri marketplaces like BigHaat
NGO & CSR
HESA makes the rural population more accessible to NGOs and for CSR activities, which helps in the overall development of the rural population and rural economy.
HESA was founded in 2012 by couple entrepreneurs Vamsi Udayagiri and Hema Nandiraju.
Hesa founders, Vamsi Udayagiri and Hema Nandiraju
Vamsi Udayagiri
A mechanical engineer by qualification, Vamsi Udayagiri’s field of expertise includes Supply Chain Management, Sales and Customer Management, Livelihood and Skill Development, and Rural Marketing and Promotion. Vamsi worked with several companies like Ramco Systems, and Entercoms where he handled Sales, Customer Management, and Supply Chain Management. Prior to HESA, Vamsi also co-founded IT startup ‘Riddles n Clues’ in the year 2000, which was sold in 2006. Vamsi always had a love for rural India, which made him start ‘Rural Yellow Times’ in 2010. ‘Rural Yellow Times’ focussed on bridging the demand-supply gap in rural areas. ‘Rural Yellow Times’ was later rebranded as HESA. Vamsi is also the co-founder of ‘Hesa Events’, a full-service sales and marketing agency.
Hema Nandiraju
Hesa co-founder Hema Nadiraju has spent years in the rural areas of Telangana dedicating her time to various training and development-related activities.
Hesa – Startup Story
Hesa founder Vamsi Udayagiri had an entrepreneurial mindset, which inspired him to leave his job, and search for his passion. Vamsi had a love for rural India, and he was sure he wanted to do something for the betterment of rural India. In 2010, after leaving his job as the Regional Manager for Entercoms, Vamsi started exploring the Indian Villages. He visited 4000+ villages across India to understand the rural market and the gaps that existed in the market. After almost 2 years Vamsi was clear that managing the supply chain in the rural areas is what he wanted to do. This led to the starting up of Rural Yellow Times in April 2012. This startup focused on supply chain management in villages. Rural Yellow Times was rebranded as Hesa and new services were included on the platform.
Hesa’s Mission is ” to be the preferred last-mile rural commerce platform by connecting over 650K villages across India.”
Hesa envisions to grow into rural India’s largest integrated marketplace and bring about ease of commerce in Indian Villages.
Hesa – Tagline and Logo
Hesa’s tagline is, ‘Connecting Bharat Phygitally‘. True to its tagline, Hesa is connecting rural India to the more developed parts of the country both physically with the help of its on-ground workforce, the Hesaathis, and also via the Hesa platform.
Hesa Logo
Hesa – Business Model & Revenue Model
The Hesa platform has a plethora of offerings. One can buy and sell products, pay bills, and avail of financial services. Hesa also conducts promotional activities and surveys for its partner brands. As it has multiple services to offer, Hesa has multiple sources of revenue. The platform mostly earns revenue from all the transactions that happen through the platform like buying, selling, bill payment, etc. Hesa also makes money from the on-ground activities like promotions, surveys, etc. that it does for its clients.
Hesa – Funding and Investors
Hesa raised total funding worth $4 Million in over 4 funding rounds. Below are Hesa Funding details
Hesa is doing a meaningful job, and hence is receiving a good response in the villages it is operating in. Currently, Hesa is offering its services in 11 districts in the 4 states of Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Karnataka & Maharashtra. As per the website, more than 17 lakh rural consumers have availed of Hesa’s services/products to date, and over 30,000 Hesaathis are associated with the platfrom, of which a sizeable chunk is women.
With 65+ B2B partnerships across industries and sectors, Hesa has a lot to offer to the rural population. Hesa’s partner brands include well-known ones like Himalaya, P&G, Mahindra, Reliance General Insurance, HDFC Life, and Wipro.
As of December 2020, Hesa reported Rs 22 crore revenue (Rs 75 crore GMV).
Hesa’s efforts toward the improvement of the lives of rural people are also being recognized. In March 2021, Hesa won the ‘Road to Elevate Competition’ held by IIT Madras’ Entrepreneurship Cell, among 200+ startups. In 2021 itself, Hesa was also judged to be among the Top 5 Startups among 1000+ national and international startups at the Innopreneurs Startup Contest.
Just making revenue is not what Hesa aims at, and the startup has really given back to society. Amidst Covid 19 crisis, Hesa provided employment opportunities to many who have lost their jobs, under its #savinglivelihood initiative
From Delivering ration kits to ensuring that the villagers get the benefit of the Central and State Government announced Covid Insurance, Hesaathis have taken lots of responsibilities during the crisis. As revealed by the founders, Hesaathis have been selling over 4000 Covid insurance policies every month.
Hesa also helped farmers in small villages in selling their products during the Lockdown. “Farmers in small villages have not been able to sell their produce due to lockdown restrictions. Hesa has helped in reselling produce such as onion, ginger, potatoes, paddy worth Rs 7-8 lakh,” says Vamsi,
The startup also helped many rural customers with vaccine registration.
Hesa aims to reach 50,000 villages by 2023, thereby impacting 50,000 + rural livelihoods. The company is looking forward to achieving over Rs 2000 Crore in GMV by 2022.
Hesa – FAQs
What is Hesa Global?
Hesa Global is a platform that connects the rural population with the Government, NGOs, and brands. Hesa has partnered with various brands, NGOs, and Government bodies, and the rural population can avail of the products and services of these partner organizations via the Hesa app. From accessing financial services to buying and selling products, Hesa empowers the less tech-savvy village population to take advantage of all online facilities. Besides Hesa also helps brands, Government bodies, and NGOs reach out to the rural population.
What is Hesa App?
The Hesa App helps businesses, NGOs, Government bodies, and financial institutions reach out to the rural population for buying, selling, promotion, or for social causes. Hesa’s ground work force called Hesaathis also uses the Hesa App for helping the less tech-savvy rural population for buying and selling goods online, and for accessing various products and services online.
Who is the founder of Hesa?
Couple entrepreneurs Vamsi Udayagiri and Hema Nandiraju, are the founders of Hesa.
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.
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.
Israel is one of the brightest startup hubs around the world. When we think about technology or startups, our minds venture to the Silicon Valley of North Carolina, the cradle of some of the major world’s startups like Facebook and Apple. However, what many are not familiar with is the fact that Israel is also counted among the world’s top startup hubs.
It has a high level of entrepreneurship and numerous great, innovative minds. According to the recent records, Israel has more than 3p technical companies whose round off is over $1 Billion.
As per facts, Israel has the highest number of startups per capita across the world. Furthermore, Israel provides all kinds of facilities required for the beginning of startups such as investors, accelerators, incubators, funding, and every other resource. With its systematic outlines and resources, Israel has become an enormous startup hub.
Israel has won several expansions and acknowledgment for its incredible growth over fintech, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. Since the year 2017, Israel has been raised to 17% in the net value and proceeds. In this article, we present you with some of the top startups available in Israel that are proven to be an absolute success. Let’s get started.
Founder – Daniel Koppel, Raviv Itzhaky, Shimon Shpiz
Founding year – 2014
Annual revenue – $9.6 million
Prospera Website
The very prominent agricultural technical based startup, Prospera Technologies, work together with artificial intelligence and substantial data. It analyzes and studies its customer’s farming data to improve and optimise the greenhouse production system and digital farming methods.
Prospera Technologies also works to improve the quality of row crops with varying irrigation levels and further steps to automatize the management of crops.
Waze
Founder – Ehud Shabtai, Amir Shinar, and Uri Levine
Founding year – 2008
Annual revenue – $37.7 million
Waze Website
The GPS navigation app Waze was an Israeli startup when it was acquired by Google in a whopping 1.1 billion dollars deal in 2013, one of the biggest Google acquisitions. Waze didn’t receive much appreciation in the beginning, but it ultimately found its way to success. People didn’t even consider Israel for building a consumer brand that would thrive. However, Waze proved its ability, and now it leads several other brands for this purpose.
Tailor Brands
Founder – Nadav Shatz, Tom Lahat, Yali Saar
Founding year – 2014
Annual revenue – $52.7 million
Tailor Brands Website
The very distinguished in-demand service, Tailor Brands is an automated logo and branding-based startup. It aims to support small businesses with their branding needs and offers tailor-made branding and logo design services to fulfill them.
Tailor Brands is famous as the world’s first AI-powered branding and logo design platform, which also leverages other cutting-edge technologies like Big data.
Guesty, the well-known company for property management simplifies the aspects of the basic requirements of these companies. It works by offering certain deals and solutions that are necessarily required for short term rental businesses.
It has scored pretty well in the market and has raised more than $25 million and ready to reach more heights with its developing strategies and funding through appropriate sources.
Perimeter 81
Founder – Amit Bareket, Sagi Gidali
Founding year – 2018
Annual revenue – $24.7 million
Perimeter 81 Website
The promising technology-based startup, Perimeter 81 strives to improve the network security for its customers. The company offers a range of services to its customers that helps them easily access their network with added Cloud security, mainly for the network environments, on-site resources, and different SaaS applications.
Perimeter 81 believes in the modernization of the networks. Furthermore, it also concentrates on making connectivity a secure option for smooth and easy corporate access through several VPN features.
Tomorrow.io
Founder – Shimon Elkabetz, Rei Goffer and Itai Zlotnik
Founding year – 2016
Annual revenue – $31.7 million
ClimaCell or Tomorrow.io, the name which the Israeli startup was rebranded in April 2021, is a Weather Intelligence Platform founded in Israel in 2016. The startup, which now has its headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, is based on weather technology that works by blending data from the Weather-of-Things with the help of the cutting-edge technologies of the present. This data is extracted from different sources such as connected automobiles, cell towers, and methods of traditional weather data.
Tomorrow.io looks after plenty of companies of different genres such as industries of sports, aviation, logistics, drones, construction, energy, and many more. The report from Tomorrow.io ensures improved operations, minimum risk of weather-induced disasters, and maintaining safety around the workplaces. Tomorrow.io has always been well-known for its work and is counted among the leading startups.
OrCam
Founder – Prof. Amnon Shashua and Mr. Ziv Aviram
Founding Year – 2010
Annual Revenue – $10 million
The very prominent startup, OrCam is built by the same person who developed Mobileye (driver visual assistance startup based in Jerusalem). OrCam works with the technology to help visually impaired or blind people. It invented a wearable device, MyEye 2.0, which provides audio for blind people, which enables them to perform independently. OrCam is a unique and promising startup that always results in bringing innovative products and services, capable of ushering a benevolent future guided by technology.
Intuition Robotics is a Raman Gan-based company that looks after the development of social tech companies to enrich the lives of older people. Intuition Robotics is widely known for ElliQ, a part-table computer, and part-robot, designed to empower senior citizens and let them not feel lonely. The friendly table robot suggests interesting digital and physical activities to the elderly people and urges them to take part in them in order to stay active and engaged with their friends, family, and with life overall. Intuition Robotics works with the brightest and most innovative minds on several missions and projects and leaves a great impact on society.
MyHeritage
Founder – Gilad Japhet
Founding Year – 2003
Annual Revenue – $133 million
MyHeritage is a famous online ancestry platform that provides you with the facility to upload photos, create family trees and search historical documents. It was founded by an entrepreneur and genealogist Gilad Japhet in 2003. He began his career from a small room in Bnei Atarot, a rural moshav. MyHeritage is a self-funded startup and was widely recognised, which is why it was acquired by the leading private equity firm, Francisco Partners in February 24, 2021.
Fiverr
Founder – Micha Kaufman and Shai Wininger
Founding Year – 2010
Annual Revenue – $189.51 million
Fiverr Website
One of the biggest freelance service marketplaces in the world made for entrepreneurs Fiverr provides freelance employment to many entrepreneurs at varying rates across the globe. Fiverr is now used by around 850,000 freelancers and 5.5 million businesses across 160 countries. The company has its headquarters in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel, and has already witnessed a global expansion, always gearing up for more.
Flytrex
Founders – Amit Regev, Yariv Bash
Founding year – 2013
Annual revenue – $2.06 million
Flytrex Website
The very prominent Tel Aviv-based startup, Flytrex is an on-demand delivery service provider that leverages the power of drones to fuel its deliveries.
Flytrex helps its customers deliver food and other goods and parcels of various kinds without any hassles. With the unique concept of the aerial route, the company extends great service to the customers and also saves their time per delivery. It has been really amazing with its job and garnered huge appreciation and accolades from the customers.
Brayola
Founder – Jon Medved
Founding year – 2013
Annual revenue – $2.2 million
Brayola is an online lingerie retailer-based startup founded by Orit Hashay, the serial entrepreneur who founded Israel’s second most popular wedding services review site, Mit4Mit, and Ramkol, which are known for their great services to the customers. The company helps its customers discover bras that fit them better. The bra analyzer and extractor used by Brayola helps in the identification of bras based on size, style, color, price, materials, purpose, quality, and attributes. Therefore, now women around the world can shop from a wide range of bras that need no altering and/or resizing.
Cato Networks
Founders – Gur Shatz, Shlomo Kramer
Founding Year – 2015
Annual Revenue – Around $50 million
Cato Networks Ltd is a Tel Aviv-based cloud computing and information security startup. The company helps its customers avail of the highly-secure, cloud-based SD-WAN, which is integrated to its security platform embedded into a cloud-native service. With its significant offerings, Cato Networks seamlessly connects business locations, individuals, with the data it collects. As a result of this, Cato helps businesses improve their network performance, cut costs, enhance the security of their internet connections, and integrate their mobile users into the WAN along with the cloud data.
Gong.io
Founders – Amit Bendov, Eilon Reshef
Founding Year – 2015
Annual Revenue – $120 million
The AI-powered software startup, Gong, started in 2015 in Israel and eventually expanded to the US, where the company has now established its headquarters. The company uses its cloud-based AI platform to help the sales teams of other companies to record conversations automatically and get written transcripts of the records. Empowered with advanced AI technologies, Gong is a boon to the sales teams of now.
AccessiBe
Founders – Dekel Skoop, Gal Vizel, Shir Ekerling
Founding Year – 2018
Annual Revenue – $5.5 million
AccessiBe is one unique startup from Israel. Founded in 2018, the Tel Aviv-based startup aims to make the internet a navigable place for the persons with disabilities. The contextual AI that the company leverages, helps them to scan the web pages in much the same way as a non-disabled person would, which would then be converted in an easy and readable format to the user’s screen reader for those with visual impairments. Furthermore, the UI offered by AccessiBe will help those with visual impairments to adjust the UI of websites that they frequently visit. All of these would thus be perfectly suited to their needs.
Conclusion
Israel has been nurturing a world of promising startups. Many of these companies are business-to-consumer startups, which are relatively innovative and bring in a whole range of possibilities for the customers. This is because Israel procures a community to support and offers proper infrastructure and other facilities required for the growth of these startups. Furthermore, it also supports the passion and innovative minds of the people who brainstorm and found startups. Besides, it also provides FB groups for the entrepreneurs and investors of business-to-consumers companies and more.
Israel is a hub of some of the most innovative minds of the generation, propelled by proper support and facilities, thereby helping them grow successfully and with great results. This StartupTalky article has covered the top startups of Israel that have garnered success from all parts of the world.
FAQ
Is Israel great place for startups?
Yes, Israel is a great country for startups. It has the largest number of startups per capita in the world.
How many startups are there in Israel?
There are around 6000 active startups in Israel.
How many unicorns are there in Israel?
There are over 65 unicorns already in Israel so far in 2021.
India is one of the top countries, precisely second, worldwide in farm outputs. Agriculture sector employs 50% of the Indian work force and contributes 17-18% to the country’s GDP. A large section of our population depends on agriculture, especially our farmers. And the state of farmers in our country is worrisome. Floods, droughts, low income and unavailability of financial sources leads them in a debt trap and hence farmers, their families and the agriculture industry as a whole suffers. There are Government policies and non-government organizations helping farmers in many ways. But still, there is lot more that is needed to be done, and a startup that realized these issues and has come forward to further develop the agricultural sector through mechanization is Khetigaadi.com
Khetigaadi.com is the world’s first destination for tractors and farm mechanization. The platform is a marketplace for buying, selling and renting of agricultural equipment and also offers knowledge based advises to the farmers, and insurance and loan assistance on agricultural equipment. Pravin Shinde, the founder of Khetigaadi, put his heart and soul into this startup and his journey to success is commendable. StartupTalky interviewed Pravin Shinde to find out more about the venture.
Khetigaadi is world’s first destination where one can buy, sell, rent, compare and review tractors and farm mechanization, all with a simple click. It has been established to encourage farm mechanization and usage of technology and hi-tech products in agriculture to optimize yield in less man-hours. It is not just an online market place to source agricultural implements, but is also a knowledge based advisory platform for the farming community and provides insurance and loan assistance on various agricultural equipment.
Built on high-tech angular technology, Khetigaadi portal is as safe as an online banking portal. To make the platform user friendly for the farmers, Khetigaadi has made it available as an App in 10 languages and the company’s website can be viewed in 3 different languages, English, Hindi and Marathi. The concept is techno-savvy and compatible with IOS as well as Android.
Khetigaadi – Market and industry details
According to a recent NABARD report, the size of the farm equipment market is expected to reach 9 lakh crore by 2022.
As said by Pravin, “The current farm mechanism industry is almost 80 thousand crore where new tractor industry takes up 40 thousand crore, the old tractor industry is at 20 thousand crore, rental tractor industry is gauged approx.at 15k crore and finally the implement industry is at around. 5 thousand crore”
Founders of Khetigaadi
Mr. Pravin Shinde and Vishnu Dhas are the Co-founders of Khetigaadi.com.
Pravin Shinde himself is a farmer’s son and he witnessed the hardships faced by agricultural community closely. His aim was to address one of this major challenges of our country. Pravin is a graduate in Economics and a diploma holder in Agricultural Technology. He began his professional career by joining his family owned business dealing in fertilizers, pesticides and chemicals. Pravin’s family was the first one to know about his plans and the idea behind conceiving Khetigaadi. After gaining a bit of market experience, he joined SAR Agrochemicals & Fertilizers Pvt. Ltd., which was founded by his elder brother, Prashant Shinde.
Today SAR Agro-chemicals & Fertilizers Pvt. Ltd. is amongst the finest manufacturers, suppliers, traders, distributors and importers of range of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers. Apart from managing Khetigaadi, Pravin is also Founding Director of SAR Agro-chemicals & Fertilizers Pvt. Ltd.
In Oct. 2017 Pravin was in the process of taking SAR Agro-chemicals & Fertilizers beyond local borders. He met Mr. Vishnu Dhas at an event. They say when you have similar interests, working together becomes easy. Vishnu’s views about the need to further mechanize farming techniques and raising the farmers, our ‘annadatas’ on a respectable strata of the society, were similar to Pravin’s ideas and vision. In no time their wavelengths matched and Pravin and Vishnu came together to do a successful event together in February 2018. After that there has been no looking back. Pravin and Vishnu officially got together in June 2018 and Mr. Vishnu Dhas became an integral part of Khetigaadi as Co-founder and Executive Director.
How was Khetigaadi Started
Pravin being from a farmer family was well aware of the issues the farmer faced, and was willing to do something for the improvement of the status of the farmers. Khetigaadi was started with a vision to bring about and facilitate a positive change in the way farming is undertaken in India and to bring India at par with the developed nations in terms of farm mechanization.
“Farmers are the most important ones – our ‘Annadata’. My quest is to empower them, improve their current situation and bring them into the mainstream. They deserve limelight and I want them to realize how important their part is in our lives. My conscious is continuously hunting for novel ideas to better their situation.” says Pravin explaining the motto behind starting Khetigaadi.
Farmers, their challenges, the villages, techno-innovation in bringing about a positive change in the agricultural sector – all of this is very close to his heart. Through Khetigaadi he seeks to reach out to a maximum number of farmers in each and every nook and corner of India with the help of technology.
I am constantly thinking about how else can I offer the farmers with solutions that will take away manual labour from their routine and at the same time fetch them good yield.
Khetigaadi – Startup Launch
When Khetigaadi started off, the team did not even have all the information required to educate and convince the farmers, on one platform. It wasn’t available online nor were there any offline sources where they could collate it from. They reached out to various agriculture-based research centers and sometimes even purchased the much-need information and reports. This exercise took almost a year where they compiled all the data and studies that will help enlighten the farmers and convince them about the need for mechanization.
Mr. Pravin Shinde’s brother also came in and helped a lot with the business activities. They built the website in-house without any professional help. They eventually built the website to what it looks today, through trial and error and multiple hurdles. It is a success nonetheless!
Khetigaadi launched the portal in May 2016 from its Pune office. They faced some backlash when they got started. But Khetigaadi team reached out to the farmers undeterred. Exhibitions, One-ones, sessions and social media handles have helped them immensely in their awareness campaign.
Moving further, Khetigaadi commercially launched itself in 2018 for manufacturers and distributors of tractors and farm equipment. Renowned tractor manufacturer John Deere was the first customer on the platform.
Khetigaadi – Name and Logo
As the platform deals with vehicle (gaadi) and equipment used for agriculture (kheti), the company is rightly called ‘Khetigaadi’
All of us dream of owning a vehicle (either a four wheeler or a two wheeler depending upon aspirations). Similarly, a farmer also aspires to own one albeit, his fancy is of owning a tractor that’ll help him take his farming skills on to the next level. It in fact for him is synonymous with his farm. A ‘gaadi’ used for ‘kheti’ and that’s where we leaped feeling thrilled for thinking of ‘khetigaadi’. That moment is still fresh like yesterday for me.
After the word ‘Khetigaadi’ was coined, and their team started building the platform, they realized that there is no other such platform in the world where information regarding farming automation and mechanization is collated and accessible. That’s when they came up with the tagline, ‘World’s first Agri-Mechanism for Indian Agriculture’.
Khetigaadi Logo
Khetigaadi – Revenue Model
Khetigaadi serves as an Advertising and Marketing platform for all manufacturers, and dealers. The Khetigaadi revenue model works from-
Display Advertising
Enquiry Selling
Transaction base
Google Adsense
Product Promotion
Dealer Promotion
Reach Media
Khetigaadi – User Acquisitions
The team of Khetigaadi traveled village to village talking to farmers. Beginning with Nashik in Maharashtra and Jalandhar in Punjab, they met farmers one-by-one and explained the concept of Khetigaadi. After initial hiccups and disbelief, the farmers were convinced about Khetigaadi. These are the two cities where they got their first 15-20 clients.
Pravin and Vishnu also spent almost one year in different initiatives like exhibitions, seminars, one-one discussions and workshops; to share information and enlighten farmers on how best can they optimize yield by mechanization. Social media platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook helped them take their awareness campaign to another level and helped them reach the grass root levels. With all of these, Khetigaadi managed to bring a sizeable farmer community on their platform.
I would like to give due credit to the new generation of farmers who are tech-savvy and keen on exploring innovation in farming.
Khetigaadi – Startup Challenges
Khetigaadi faced many challenges along its way. Starting off, was communication of a techno-driven initiative to uneducated farmer community. However, the team received positive response from the farmers.
The kind of enthusiasm shown and hunger to know more about mechanization is unparalleled. It was their curiosity that encouraged us to collate all possible data on one platform so that it becomes available for one and all – says Pravin about the response the Khetigaadi team received from the farmers
Khetigaadi – Competitors
Some of the competitors of Khetigaadi that have recently entered the Indian market are Tractor Gyan and Tractor Guru. Khetigaadi however, precisely stands out from the competitors as they don’t just offer buying, selling and renting of farm equipment but also guide them to boost the farmers confidence in decision-making. There are similar platforms in terms of concept but the kind of technology, information and knowledge they offer; is second to none.
Mr. Pravin Shinde’s family and friends have provided rock-solid support in every initiative that he has taken up. The team is also looking forward to on board experienced mentors for guiding them to take up the market, that is increasingly becoming competitive.
Khetigaadi – Future Plans
Khetigaadi recently achieved a significant milestone by registering 30 lakh farming communities on Khetigaadi platform. They also have on board 8 reputed tractor brands as clients.
Going forward their ambition is to provide one single platform for tractor and farm equipment brands where they can sell and service their products alongside assisting them in business development. Khetigaadi’s mission is to connect 10 Million farmers to mechanized ways of farming.In the near future, Khetigaadi will also introduce AI based products.
Our farmers and the farming community are significant contributors towards the ecosystem and yet are the most neglected ones. Our core objectives are to educate them with right knowledge of farm mechanization, to encourage them to deploy it and optimize yield and of course to empower them with latest farming technology. We are already witnessing a positive difference with our initiatives amongst the farming community – Pravin Shinde, one of the founders of Khetigaadi
Khetigaadi – FAQs
What is Khetigaadi?
Khetigaadi is world’s first destination where one can buy, sell, rent, compare and review tractors and farm mechanization, Khetigaadi is an online platform where one can buy, sell and rent agricultural machinery. They also provide loan and insurance assistance on agricultural equipment.
Ashwini
