Empowering Agri-preneurs: Shaping Indian Farming to Thrive Beyond Survival

For a long time, the narrative surrounding the Indian farmer has centred on empowering a marginalized group—portraying the farmer as a sacrificial hero, fighting for survival. While government efforts and infrastructure have primarily focused on boosting yields and productivity to enable large-scale production, innovation and fostering a ‘growth mind set’ has been largely overlooked. Enabling assured markets (for eg. sugarcane, coffee, tea etc.) has led to lack of innovation on part of the farmer and a push for scaling up—often through unsustainable methods—has resulted in land degradation. Mono-cropping has led to nutrient depletion. This is hindering long-term growth potential.

To truly empower the 89.4%farmers in India who own less than two hectares of land (NSS survey, 2021), the solution must be transformative – one that goes beyond simply increasing yields or expanding markets. The need of the hour is to create an entrepreneurial and growth mind-set – rarely spoken of in the agricultural context. How can we achieve this?

a. Building aspiration and creating awareness:

Generational poverty often deprives marginalized communities of the ability to envision a better future. Lack of exposure to entrepreneurial thinking and structured market insights has kept many farmers locked in outdated farming models. Social organizations and government initiatives should focus on fostering aspirations, encouraging farmers to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset.

For example, selling dehydrated produce like strawberries can generate up to 25% more income than fresh strawberries, while preserving their nutritional value. Similarly, split tur dal (pigeon pea) can earn nearly 30% more than the whole dal. In Nashik, farmers who transitioned from selling raw grapes to raisin processing increased their income by 30%. Additionally, ground safed musli, a medicinal herb, commands double the price of its fresh counterpart due to its immediate usability.

Nurturing an entrepreneurial mindset requires large-scale capacity building through formal training and mentorship programs. The Agri-Entrepreneurship Program (AEP) by Syngenta Foundation has demonstrated the impact of such interventions, increasing rural youth earnings from ₹45K to ₹2.67 Lakh per season. Similarly, ICAR’s ARYA initiative trained smallholder farmers in mushroom farming, doubling their annual income.

b. Diversifying livelihoods:

Indian farmers must look beyond traditional farming while still utilizing existing infrastructure to explore agri-allied practices. Opportunities like apiculture (beekeeping), dairy farming, livestock rearing, agri-tourism, and multi-cropping offer excellent potential to diversify and increase income. A notable example of such diversification is the revival of the safed musli crop in Nashik, particularly in the Swades region, where paddy farmers have shifted from mono-cropping.

Safed Musli, a rare medicinal herb valued at Rs 1,200 per kilogram, has brought substantially augmented incomes of households dependent solely on paddy. Its success has inspired many farmers to expand their cultivation areas, demonstrating the potential of crop diversification for economic growth. Similarly, the success of bee-keeping among Punjab’s farmers and the growing focus on agri-tourism in recent years, particularly in Andhra Pradesh, highlight the vast potential of these agri-allied activities.

c. Strengthening of Farmer-Producer Corporations:

Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) are collaborative organizations that unite 500-1000 farmers, enabling them to achieve goals and tackle challenges that would be difficult for individual farmers to handle alone. FPCs enhance bargaining power, improve market access, promote fair trade practices, and provide valuable insights into market potential, helping farmers maximize their returns and grow sustainably.

The success of FPCs like Sahyadri Farms, which has created a vast market for tomatoes, grapes, and raisins—managed entirely by farmers—demonstrates the immense bargaining power and production capacity that can be achieved when individual farmers unite. Sahyadri Farms has built a Rs 450 crore agribusiness focused on tomatoes, grapes, and raisins. Through shared storage and direct export channels, they have reduced post-harvest losses by 30%, ensuring higher income stability for its members.

d. Financial literacy and access to capital:

Impact of technology on Indian agriculture remains limited due to low adoption and lack of financial access. Digital marketplaces like eNAM and Kisan Suvidha are making strides in real-time price discovery and direct farmer-buyer connections, but much more is needed.

Financial inclusion remains another critical barrier. Over 60% of smallholders still rely on informal credit sources, often at exploitative interest rates. Programs like Pradan’s financial literacy training have helped smallholders reduce reliance on moneylenders by 40%, but broader adoption of fintech solutions and micro-finance initiatives is needed. Organisations like Mann Deshi are setting inspiring precedents by bringing financial literacy to marginalised communities with little or no access to such knowledge. MUDRA, PM Kissan Credit, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana etc. are existing schemes that can catapult farm incomes – social organisations must equip farmers with the knowledge to access these schemes and reap the benefits of govt. plans.
Empowerment should move beyond the traditional framework and focus on cultivating a growth mindset that allows farmers to take ownership of their agricultural ventures, make informed decisions, and tap into new opportunities for income diversification and sustainability. Only then can they truly transition from being recipients of aid to becoming prosperous, self-reliant agri-preneurs.

Views of the author are personal and do not necessarily represent the website’s views.

Mangesh Wange has been at the helm of the Swades Foundation as CEO since May 2016, applying his extensive experience in General Management and P&L oversight to drive the organization’s mission. Mangesh played a pivotal role at Godrej in establishing the modern retail ventures of Nature’s Basket and Aadhaar. In 2007, Mangesh transitioned to the microfinance sector with Fullerton India, where he spent three years doing HR and business roles. He continued his journey with Thomson Reuters, where he was responsible for startup of Reuters Market Light by focusing on mobile information services for rural India. Mangesh holds a degree in Agricultural Engineering from PAU, Ludhiana, and a Postgraduate degree from IIM, Ahmedabad. He is also a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) accredited by the International Coaching Federation.