These new-age firms driven by Indian whiz kids are firing up the farming ecosystem. Agritech is short for agricultural technology and also goes by the term agrotech. With farming being the main source of livelihood for more than half of our national population, Indian agritech startups have the potential to empower millions of men and women. They have become all the more important during COVID-19 because of their potential to reverse food insecurity and loss of livelihoods.
Most exciting Indian agritech startups
These innovative platforms are using cutting edge technology, artificial intelligence, mobile telephony and the worldwide web to turn farmers into entrepreneurs, increase crop yield, give farmers access to quality seeds, cut out money-sucking middlemen and facilitate real-time advice from experts. Here are the fastest growing Indian agritech startups who are simultaneously empowering desi farmers and the economy.
De Haat
This is an online marketplace for farmers co-founded by alumni from IIT Delhi, IIT Kharagpur and IIM Ahmedabad. The Patna-based startup is growing so rapidly that it raised $16 million from external investors and $3 million in venture debt to scale up operations. De Haat works with the rural farmer communities in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand to secure seeds, fertilizers and agri-input products. It is currently serving more than 210,000 farmers.
The startup dispenses advice on which crops to sow in which season. They have put together a comprehensive database of crop tests for this purpose. The large team collaborates with 200 institutions for providing working capital to the growers. Over and above these services, it finds bulk buyers for their produce. Buyers include Reliance Fresh, Zomato and e-commerce platform Udaan.
Unnati
This startup recently raised Rs. 12 crore from NabVentures, a fund backed by NABARD. Unnati is a digital farming platform for food growers and FPOs (farmer producer organisations), especially in rural areas. It works towards turning farmers into entrepreneurs. The ones registering with Unnati get a digital QR code on which they can either load their own money or avail credit services from the platform. Once registered, the team is in constant touch with the farmer to understand their requirements and offer inputs.
Unnati helps FPOs buy raw materials directly from producers rather than going through a bunch of middlemen. The firm checks the “fulfillment partners” for quality and authenticity before listing them on the platform. There are tie-ups with more than a thousand retailers. The farmers, in turn, can register to sell their agro-products to food processors on the platform using a digital card. The digital card makes transactions and registration simpler, besides giving them access to knowledge services.
