Over the past few decades, the Indian agriculture sector – despite its sheer significance in our daily sustenance and the economy at large – had been left in the lurch to a great extent. Though there were slow yet gradual developments in terms of the road infrastructure, any meaningful innovation had virtually steered clear of our agricultural community. So, our farmers had remained as devoid of technology as devoid were they of basic amenities such as electricity, roads, and, often, even education.
However, the status quo has been changed of late with an array of targeted initiatives including Digital India, Startup India, BharatNet, and rural electrification, which have contributed to a robust rise of agri-tech startups across the country. And instantly, the once-fragmented market has become a force to reckon with. Then, it becomes critical to know how these agri-tech startups and their innovative approach are transforming our agriculture sector for good.
FarmersFZ: A farmer’s marketplace
IAN Fund backed Farm to fork Agritech startup, FarmersFZ is a multi-channel marketplace that enables direct delivery of fruits and vegetables from farmers to consumers. The startup is today actively driving agricultural empowerment by addressing a crucial pain point. Despite their hard work and toil, farmers only receive 30% price of their produce due to an inefficient supply chain. This year, it was a booming business for FarmersFZ as people became more conscious of their health.
Clover Ventures: Greenhouse effect
Founded by a group of four friends in 2018, Clover Ventures is a greenhouse agri-tech startup that works on a demand-backed supply chain for perishables. The startup works with 60 small-scale farmers with a total farm size of over 70 acres. While the startup previously worked on a B2B business model (comprising cloud kitchens and fine-dining restaurants), it quickly pivoted to B2C supply and started catering to grocery shops as they received heavy footfall. Clover Ventures experienced a 4- to 5-fold growth in three months following the pivot and is now planning to quadruple its farm network in a year or a half.
Gramophone:
Gramophone is a one-stop-shop for farmers delivering agricultural inputs and agronomy intelligence in more than 10,000 villages. Leveraging AI for subscription-based yearly crop advisory, the startup has so far helped increase the crop yield for more than 5 lakh farmers in MP. In 2020, though the startup faced hiccups following the lockdowns as it had to operate at 15% to 20% of the workforce, it is nevertheless projected to achieve a 3X revenue growth. It has received a very encouraging adoption in the post-pandemic scenario. The startup now aims to provide soil-testing-as-a-service while also onboarding NBFCs going forth.
Fasal: precision farming
A pioneer in precision farming, Fasal is an agritech startup that uses farm-level data to predict agriculture and growth level requirements including irrigation, insecticide sprays, and fertilization. It helps farmers to make informed decisions. During the pandemic, the company launched a plug-and-play, Internet of Things (IoT)- and sensor-based device that doesn’t need technical expertise to operate- known as ‘Fasal Kranti’. The precision farming startup has developed technologies that are being used all across India, primarily in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.
Bijak: Connecting people
The platform is bringing in digitisation of physical mandis, artiyas [commission agents], loaders, and processors by providing them an online interface. Farmers get access to a mandi-wise list of buyers and suppliers for each of their commodities on the Bijak app, which becomes even more relevant in the wake of the recent farm legislations that throw the sector open to private players dealing directly with farmers. It creates buyer and supplier ratings based on their transaction history to bring transparency and enforce accountability.