Gurugram, Feb 20: AVPL International today announced a strategic association with DeHaat and Farmers City India Pvt. Ltd. (FCIPL) to jointly train approximately 1,40,000 agri and drone entrepreneurs across India over the next five years. The collaboration aims to build one of India’s largest integrated rural entrepreneurship ecosystems by combining skill development, agri-retail expansion, drone technology deployment, electric mobility enablement, and structured credit facilitation under a unified framework.
At the core of the initiative is a structured “Technology-as-a-Service” (TaaS) model tailored specifically for rural India. The objective is to ensure that emerging technologies are not merely introduced in rural markets, but delivered as sustainable, service-driven enterprise opportunities that actively transform the rural economy. By embedding technology within local enterprise ecosystems, the partnership seeks to encourage rural youth entrepreneurship while accelerating the modernisation of agricultural practices.
Nationwide Training Infrastructure
AVPL and Farmers City will establish and operate training centres across India. The curriculum will be aligned with NSDC and ASCI-certified standards to ensure nationally recognised qualifications and industry-relevant competencies.
Upon successful completion of training, candidates will be supported in setting up agro-input retail stores under DeHaat’s dealership model. This will strengthen last-mile access to quality farm inputs, advisory services, and technology solutions for farmers.
Drone-as-a-Service (DaaS) Deployment
Trained Drone Preneurs will be deployed within DeHaat’s retail network under a structured Drone-as-a-Service (DaaS) framework. These services will include:
- Precision spraying
- Crop health monitoring
- Data-driven advisory services
The integrated retail-plus-drone approach is designed to create a cohesive rural service ecosystem that combines agri-input supply, advisory, and advanced technology deployment at the grassroots level.
As part of the broader rural entrepreneurship roadmap, the initiative will also promote EV-led enterprise opportunities, expanding income-generation avenues in emerging green mobility sectors.
Facilitating Access to Institutional Credit
To reduce entry barriers for first-generation entrepreneurs, the association will facilitate access to institutional credit. This includes support under the Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan (CM-YUVA) scheme in Uttar Pradesh.
Joint bankable project proposals will be developed to help eligible trainees secure funding and establish enterprises with structured financial backing.
Leadership Perspectives
Dr. Preet Sandhu, Founder and Managing Director, AVPL International, said:
“At AVPL, we have always believed in staying on the front foot when it comes to promoting entrepreneurship in emerging sectors. The real potential of India lies in its rural youth, yet that potential often remains untapped due to lack of structured platforms. Through our Technology-as-a-Service model, we are empowering rural youth to become job creators within their own regions. This initiative reflects our long-term commitment to driving rural economic transformation through skill, technology and entrepreneurship.”
Tarish Pratap Singh, Head of Farmer Services, DeHaat, added:
“This association will strengthen our retail ecosystem by embedding trained agri and drone entrepreneurs within our network. By combining advisory, inputs and technology services, we aim to enhance farmer productivity while expanding rural livelihood opportunities.”
A Scalable Blueprint for Rural Transformation
With a strong emphasis on outcome-driven training, self-employment generation, and last-mile service delivery, the collaboration positions itself as a scalable blueprint for transforming rural economies through structured entrepreneurship and technology adoption.