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The Growth of Agri-Tech Startups in India: Emerging Food Bowl of the World
Since the Indus Valley Civilisation, agriculture sector has been a mainstay of the Indian economy. Almost 70% of Indian households still depend on agriculture, and the sector contributes to 17-18% of the country’s overall GDP. The increasing demand for innovation in agriculture and the declining last-mile delivery to farmers have introduced new terminology to the Indian agriculture ecosystem, Agritech. AgriTech is an amalgamation of agriculture infused with modern technologies to produce efficiently generating sufficient revenues to support livelihoods. India is home to a large piece of arable land with 15 agro-climatic zones, having almost all types of weather conditions and soil types to produce multiple types of crops. Because of this fact, AgriTech startups are providing relevant and innovative solutions to a number of challenges faced across the agriculture value chain. A wave of AgriTech startups has started emerging in the last few years, with thousands of startups disrupting the age-old agriculture system with innovative ideas and affordable solutions. Through its flagship event of the National Startup Awards, Startup India acknowledged startups in the agriculture sector which have been instrumental in revolutionising the story of new India. Here is a look at the winners of the National Startup Awards 2021 that are helping India propel forward through their remarkable and impactful solutions.
Shapos Services Private Limited
The AgriTech startup is a one-of-a-kind startup in the silk supply chain with their product Reshamandi, which works directly with sericulture farmers, silk reelers, fabric reelers and retailers enabling the farmers to get the best price for their product, reducing the time to market and making sure that the products are supplied with best raw materials with testing kits. Farmers can sell their products directly to Reshamandi, ensuring that the farmers get the best price for their products. The startup has already been successful in solving many farmers’ problems through their digitised problem-solving solutions. The Bagalkot Government in Karnataka has recognised Reshamandi for their effort in supporting silk-producing farmers.
Agrirain Agro Industries India Private Limited
Agrirain came out with an innovative ‘Irrigation as a Service’ model using Hosereel as an irrigation technology. Hosereel is an automated micro-irrigation system that provides irrigation in the form of rain which increases the yield from 20% to 63%. Agrirain has already served over 7,500+ farmers through its innovative irrigation technology. Hosereel is a mobile and self-propelled raingun that is fitted on a cart and integrated with an HDPE pipe and a diesel pump. Through the hosereel the water is split into minute droplets and sprinkled as constant rain. The solution is a water-conserving technology that has saved over 1,25,000 metric tons of water and simultaneously increased farmers’ income.
Zentron Labs Private Limited
Zentron Labs automates the process of food grading that require visual checking, using industrial cameras in conjunction with Computer Vision algorithms to deliver innovative and automated optical inspection. The product Hortisort is an innovative solution that automates fruit grading with high accuracy and great throughput. Different types of fruits are fed into an inspection line that contains a computer vision-based grading station. Through a combination of electronics hardware and computer vision software, the fruits are characterised into various grades in terms of colour, size, weight and defects.
Athreya Global Solutions
Athreya Global Solutions (AGS) has developed a biotechnological way to improve farmers' social and economic status through sustainable smart agriculture. AGS has developed agriculture input products that can increase yield by 65% and increase the photosynthetic efficiency of plants. The Government of Karnataka has also recognized AGS for its economical viable solutions.
AgriTech startups are an overriding priority in India’s development strategy. More and more AgriTech startups are setting up companies in this field and making India the emerging food bowl of the world. If you are a startup working in the agriculture sector, explore our website to learn more about growth avenues to boost and scale your business.
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Reference Links-
https://startuptalky.com/indian-agritech-startups-growth/
https://www.manage.gov.in/publications/discussion%20papers/MANAGE-Discussion%20Paper-10.pdf
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/agriculture/the-future-of-indian-agriculture-75384
https://www.ibef.org/blogs/agritech-start-ups-the-ray-of-hope-in-indian-agriculture
