India’s agricultural sector contributes about 17% to the country’s GDP, providing livelihoods for approximately 55% of its population.
Despite its size, the industry faces significant challenges, including inefficient infrastructure, low yields, and wastage of food produced due to supply chain issues.
However, the rise of agritech startups is revolutionizing the sector, with over 1,300 emerging in recent years.
In 2022 alone, these startups raised $2.4 billion, and the market is expected to grow to $24 billion by 2025.
These startups are driving solutions such as AI-powered farming tools, supply chain innovations, and digital platforms that connect farmers directly with markets, thereby reducing wastage, improving yields, and boosting farmer incomes.
This article will highlight leading agriculture startups in India making waves in India’s agriculture sector, helping the country become a global agritech powerhouse.
Why Agriculture Startups are Necessary for Sustainable Agriculture
Reducing Resource Waste: Agriculture startups introduce precision farming techniques, using technologies like AI and IoT to optimize water and fertilizer use, reducing resource waste and promoting eco-friendly farming practices.
Enhancing Soil Health and Biodiversity: Many startups focus on sustainable farming methods like organic farming, crop rotation, and regenerative agriculture, which help maintain soil fertility, reduce chemical usage, and support biodiversity.
Promoting Climate-Resilient Agriculture: Startups are developing climate-smart solutions, such as drought-resistant crops, smart irrigation, and weather prediction tools, helping farmers adapt to changing climatic conditions and reduce environmental impact.
Optimizing Supply Chains to Reduce Food Waste: By improving supply chains with real-time data and logistics technologies, agritech startups help reduce post-harvest losses and food waste, making agriculture more efficient and sustainable.
Supporting Smallholder Farmers: Many startups provide affordable access to sustainable farming technologies and markets, empowering smallholder farmers to adopt eco-friendly practices that boost productivity without harming the environment.
What is the Future of Agriculture Startups in India
The future of agritech startups in India is expected to be deeply intertwined with the advancement of new-age technologies like artificial intelligence, remote sensing, and bioengineering.
Beyond just improving yields, startups are poised to solve more complex problems such as carbon footprint reduction and climate-resilient farming. For example, innovative practices like vertical farming, hydroponics, and the development of drought-resistant crops are gaining traction.
These startups are not only enhancing agricultural productivity but are also working toward making agriculture eco-friendly and adaptable to changing climate conditions.
Furthermore, the next phase of growth will likely come from expanding the use of data-driven solutions to predict market trends, manage resources more efficiently, and improve crop quality.
As Indian startups increasingly collaborate with international agritech firms and research institutions, cross-border innovation is expected to accelerate. This global exposure will open up new avenues in sustainable farming, exports, and the use of genetic research to develop high-yield crops, making agriculture startups crucial to the future of India’s agribusiness landscape
10 Best Leading Agriculture Startups in India
1. Bharat Agri
The Pune-based agritech company BharatAgri seeks to help farmers improve their farming practices by educating them digitally. The BharatAgri company provides guidance on important weather, pesticide knowledge, and soil analysis. To ensure the maximum production yields, they regularly do cost studies.
BharatAgri helps farmers at every stage of farming with offline and online technologies like WhatsApp, Interactive Voice Response (IVR), and In-App chat support. In order to provide services to farmers, it has lately switched to a business-to-farmer (B2F) model.
Additional Information:
| Founder | Year Founded | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Sai Gole and Siddhart Dialani | 2017 | $350 Million |
2. Bombay Hemp Company
Mumbai-based Bombay Hemp Company is an agritech business that was established to study, grow, and market industrial hemp. Bombay Hemp Company manages Indian industrial hemp research, cultivation, harvesting, processing, manufacturing, trading, wholesale, retailing, innovation, marketing, and promotion both domestically and internationally.
The Bombay Hemp Company uses contract farming, processing, and public-private collaborations. To strengthen it, the industrial hemp ecosystem looks for affiliates and collaborative research approaches. Boheco is teaching people about hemp’s potential to boost Indian agriculture while reinventing the future of agriculture.
Additional Information:
| Founder | Year Founded | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Mr. Romesh Bhattacharji | 2013 | $16.8 Million |
3. Intello Labs
The goal of Intello Labs, a recent agricultural business in India, is to completely transparent the supply chains for food and agriculture. Intello Labs helps food sector traders, merchants, and food service providers, among others, to reduce losses and boost customer satisfaction. It uses computer vision and artificial intelligence to assess the quality of food products.
Instead than being limited to India, Intello Labs claims that it targets global markets. Among Intello Labs’ well-known customers are Reliance Fresh, Dole, Ocean Spray, and a number of the leading e-grocery companies in China and Southeast Asia. The main objective of Intello Labs is to digitize food quality in order to eradicate food waste and loss.
Additional Information:
| Founder | Year Founded | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Milan Sharma | 2016 | $16.6 Million |
4. Crofarm
Through an online tool called Crofarm, farms, and businesses now have a digital supply chain. The company claims that in order to make its application run more smoothly and rapidly, it leverages AI-enabled digital solutions for supply chain management and logistics optimization.
The fruit and vegetable market can now purchase fresh produce directly from the farm thanks to digital connectivity. It provides farmers with guidance on the attributes of goods that could fetch higher market prices. Using digital techniques, their technology-enabled solution gives farmers the full value of their products at the right time and in a faster manner.
Additional Information:
| Founder | Year Founded | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Varun Khurana | 2016 | $41.7 Million |
5. Stellerapps
The start-up for agricultural technology The dairy supply chain has been successfully digitalized by Stellapps. This Bangalore-based Internet of Things startup focuses on data collection and machine learning.
Stellapps’ SmartMooTM enables dairy producers and cooperatives to boost their profits without putting in a lot of work. If you’re interested in starting your own dairy farming business, check out our blog post on how to start a dairy farm business In India.
Milk production, milk procurement, and cold chain management are all digitalized and streamlined with the help of the SmartMooTM platform, which yields measurable data for livestock insurance.
Sensors integrated with milking systems, animal wearables, milk chilling apparatus, and management software for dairy farms, cattle, and logistics are used to collect the data.
Additional Information:
| Founder | Year Founded | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Ranjit Mukundan | 2011 | $26 Million |
6. Freshokartz
With its main office in Jaipur, FreshoKartz focuses on providing online services for farm-fresh fruit and soil guidance. FreshoKartz is an online marketplace where farmers may buy products including seeds, fertilizer, insecticides, and other agricultural supplies. Because of its direct link to the market, the farmer is paid immediately for their goods.
The transparency of this agritech company’s weighing and instant payment system gives it a unique character. It also gives farmers access to funding choices throughout harvest. Freshokartz aims to eliminate the autonomy of middlemen in the fresh vegetable market. It provides finance and credit for agricultural equipment during specific seasons.
Additional Information:
| Founder | Year Founded | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Rajendra Lora | 2016 | $1.95 Million |
7. Kheti Gaadi
The Pune-based agritech company BharatAgri seeks to help farmers improve their farming practices by educating them digitally. The BharatAgri company provides guidance on important weather, pesticide knowledge, and soil analysis. To ensure the maximum production yields, they regularly do cost studies.
BharatAgri helps farmers at every stage of farming with offline and online technologies like WhatsApp, Interactive Voice Response (IVR), and In-App chat support. In order to provide services to farmers, it has lately switched to a business-to-farmer (B2F) model.
Additional Information:
| Founder | Year Founded | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Pravin Shinde | 2016 | $185 K |
8. Ninjacart
A Bangalore Startup company, Ninjacart is a prominent agricultural supply chain company in India. Compared to the typical supply chain, it presently moves over 60 tonnes of produce every day from the farm to the shop in less than 14 hours.
Ninjacart helps more than 2,000 farmers sell more than 80 fruits and vegetables to more than 800 stores and eateries in Bengaluru each day. Additionally, they assert that they have cut supply chain waste by 4%.
Additional Information:
| Founder | Year Founded | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Kartheeswaran K.K. | 2015 | $805 Million |
9. BigHaat
BigHaat is an online marketplace for farmers seeking guidance and knowledge on a range of agricultural subjects. The business provides a vast array of goods and services, such as seeds, agricultural equipment, crop nutrition, farming consultancy services, and much more.
Additionally, it has created Kisan Vedika, a platform that uses regional language specialists to answer questions and concerns, in partnership with Microsoft.
Additional Information:
| Founder | Year Founded | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Sateesh Nukula | 2015 | $8.4 Million |
10. Farm2Fam
Farm2fam is an agro technology firm based in Mumbai. According to the company’s name, farm2fam delivers fresh agricultural products straight from farms to consumers, guaranteeing that they are produced without the use of pesticides or herbicides.
They currently provide monthly service to over 300 clients. Customer demand has grown, nevertheless, and many consumers are willing to pay more for superior goods.
Additional Information:
| Founder | Year Founded | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Keya Salot | 2018 | $64.9 Million |
Wrapping Up
In conclusion, India’s agriculture sector is transforming rapidly, thanks to the innovation brought by agritech startups. These companies are addressing long-standing challenges like low productivity, market inefficiencies, and resource wastage with tech-driven solutions.
By empowering farmers with modern tools such as AI, digital marketplaces, and better supply chain management, these agriculture startups in India are helping to increase yields, reduce losses, and improve farmer incomes. If you are interested in how technology is shaping agriculture in India, the startups featured in this article are great examples of the positive impact being made today. Keep an eye on these innovators—they are the key to a more sustainable and efficient future for farming in India.
FAQs
What are some challenges agriculture startups face in India?
Agritech startups in India face challenges like limited internet access in rural areas, low digital literacy among farmers, and fragmented agricultural markets. Additionally, gaining farmer trust and navigating complex agricultural supply chains can be difficult. However, many startups are addressing these challenges with user-friendly platforms and strong support networks.
What are some examples of technologies used by agritech startups?
Agritech startups use a wide range of technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) for crop monitoring, drones for field surveys, blockchain for ensuring transparency in supply chains, and mobile apps for connecting farmers with buyers. These technologies help simplify farming processes, improve productivity, and provide farmers with real-time information and insights.
Are there government initiatives supporting agriculture startups in India?
Yes, the Indian government actively supports agriculture startups through various initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana and the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) platform. These programs promote the use of technology in farming and offer financial assistance, infrastructure development, and market linkage support to startups working in the agritech space.
