Although for about 60% of India’s rural households agriculture is the primary source of livelihood, and a robust agricultural base is essential for India’s economic well being, there continue to be many unsolved challenges in the sector.
While Start-ups have worked to address challenges in many other spheres, the agricultural sector has not attracted much interest. We at Caspian believe that solutions to many of the long-standing constraints in agriculture will come from innovations and inventions by Start-ups, that challenge conventional wisdom.
In order to promote innovations being carried-out by Start-ups in Food & Agriculture, and to take them to scale, Caspian partnered with a-IDEA, the Technology Business Incubator of National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM) for Agri Udaan – Food & Agribusiness Accelrator – 2.0.
A total of 579 entrepreneurs registered for Agri Udaan 2.0, of which 112 were considered for evaluation by a panel of experts, and 40 shortlisted to pitch before a panel of investors and experts in October 2017.
Of the 40, 10 were selected for mentoring, and put through intensive capacity building by experts on business model canvas, marketing strategies & linkages, legal and policy compliances, and were assigned individual mentors for grooming the Start-ups to prepare them to present their pitches before investors.
The ten companies listed below made pitches before investors at the Demo days on 12th & 15th February at Hyderabad & Mumbai.
Caspian, as a part of its sponsorship support to Agri Udaan 2.0, extended a grant to Jivabhumi Agri Tech, a Start-up that connects Farmers & Consumers using technology, to address two key concerns of traceability and safety of food products.