VOL 2 February 2019
Most Recommended
ISSUE 1 Company of the Month
THE
AgriTech
Companies in India
AGRICULTURE SPECIAL Dr. Srinivasan Ramachandran CEO, JOil India
Agri-Insights Indian Agriculture Sector – Investment, Growth and Future Prospects
Industry Outlook Perspectives on Headwinds and Opportunities in Indian Agri Startups
Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal Managing Editor Rahul Niraj Executive Editor Shruti Jambhale Art & Design Head Amol Kamble Associate Designer Poonam, Shweta Art & Picture Editor Rahul Kavnekar Co-designers Aparna, Mayur Business Development Manager Akansha Garewal Sales Executives Harshal Gawale, Joan Ranbhise Technical Head Swapnil Patil Technical Specialist Amar, Pratiksha Digital Marketing Manager Prashant, Rahul SME-SMO Executives Swati, Manoj Circulation Manager Tanaji sales@insightssuccess.com
February, 2019 Corporate Ofď€ ces: Insights Success Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd. th
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From the
EDITOR
Tech-farming: Unleashing Innovations Farming is much risky business, especially when it comes to investments. All the ingredients like changing markets, small margins, and weather-dependent revenues are likely to make-orbreak situation for the farmers. However, stability in the form of tech innovations has come to light as a great partner for farmers who can utilize the growing trade in investment platforms. Tech-based agriculture investment platform is the new approach for the agricultural investment. Many of the companies have taken to crowd-sourced investing and funding in order to reduce the risk of agricultural investment. Through the web-based platforms, farmers are able to pitch their services and products to a large and diverse online community of potential investors.
“The world is witnessing remarkable tech-driven discoveries which are resolving the world’s biggest challenges, undoubtedly!” ale Shruti Jambh
Shruti P. Jambhale
Many individuals are directly involving in agriculture, seeking more transparency in the industry, and even aiming to make informed investments. Potential investors are now identifying returns based on the historical data and making prominent decisions regarding which farms or products they would grow. Using a data-driven collection system to track profits, financiers are able to hedge investment risks before they even become involved. The latest trends in agricultural technology have allowed farmers to address the traditional farming issues with a high-tech edge, using the latest and most buzzword worthy trends. Many tech-enabled companies are glad to integrate innovative developments in agriculture, with benefits ranging from environmental stewardship, increased farmer welfare, and boosts in productivity. Advancement in field of sensors, machines, and data collection has enabled many existing as well as emerging industries to adapt to this new-age integrated technology. Thus, 'technology' in agriculture, today, is no longer an emerging field, but one of a rapidly advancing and profitable business opportunity. Today's farmers seem more than ready to take on the new opportunities presented by integrated agri-tech companies. Implementation of tech-based and agriculture-specific investment platforms has revealed itself as a farmer-ready solution to the longstanding issue of risky business in the agriculture sector. Undoubtedly, in today's era, urban farming is an effective way to achieve green goals and increase food security for cities and towns, and applying regulations and licensing to these farms will defiantly bolster the consumer's confidence. Even, it allows producers to build strong business plans for the future.
08 AGRICULTURE
SPECIAL
COMPANY OF THE MONTH
16
JOil:
Ensuring Sustainability for Gen Z
CXO STANDPOINTS 20
34
Agri-Insights
Industry Outlook
Perspectives on Headwinds and Opportunities in Indian Agri Startups
Indian Agriculture Sector: Investment, Growth and Future Prospects
Providing Unique and specialized crop nutrition products
ARTICLE
26 Aries Agro
24 FARMING ACROSS INDIA
28 Fasal
An Audacious Attempt Revolutionizing the Indian Agriculture Ecosystem
32 LeanAgri
Creating Tech-enabled Solutions BeneďŹ tting Farmers
36 Sashanka Agro Tech
A Prominent Manufacturer and Exporter of Greenhouse Material
38 Smur Agro
Espousals of Organic Farming in India
CONT ENTS
Most Recommended THE
AgriTech Companies in India
Leading the Way to Enlighten the Agriculture Sector
T
he backbone of the economy, Indian agriculture is one of the sectors with great potential for triggering growth. Particularly, the AgriTech startups are witnessing a number of startups in India. This will be an eye-opener for the growers, wholesalers, importers, exporters and all for other stakeholders of every segment of agriculture for expanding and diversifying the business. Agri-Tech startups will be an ideal platform for the business traders to display and introduce their latest product ranges, mechanization and technological innovations for farmers in one place. It is a unique opportunity to launch the products and services among thousands of farmers and agro-entrepreneurs. And, of course, the technology has already transformed the agri-sector in innumerable ways. One prominent part of agriculture i.e. nothing but the ‘Organic Farming’ can use technological innovation to increase efficiency and effectiveness is irrigation. By observing the current scenario and situation, with the thought for the betterment of society, this month, Insights Success has come up with the issue “The 10 Most Recommended Agri-Tech Companies”. This edition highlights different business portfolios which are contributing and passing on a better earth to the future generation. On the Cover of the magazine, we have featured the very special and very trending informative ‘Agriculture Special Article’ on Organic Farming, with the insights of industry experts and farmer. We are up for a change this year; thus, going with organic farming! We have also focused on different companies those have come up with unique solutions. JOil (S) Pte. Ltd has grabbed our attention and featured as a Company of the Month in this agriculture special issue. JOil India is a tech-enabled value chain integrator having pioneering expertise in Jatropha plant science and processing technologies. Apart from this, we have chosen Aries Argo Limited is an Indian Multinational company offering the widest range of products in the specialized primary, secondary and micro-fertilizer sector. Fasal is an agri-tech AI-powered platform for Agriculture ecosystem that records a variety of growing conditions on the farm. Leancrop Technology Solutions Pvt. Ltd. plays a vital role in increasing incomes of farmers by increasing farm yields through systematic implementation of scientific techniques, providing essential resources, and regular monitoring. Sashanka Agro Tech Pvt. Ltd. is a prominent Manufacturer and Exporter of Greenhouse Material. Smur Agro Ventures Pvt. Ltd. is a private venture aimed at providing solutions, products, and support to the organic farming community. This magazine also includes leaders’ thoughts as well. Santosh Nair, the Founder & MD at Miklens Bio Pvt. Ltd. discusses on the topic “Indian Agriculture Sector: Investment, Growth and Future Prospects” and Amardeep Sibia is currently the CEO at SatSure Limited highlights his views on the “Perspectives on Headwinds and Opportunities in Indian Agri Startups”. The editor’s thoughts are also part of this magazine where they have researched on topics and highlighted “Farming Across India”. So, flip the pages of our magazine and explore interesting insights into the world of business!
AGRICULTURE SPECIAL Are you up for a change this year? “Shop Locally, eat Seasonal, reduce Plastic and of course go with Organic Farming”
ORGANIC FARMING! Sir Albert Howard is widely considered to be the “Father of Organic Farming”.
The Existing Picture
I
ndia had been practically following organic agriculture till the 50s. India mainly exports organic processed food products, organic rice, beverages and other cereals and millets to the US, Canada, Europe, and South East Asian countries, which are the major global markets for organic food products. India is the 10th leading country in the world in terms of organic food products. India is gifted with various types of naturally available organic form of nutrients in different parts of the country which helps for organic cultivation of crops substantially. Agriculture generally plays a vital role in the economy of the nation. Not only for the reason that tends to feed the entire population but also in the sense that agriculture correlates and integrates with all sectors of the country. The country is generally regarded as a social and politically stable base of agriculture. Organic farming is one of the alternative agricultural systems, which is being followed from ancient times. This is particularly created in response to rapidly changing farming practices. In another way, Organic farming can be defined as one of the ways of farming which exclude the use of chemical fertilizers, insecticides, etc.
Agriculturist View “Organic Farming is the need of an hour!” – Shrishaill Gherade, Maharashtra (Farmer) “Organic Agriculture would be the most preferred form of agriculture in the future!” – Suraj Bhan, Ataner, Dist.- Sonipat (Farmer) “Ultimately, the aim of Organic Farming is to maintain the long term fertility of the soil, to reduce the input cost, to effectively utilize the natural resources, to avoid the all forms of opulation caused by agricultural techniques, to provide the quality foodstuff.”
What E
– Prakash Jambhale, Maharashtra (Farmer)
xperts
say?
“We believe that with increasing population and changing lifestyle, the food requirement is always going to increase in coming years.” – Siddharth Dialani, Founder & Director at LeanCrop Technology Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Health Ecology
Fairness
Care
Principles of Organic Farming
“Today, Organic farming is not a choice it's a must. It is a need of an hour. But, we need to have a good direction for organic farming. The Government needs to support farming inputs better.” – Udayan Arya, CEO and Founding Director at Smur Agro Ventures Pvt. Ltd.
Agriculturist View
Organic Fertilizers “Organic fertilizers are from organic sources like animal and plant matter. Organic fertilizers are different from chemical fertilizers in that they build the healthy plant and healthy soil. They are considered the more environmentally friendly, unlike chemical fertilizers that pose health as well as environmental risk” “There are many benets of organic farming but the concern is the yield. But seeing the rising demand for organic products I'm sure the agro companies would be forced to produce organic fertilizers and pesticides etc that will help increase the yield too”
Today, chemical fertilizers can add all these nutrients to the soil. However, organic fertilizers can add only a few. Some organic fertilizers directly add nutrients, example compost. Some organic fertilizers make the nutrients available from the environment, example – nitrogen-fixing bacteria/ NiF. Organic fertilizers are chemical free and are not only good for the plant but also provide nourishment to the soil. One can make it on their own or even get it from the market. Some are dry while some are in liquid form.
Daulat Ram, Kashipur, Uttrakhand (Farmer) “Considering the change that is happening, it is obvious that organic farming would be adopted by more and more farmers.”
V. Kondala, Hyderabad (Farmer)
Importance of Organic
Exploit The Growing Global Market For Organic Food
Better
Lowering Production Cost
Water
Now, the increasing numbers of farmers are switching to growing food without chemicals or pesticides. They know how the chemicals enter the food chain and are a cause of increased cancer patients in the country. Also, people in urban areas are very health conscious and are concerned about their eating habits.
-fertilizers Achieve Sustainability
Relation Increase Harvest Yields
Fortifying Soil
Improve Soils Structure
Agriculture
Startups
India has the 2nd largest agricultural land in the world, with nearly sixty percent rural Indian households making their living from agriculture. And, thus it is creating a huge scope for Agri-tech startups in the country.
Major
Food
processing
Categories Automation/ Agri- Technology
education
Experts View on Agri-Startups “In fact, a lot of educated people out, not only coming, as just startup, but they are also embracing farming. And, they are not embracing farming because they had no choice. A lot of people, educated people, and highly educated people are embracing it and making entrepreneurship out of it. And that's already a good sign for India that lots of entrepreneurs are cropping up and they are educated, open to new ideas, modern methods.” – Udayan Arya, CEO and Founding Director, Smur Agro Ventures Private Limited
Lay Land of the
87% Bootstrapped Crop Production related startups
62% Protable Crop Production related startups
Key
55% Bootstrapped Food Processing related startups
44% Looking for funding startups in Agri -Education
20% Prot-generating Agricultural startups
Insights
The technology adoption in agriculture sector is low and if coupled with inadequate talent, the creation and growth of agriculture startups are facing high challenges. “Given that a typical organic farm produces 10-15% less food as compared to conventional farms, it would be a challenge to meet the increasing food requirement.” – Siddharth Dialani, the Founder & Director at LeanCrop Technology Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Price is another issue that can hinder the growth of organic agriculture. In developed countries, people are ready to pay a premium for organic food. That has not been observed in India except for a few places in metros. Organic agriculture may not be able to replace conventional mode of farming, but may definitely help progressive farmers earn more money. This is possible only when there is an availability of the right market. If companies like BigBasket, D-Mart can market organic produce in the right way, and if they can pass on the additional profits to farmers, it would definitely prove to be a good business for farmers.
Farmer's Column Today, even the government is also promoting organic agriculture by bringing in NPOP certications and other policies to encourage farmers to adopt organic methods. This movement towards environmental awareness will certainly go a long way in building a future of chemical-free agriculture.
Shrishaill Gherade, Maharashtra (Farmer) “Considering the change that is happening, it is obvious that organic farming would be adopted by more and more farmers”.
V. Kondala, Hyderabad (Farmer) By observing overall agricultural scenario, with today's increasing demand, I feel Organic Agriculture is the future of India.
Prakash Jambhale (Farmer)
Experts Opinion “Need of the hour is to promote integrated farming. This kind of farming includes 50% of inputs from organic sources and remaining from inorganic sources. This not only promotes the growth of crops based on changing needs but also maintains the health of the soils”
Editor’s View
–Siddharth Dialani, the Founder & Director at LeanCrop Technology Solutions Pvt. Ltd. Agriculture Industry–the most significant part of the Indian economy; is now embracing new-age technologies with an aim to improve the efficiency of various agriculture based operations. Organic Farming is benefitting the planet and wellbeing by saving energy, providing cleaner air, protecting soil and conserving natural habitat. According to an industry insider, India currently holds a prominent position among nearly 172 countries that actively practice organic agriculture. At present, the country is home to many of the organic producers, processors, exporters, and overall 7,20,000 hectares is under cultivation. However, with only a meager close to 0.4 percent of the total agricultural land area designated for organic cultivation, it is evident that this industry still has a long way to go in terms of growth. From my perspective, since we are at the initial stages of embracing organic food segment India, both the government and other private players will have to develop some strong policy framework that can benefit all involved. For now, it can only be safely concluded that the industry (Organic Farming) holds massive growth potential, provided it have to receives steady investment, and benefits from both existing and new initiatives, which can promote its growth, as simple as that!
Happy Healthy New Year!
-Shruti P. Jambhale
Read it First
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“Jatropha as a sustainable feedstock for energy and non-energy applications”
J
Dr. Srinivasan Ramachandran, CEO
JO il: Ensuring
Sustainability for Gen Z 16
O il - A tech-enabled value chain integrator having pioneering expertise in Jatropha plant science and processing technologies. JOil is a joint venture company promoted by visionary shareholders Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory Limited, Tata Chemicals Limited, Wuthelam Holdings Pte. Ltd. and Toyota Tsusho Corporation. In collaboration with Agroils, Italy the company has developed advanced patented technologies to produce high value products from Jatropha seeds that can be used for energy and non-energy applications. JOil’s operations spans across Singapore, India, FEBRUARY 2019
Company of the Month Indonesia, Italy and Ghana. The company is an active member of Jatropha Working Group of Roundtable for Sustainable Biofuels and is committed to ensuring sustainability at its best. Awarded for its Path Breaking Research and Yield Enhancement in Jatropha by Biodiesel Association of India (BDAI), truly explains JOil’s commitment to research and commercialization of Jatropha as a viable biodiesel crop. Jatropha: Marching Forward It all started with Generation 0 Jatropha varieties, which were the wild grown Jatropha types, the seeds of which were used for establishing largescale plantations that commenced subsequent to the hype about Jatropha in the early 2000. The use of unproven wild types of Jatropha for establishing commercial scale projects combined with lack of well-researched agronomy practices and understanding of farming systems, led Jatropha, for no fault of it, to become a victim of misleading promotions and unjustified projections. Understanding the ground realities and foreseeing the need for proven high yielding varieties and hybrids, JOil in 2008, commenced its scientific and structured Jatropha breeding program, which resulted in the evolution of Generation 1 varieties of Jatropha, JO S1 and JO S2, with a yield potential of 4 – 5 tons per ha. These elite varieties were evolved from a mix of promising accessions collected from across the globe representing a wide range of agro climatic conditions. Sustained efforts in research and breeding saw the evolution of high yielding hybrids representing the Generation 2 in the Jatropha business. The hybrids were characterized by FEBRUARY 2019
“We strive to continuously improve our sustainability performance and integrate sustainability considerations in all our business decisions” their abundant and early flowering pattern, and higher levels of more than 20 – 30% oil productivity as compared to the Generation 1 Jatropha varieties. Moving into Generation 3 Jatropha varieties was interesting with the evolution of varieties suitable for high density planting. The range of varieties and hybrids that JOil offers for commercial deployment is widely seen as a game changer in the industry. 3 P’s – The Cornerstones of Joil 1. Planting materials/IP Planting materials through years of breeding has demonstrated high yielding performance in many geographies 2. Global Partnerships – JOil’s presence in 3 continents makes JOil a truly global company
3.
People – JOil, in total has about 150 employees across the 3 continents
The leadership comprises of an elite Board of Directors including the following eminent personalities Sunny George Verghese (Chairman), K.V. Rao, Ranjeev Lodha, Jer Ren Lee, Law Heng Dean and Peter Chia. In addition, Dr Srinivasan Ramachandran is the Chief Technology Officer of JOil Singapore where he has been instrumental in charting its technology deployment strategy. He is also the Chief Executive Officer of JOil India. Science to Business Developing plantations with high yielding varieties and choosing the appropriate product mix according to the existing demands promises to make Jatropha business a highly attractive business proposition and a sustainable green business. Since inception, JOil has been striving hard to offer comprehensive services with an aim to transform the world for better. The company has exclusively developed elite varieties and hybrids of Jatropha by blending breeding, agronomy, tissue culture and biotechnology. JOil has developed high value products from Jatropha seeds for downstream Jatropha value chain – bio diesel, bio adhesives, protein meal, natural waxes, biomass briquettes, bio fertilizers, and bio pesticides. JOil offers its varieties and hybrids with superior genetics to establish commercial scale plantations and also licenses its technologies for commercial utilization. It provides technical advisory services on agronomy which complements its primary business of sales of seedlings of elite varieties and hybrids of Jatropha.
17
Creating Success Stories JOil’s subsidiary in Ghana has embarked on a mission to showcase Jatropha’s potential on a commercial scale. Since setting up operations in Ghana back in 2015, the company has transformed ~1,300 ha of marginal lands into Jatropha plantations. It has provided direct and indirect employment opportunities to a few thousand households in Yeji in Brong Ahafo region, and is recognized as the largest employment provider in Yeji. The income generated amongst the community helps in their social upliftment. JOil is involved in other social initiatives like developing sheds for local school, upgrading the sanitation facilities in nearby villages, and conducting awareness programmes in the region. Apart from generating employment opportunities and social benefits, the Jatropha project in the region has helped in greening the otherwise marginal lands and in reducing soil erosion, thus creating a positive ecological impact which is evident from the vibrant biodiversity observed in the region. Having set up its own captive plantations, JOil is on its way to engage a few thousand local community farmers to take up Jatropha cultivation under an Outgrower Scheme, which ensures an assured market linkage to the seeds produced. It also has plans to set up an integrated processing facility to cater to the needs of the local community. JOil’s Footprint in India With field operations centered around Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, JOil operates its research farms spread over fourteen sites on an area of seventy-five acres in
18
“Entrepreneurial, Innovative, Ethical and Sustainable are the values which best describe JOil” the districts of Coimbatore and Erode. Structured crop breeding program is being taken up in the research farms and a wide range of varieties and hybrids are being evaluated for their performances and agro-climatic suitability. The improved varieties and hybrids, when grown in lands with limited fertility, would leave a positive carbon foot print there by bringing down the GHG emissions ensuring a better environment for the Gen Z. JOil also operates as an oil expeller facility with a production capacity of 10 MT per month. The clean burning Jatropha oil thus produced is being sold as lamp oil for lighting purposes. The seed cake that is obtained as a byproduct is offered to the farmers in the local community which is used as organic manure. The seed cake when used as an organic manure improves the soil texture, enhances the microbial population, and improves the water holding capacity there by ensures sustainability in agriculture. Charting New Directions JOil’s research efforts have come to fruition whereby the high yielding varieties and hybrids of Jatropha are now made available for commercial deployment. This deployment over a
larger area promises to meet out the energy demand of India in an environmentally sustainable way by bringing down the GHG emissions. Lands which were hitherto left uncultivated are likely to be covered with elite Jatropha improving the rural economy and providing employment opportunities for the rural community. Furthermore, the option to synthesize protein meal through JOil’s technologies would pave a way for making hitherto inedible low value seed cake to a high value protein meal which can be extensively used in animal feed formulations. A dual benefit of energy and food from the same piece of land is the way forward for a densely populated country like India. Upcoming Plans for the Future JOil is planning to develop Jatropha plantations over a larger area in India. It aims to expand its territory by collaborating with entities that have the green vision, and also by engaging farmers to take up cultivation of Jatropha in lands with moderate fertility. The biofuel and other bio-based materials produced by the company will go a long way to meet the energy and non-energy needs of India, ensuring sustainability in the process – Environmental, Economic and Social. Guiding the Beginners JOil advices the young minds to focus on sustainability, as it is the right way of growing a business. This will also ensure an organization to be better stewards of environment, and in the process being socially responsible and profitable.
FEBRUARY 2019
About the Author Amardeep Sibia is currently the CEO at SatSure Limited, a space-tech company based out of UK that develops innovative solutions for monetizing data collected by satellites. Prior to entering the space-tech domain he was a full-time corporate junkie having spent over 16 years at Goldman Sachs as VP and Executive Director. He has a great background in technology infrastructure, global technology services and international management. Amardeep utilizes his 23 years of experience managing organizations responsible for architecture, analytics, automation, management, implementation and operations of infrastructure platforms in developing, deploying, scaling, securing and operating critical technology systems. 20
Amardeep Sibia CEO
FEBRUARY 2019
Industry Outlook
Perspectives on Headwinds and Opportunities in Indian Agri Startups L
ife of all the startups is characterized by what they achieve given the limited resources, money and time they have. At times these headwinds are demoralizing, due to non-productive use of the Startup’s resources. These have the broader and long-lasting negative impact on them, as opposed to established companies in this domain. Indian Agri startups constantly find themselves at this intersection of limited money, time and resources. Access to Working Capital Given the seasonal nature of agriculture with income being generated at the end of the season, Agri Startups and their clients may only see seasonal access to revenue. They need money to pay their employees and invest in their enterprises. The assumption that such companies can only raise capital from VCs needs a relook as not every startup is suitable for equity-based capital. Some of these companies may only be looking for working capital loans in the range of Rs. 50 Lakhs to Rs. 1 Crore to become sustainable. These capitals in the form of equity or loans from banks are inaccessible to Agri FEBRUARY 2019
Startups preventing them from being viable. This can be resolved by creating separate schemes for startups to take working capital loans against confirmed orders and a liberal grant regime tied to solving problems in the Agri sector, which will attract more startups to this domain. Companies and industry federations can also pool funds in their CSR initiatives to support such startups. Buying Capacity of the End User While there are many startups solving many issues in the sector, a big challenge is ability for the end user (the farmers) to afford such technology or services. This is a disincentive for the Startups because there are limited avenues to acquire sustainable revenues in an organic manner. Such new technology deployments in the sector require a sufficiently large deployment size to be financially viable. This is further compounded by the paucity of orders from established Agri Businesses. Taking the example of IOT and drip irrigation-asa-service. In villages with small land holdings, this may not be a financially viable option if offered to the farmers individually. The same may become financially viable if a mechanism was available for the majority of farmers to subscribe to such a service with sufficient protection for the assets of the service provider. A focus on farmer collectivization and incentives for businesses to source from them is one way to build buying capacity. Agri Businesses can be a major source of revenue as for end users, creating an incentive scheme for Agri-businesses to acquire products and services from the Agri startups in the form of paid POCs and the like shall have a major positive impact in the sector. The Elephant in the Room Governments are a major stakeholder in the sector. A large proportion of new technology deployment in agriculture happens through the
21
Government subsidy model. Even large wealthy farmers prefer to procure new technology through Government subsidy channels. However, Government procurement practices need a major rethink if, innovations from Startups are to be channeled through Government subsidized channels. The current Government subsidized model for providing new technology to farmers is not Agri Startup friendly. The current structure of Government subsidy channel procurement tends to favors established players who can meet bidding norms and have the financial wherewithal to fulfill supply levels. GFR norms dictate suppliers provide Advance & Performance Bank Guarantees for payments. For entities with limited banking history, RBI norms dictate that the Banks must retain collateral of equal value to the amount of the Bank Guarantee in most cases in the form of an FD. This essentially means a Startup will have to tie up a substantial portion of its capital if it wants to invoice the Government. Most Government departments require the deployment of a large number of on-site resources for effective engagement. Thus, the cost of servicing the Government increases further burdening the Startup, especially, when the number of people in a Startup is low. To compound these further, payments from the Government can be delayed by many months. Thus, if the Startup has invoiced the Government, the Startup will be liable to deposit GST irrespective of whether the Government has actually released the payment or not further burdening the Startup. As long as the government norms are not changed there remains little or no hope for the companies in the sector. As a start, the government can create a channel for banks to provide working capital loans for Government contracts to Startups. The government can give a certificate recommending
22
release of working capital loan through ringfenced mechanisms like escrow accounts. The scrounge of performance and advance bank guarantees should be removed as well as relaxation of GST norms for government contracts awarded to these startups. Access to Technology, Data, and Experts Deploying new technologies like AI in agriculture require access to datasets owned by the Government like yield, fertilizer, land records, soil records, irrigation, weather to name a few. However, most of these datasets remain offline or has unreasonable access restrictions. This prevents Agri Startups to effectively bring technology to bear. Also, Indian Startups are not exposed to advances and developments in other parts of the world. This lack of exposure will ultimately adversely impact the ability of Indian AgriTech Startups to compete globally and scale faster. There needs an immediate rethink in the way access to technology and data is provided to startups, as well as the way they are able to access expert resources for advice and validation. Policy change for granting access to data like land records, digital maps, Survey of India data, CCE data, Soil test data, weather data, satellite data, primary data from Agriculture Research Institutes, and regional level access to agri experts will result in a step change the way the sector organizes itself and delivering benefits to the end customers. Collectively these issues ramp up to creating a talent deficit in the sector in India, lowering of valuation of companies in the domain vis-a-vis other technology startups operating in the country and last but not the least, forcing such companies to seek customers from outside the country, thereby depriving agriculture ecosystem in India the benefit of their innovations. The time to change headwinds into opportunities is now, or never.
FEBRUARY 2019
FARMING ACROSS
INDIA [ [
West Bengal
Largest Rice & Vegetables Producer
UTTER PRADESH
Also, produces Jute, Sesame, and Tobacco
[ [ Largest Wheat & Sugarcane Producer
[ [
Andhra Pradesh
Largest Coconut & Banana Producer Also, produces Flowers
Rajasthan
TAMILNADU
[ [ Largest Rapeseed & Mustard Producer
Also, produces Total Food Grains, Potato
[ [ Largest Maize Producer
Also, produces Fruits, Total Spices
Also, produces Coarse Cereal
24
FEBRUARY 2019
[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ Largest Cotton Producer
Maharashtra
[ [ [ [ [ [ Largest Sugar Producer
Also, produces Cotton, Cashew Nut, Onion
Madhya Pradesh
Also, produces Wheat
Largest Coffee Producer
Gujarat
Largest Apple Producer
Jammu & Kashmir
Largest Soyabean Producer
Karnataka
Also, produces groundnut and oilseeds
Also, produces Saffron
Bihar
Largest Litchi Producer Also, produces Vegetables
Also, produces Coarse Cereal, Areca Nut
Largest Bamboos Producer Also, produces Tea
FEBRUARY 2019
Assam
Kerala
Largest Black Paper Producer Also, produces Cocoa
25
Aries Agro Providing Unique and specialized crop nutrition products
S
ince 1969, Aries Agro Limited, an Indian Multinational company is offering the widest range of products in the primary, secondary and micro-fertilizer sector, ranging from individual element to mixed specialty plant nutrient fertilizers. It has pioneered several innovative concepts of farming to Indian agriculturists, including the wonder of Chelation Technology, bio-degradable complexes of plant nutrients, water soluble NPK fertilizers, value added secondary nutrients, natural and biological products and water treatment formulations. Aries products provide all 16 plant nutrients required in agriculture and can be customized for the specific needs of 107 different crops. It has been consistently recognized among India’s best-in-class companies. With more than 70 brands in the niche plant nutrition industry, the company is selling its products at 90,000 retail outlets across India. Aries is today an Indian-born multinational company with four manufacturing units to produce over 150,000 tons of specialized plant nutrition products. Intellectual Leaders The Founders, Dr. T. B. Mirchandani and Mrs. Bala Mirchandani of Aries Agro were a team of marketing and technical experts in the area of agri business. The company was set up in 1969 and Dr. Rahul Mirchandani, the Chairman & MD, joined business in
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February 1995. Since joining as part of the market development team, Rahul Mirchandani has been instrumental in expanding the company’s presence from nine states to twenty-six states. With the use of sensory branding for the first time in Indian Animal Nutrition Products and by using water soluble packaging for the single dose packs of Aries flagship brands, he created a buzz in the market apart from ensuring accurate dose and reducing labor requirements. Rahul Mirchandani balances a mix of experienced stalwarts with growing young enthusiasts in his team of over eight hundred employees of which over a hundred have been with the organization for more than two decades. He always ensures that the Aries team is highly skilled and trained in concept selling, digitally connected and extremely trusted by farmers. Top-notch Technological Products and Services The company provides a range of products which are in the specialty plant nutrition area and can be segmented into: ● Micronutrient fertilizers and Chelates ● Water soluble NPK fertilizers ● Secondary plant nutrition and soil conditioners ● Aquaculture and fishery nutrition ● Animal health supplements ● Water treatment and post-harvest management solutions ● Bactericides and plant hormones
Dr. Rahul Mirchandani, Chairman & MD
In order to promote these products, the company’s team of dynamic professionals, who possess a mix of technical expertise and business acumen, also provides services like: ● Mobile soil testing ● Farmers training and knowledge sharing programmes ● Forums for farmers to discuss policy issues with Government ● A seat on the table at Industry associations including Confederation of Indian Industry, Indian Micro-fertilizers Manufacturers Association, Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, etc. ● Merchandising and display contests ● Dealers and Retailers training programmes ● Study tours and excellence missions for farmers Through its products and passion, Aries continually demonstrates that it is a responsible corporate citizen, working hard to retain the delicate balance of nature and the development of communities where it works and grows. FEBRUARY 2019
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Rewards and Recognitions With the consistent efforts of the Aries family, the company has been recognized with many awards and accolades. Some of them are as follows: ● Felicitated by Economic Times as the “Champions of Rural Market 2018” ● The highest independent honor in India named as ‘Skoch Gold Award 2017’ for its consistent work serving for Indian farmers. ● Recognized with Skoch Order of Merit - 2017 for being amongst the top 100 SME’s in India ● The National Record awarded by Limca Book of Records for the Largest Flash Sale of Specialty Plant Nutrient Products ● Winner of Inc India Innovative 100 Award ● Winner of CNBC Emerging India Award 2008 ● Recipient of the National Unity Award ● Recipient of the Outstanding Leadership Award Aries Agro is the first company which successfully connects over 10,000 young farmers in CII’s Young Indians National Farmer Network with the objective of knowledge sharing. Also, it is the first and only company to launch Khazaana –India’s only customer Loyalty Programme in Agribusiness. It has also successfully expanded the business operations from 35,000 MT ten years ago to 1,50,000 MT today, spread over four factories in India and one unit overseas. This will be further expanded to two more locations in the coming few years. FEBRUARY 2019
Community Development The company has focused on a range of community activities such as Infrastructure support for Education, Scholarships, Farmers Call Centre and Knowledge dissemination activities. These sessions are conducted by the team of 138 extension officials spread across 26 states. The unique feature of these events is that they have participation on a common intellectual platform from top government officials, opinion leaders, academia, research scholars, scientists, agribusiness students and farmers from across the states. The company also provides on-field Soil Testing Services, in order to make the farmers understand the specific nutrient needs of their farms. Unique CSR Programmes: Well on Wheels Apart from the community development activities, “Well on
“We are creating Digital Media for information delivery to farmers”
Wheels”, is a device to assist the women in rural areas to carry 45 liters of water using a wheel barrow type of machine, rather than carrying heavy loads on their head across long distances. Piece of Advice “The agri inputs segment is a high growth but hyper competitive market where finding a unique niche to provide products and services which are relevant to farmers needs is most critical. Tenacity, agility and patience will be the only ways that entrepreneurs can ensure the success and survive in this attractive market.” says Dr. Rahul Mirchandani. Marching towards the Horizon The future of Aries, which is embarking on its golden jubilee year in 2019-20, is being charted by strengthening its focus areas. It is redesigning flagship formulations every year based on soil testing so that the company is always ahead of the competition. The company is re-engineering it’s products using the best in class technologies to further improve the effectiveness of the Aries range of products and nurturing a team of highly trained agri business professionals in all markets that Aries serves. Lastly, the company is creating digital media infrastructure for information delivery to farmers and ensuring that Aries customers have access to the latest information on crop management and Indian good agricultural practices.
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Fasal An Audacious Attempt Revolutionizing the Indian Agriculture Ecosystem Ananda Prakash Verma, Founder & CEO
F
asal, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered IoT platform, helps farmers to make a datadriven decision. With the help of Fasal’s intelligent and actionable recommendations, farmers are now able to cut down their input cost in disease and pest management and irrigation significantly and also able to improve the quality and quantity of production. Meet the Problem-Solver Ananda Prakash Verma, the Founder & CEO, belongs to farming family. The son of a vegetable seed producer, Ananda has seen his father lose his crop because of uncertain weather conditions and lack of information. Moreover, that time, he realized that this problem is not only with him but every farmer faces the same issue. There is no right data to make an informed decision in agriculture. With the aim
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to help farmers, Ananda along with his friend Shailendra started the new venture called ‘Fasal’. However, both the Founders, Ananda and Shailendra, were working together in their previous company and had this passion for solving ground level agriculture issues with the help of technology. Both of them quit their jobs and start pursuing their dream to contribute back to Agriculture. Real-time Solution provider Fasal is the mix of IoT and AI solution built for farmers. Once farmers install a small device in their farm, Fasal records various ground level data and make it available to farmers on their mobile phone in real-time. It runs its AI algorithms on the incoming data to predict Disease and Pest possibility. However, the best part is that this all predicted
before it happens on the field and prepares the farmer to take low-cost preventive action to save the crop before damage. It also recommends farmers when to irrigate and how much to irrigate to maximize the nutrient uptake by the crop and hence increases the productivity. Awards and Accolades CoE IoT NASSCOM is selected Fasal for incubation and also it is selected by Top AI acceleration in Asia called Zeroth. The company is one among the three winners of Sea Side Startup submit. Also, Fasal is being listed as the Great Indian Startup by Tech in Asia and Top six Indian AgriTech Startups that are Revolutionizing Agriculture. Genesis of Fasal The key motto of the company itself is to ‘give back to society’. Farming FEBRUARY 2019
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in India for a long time is being treated as the last profession or may be no profession at all. Fasal strongly believes that Agriculture will become a top profession in the country with more and more innovations in this field. Fasal also looks at various environmental level changes it is bringing to society by saving water usage in irrigation and reducing the use of harmful pesticide and chemicals spray which is degrading the health and causing deadly diseases. Agricultural Technology Ananda has observed that Indian farmers are already growing enough food and have the potential to produce more food to manage the demand. He also believes in Indian farmers that they are capable of feeding the whole world. However, only help is needed in improving the food quality, reducing the residue effects to make it exportable, reducing the input cost, and getting fair market value. Exceptional Future
“We are helping farmers to grow more, grow better and sell better using IoT and Machine Learning”
for the farmers. The platform where any farmers can put the name of the crop they want to grow and Fasal will guide him along the way to produce the high-quality crop and sell it at a fair market value. A Piece of Advice By acknowledging the current industry scenario, Ananda said “Get out of your comfort zone, go get your hands dirty with the ground level issues. Talk to as many customers before building anything. Don’t try to copy and re-build something which already exists in the market.” Further, he added- “Also, remember the statement which I believe and follow, i.e. All happy companies are different: each one earns a monopoly by solving a unique problem. All failed companies are the same: they failed to escape competition- by Peter Thiel, American Entrepreneur.”
With the vision to run farming on the auto-pilot mode, Fasal is aiming to become one of the unique platforms FEBRUARY 2019
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LeanAgri Creating Tech-enabled Solutions Benetting Farmers
Siddharth Dialani, Co-founder
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griculture plays a pivotal role in uplifting the Indian economy. The technology advancements are bringing in numerous opportunities and increasing investments in agricultural infrastructure. On the other hand, rising private participation, growing organic farming, and use of information technology are unlocking newer doors for empowering the farmers. Many existing, as well as, emerging organizations are taking deeper dives into the agricultural sector and creating products which are breaking the conventional processes. Established in 2017, LeanAgri is a pioneer in developing data-driven solutions for decision making and action planning for farmers and enterprises working with farmers based on farm data. It is amongst the immerging start-ups in India, which is on a mission to break the traditional norms and dismantle the risks associated with poor farm yields and low farm incomes. By outshining the
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food security problems, it aims to create a niche in its sector and contribute in passing a healthy earth to the Gen Z. An Idea that Pulled the Trigger Siddharth Dialani and Sai Gole are the Co-founders of LeanAgri. Being fond of reading, Siddharth found out that, in India, Agriculture is a major sector which is lacking innovation. After clearing his CAT exam in 2015, during the period of applying for the Food & Agriculture Business Management course, the idea of developing tech-enabled processes for better agricultural outcomes flicked his mind. As such, Siddharth along with Sai started spending their weekends with farmers to deeply understand the loopholes in agricultural processes. With two years of on-ground experience and continuous mentorship of International Crop Research Institute of Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) scientists, they successfully formed
the framework of LeanAgri. Currently, Siddharth is heading Execution and Agronomy section and Sai is responsible for Business Development. By empowering LeanAgri with sheer determination, the core team is striving hard to solve the current problems of food security in order to improve the farmers’ income. Empowering Farmers at its Best LeanAgri is taking prominent steps towards the welfare of farmers and focusing on innovation in order to enhance the agricultural processes in the longer run by rolling out exclusive services including: LeanNutri – Decision-making and season-long personalized planning product are offered to the farmers for three key factors: Nutrient Management, Pest and Disease Management, and Irrigation Management. Data for soil, water and location parameters are collected on FEBRUARY 2019
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farm and farmers receive season-long farming activities based information through SMS, pre-recorded calls and mobile application. LeanEnterprise – It is a farmer management and derived data analytics platform for enterprises connected with multiple farmers for forwarding or backward value chain. Remarkable Achievements With unified efforts and dedication, LeanAgri secured a funding of 50K Dollars. from Travis Kalanick (Founder and former CEO of Uber). In addition, the company also got the opportunity of visiting San Francisco to meet top Uber executives and other venture capitalists. LeanAgri team bagged the Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) 2018 Award with a grant of 50,00,000 INR. The team received this funding from Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India for further Research & Development. LeanAgri is incubated and formally associated with ICRISAT, Hyderabad. On-field research trials are conducted in collaboration with ICRISAT to validate the techniques and products developed by LeanAgri team. In addition, ICRISAT offers agronomy support such as crop growth data and nutrient analysis to the team. Other Government institutions like Directorate of Onion & Garlic Research (DOGR) and Indian Institute of Spice Research (IISR) also supports the team for validation trials. FEBRUARY 2019
Enlightening the Youth
“We aim towards increment in farmer income using technology as key driver and would continue to maintain the technologyfarmer fit, for today and tomorrow”
Unlike other fields, Agri-sector is not the one which reaps out result in quick time. It takes an extra mile of patience and continuous sometimes, redundant efforts to make things validated. Acknowledging this scenario, LeanAgri advises the beginners to make sure that they are determined towards the problem they are solving for the farmer/food. The company also advised the young minds to continuously keep an eye on the technology advancements. They should focus on developing services which could prominently quench every need of the farmer. Steps toward ‘Transformation’ LeanAgri aims to serve at least 10% of the total agriculture in India. It will be working on product development by adding multiple modules to its service menu for satisfying the clientele. The company consistently plans to release new features every quarter for the current products. Some of the future products in pipeline comprise: LeanProtect – This will empower the preventive pest and disease prediction. LeanEquip – This will exclusively deal with end-to-end supply chain management.
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Indian Agriculture Sector: Investment, Growth and Future Prospects
T
he GDP of India’s agricultural sector amounts to an impressive US$ 262 billion. The industry remains the single largest contributor to the Indian economy, although its share of GDP fell from more than 30 percent in FY 91 to almost 14.5 percent in FY 11. In order to promote the participation of the private sector, the Indian government allowed 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) in several segments of the agricultural industry. These include fertilizers, agricultural machinery, horticulture, seed development, livestock farming, fish farming, and F&V segment. The outpour of these private sector investments will benefit Indian farmers considerably, as most of them engage in small-scale enterprises and struggle to achieve profitability. These investments can be used to promote agricultural research and development and protect the environment, which could contribute to the overall increase in agricultural productivity. As a result of the 100% FDI allowance, the agricultural services sector saw foreign investments of US$ 1.5 billion over 2000–2012.Apart from FDI being
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Santosh Nair
Founder & MD Miklens Bio Pvt. Ltd.
About the Author Santosh Nair is a graduate from Mumbai University in 1991 with a specialization in Chemistry. He chose Finance as his mainstream while obtaining his Master s degree in management from the reputed NMIMS in 1998 and has an Executive Degree from IIM-A. With his experience and keen understanding of the world of business and nance, he is involved in making the presence of Miklens Bio felt over wider regions of India and across the globe. His passion for clean agriculture makes him the perfect advocate for Residue-Free Cultivation. FEBRUARY 2019
Agri-Insights a major game changes, the green revolution in the 70s actually played a pivotal role in making the nation selfsufficient. This was tagged with the usage of chemical-based Agri-inputs which made the farmers pay a hefty price over the coming year. The haphazard use of chemical made the soil infertile, led to the loss of productivity, environmental degradation, and lower yields eventually. Consumption of chemical fertilizers increased from 151 kg/hectare in FY10 to 166 kg/hectare in FY12. This has not only caused an increase in yields but also led to the disruption of the ecological balance which the nation is trying to reverse by going chemical free. Several states have adopted the organic route and many are in pipeline. Considering the present agricultural scenario and the growth plan to be envisioned, we need to work on the below pointers to understand and develop the channel for the rise of agriculture in India: • • • • • • •
Supply stress due to resource scarcity Scope to improve yield Opportunity to reduce losses in the food chain Technological disruption directly to farmers Agricultural credit Soil nutrient management Research / technology-based crops
Also, the government initiatives and investments, along with various schemes for the Agri community have proved to be a turning point in the way agriculture will be carried out. Some major investments and developments in agriculture are as follows: • The first mega food park in FEBRUARY 2019
Rajasthan was inaugurated in March 2018. • In 2017, the agriculture sector in India witnessed 18 M&A deals worth US$ 251 million. • A loan agreement of US$ 318 million was signed between the Government of India, Government of Tamil Nadu and the World Bank in December 2017 for the ‘Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization Project’ through which is expected to benefit around 500,000 farmers in the state. Not just the organic way or government initiatives, the PublicPrivate partnership would garner better results in the agriculture space for supporting future innovation and capacity building. India is expected to achieve the ambitious objective of doubling farmer’s agricultural revenue by 2022. In the coming years, India is expected to be self- sufficient in pulses due to the concerted efforts of scientists to obtain early maturation varieties of pulses and the increase in the minimum support price. The Government of India aims to increase a farmer’s average household income to Rs. 219,724/- by 2022-23 from Rs. 96,703/- in 2015-16 at present prices. The Government of India has implemented a number of projects to support the agriculture sector. They are: Pradhanmantri Gram Sinchai Yojana: The aim of the scheme is to irrigate the farmers’ fields and improve the efficiency of water use to achieve the motto ‘Per Drop More Crop’. The scheme overall ensures better access to irrigation. About 285 new irrigation projects for 18,8 million hectares of land will be undertaken in 2018. Under the Union Budget for 2018- 19, US$
401.6 million was allocated to the scheme. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY): The scheme aims to motivate groups of farmers to take up organic farming. India currently occupies a prominent position among 172 countries that are active in organic farming worldwide. More than 6,50,000 organic producers, 699 processors, 669 exporters, and 7,20,000 hectares are currently in cultivation in the country. However, with only 0.4% of the total agricultural land for organic farming, it is clear that this industry still has a long way to go in terms of growth. The farmers even now have an option for chemical-free farming using Agri Microbial Technology (AMT) based bio Agri inputs which are a perfect replacement to chemical-based inputs and help in residue free farming. These bio Agri inputs eliminate the risks associated with chemical-based farming and significantly enhance yields. The use of chemical pesticides over a prolonged period causes the development of resistance. Such products are highly target-specific and employ multiple modes of action. This prevents the development of resistance and maintains a balance in the natural ecosystem. Residue Free Cultivation based on Agri Microbial Technology (AMT) can bring about a transformation in the sector by increasing yields, reducing costs and environmental impact, and thereby increasing farmer’s profit margins. The future will be technologically driven and research oriented. This would open up more avenues for growth, investment and eventually development of the sector and nation as a whole.
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Sashanka Agro Tech A Prominent Manufacturer and Exporter of Greenhouse Material
Aniruddha Sinha, Director
ndia-based pioneer Sashanka Agro Tech Ltd. established in the year 1999, deals in various Agrotech activities. Since inception, the company is helping to create a viable, economically profitable, and sustainable growth and it is fully committed to the farming community at all the project stages. It takes care of all the aspects that give the best results to the farmers.
I
After few years Aniruddha Sinha joined the company as the Director. The company has two decades of experience in handling various agro tech projects. It also has an excellent and undisputed experience of successfully executing different jobs and projects at State Government, Government of India Research Institutions, some other prestigious organisations, and corporate clients.
Believers behind Sashanka – The Success Script
Sashanka Agro Tech has completed excellent and undisputed projects at different Research Stations, Agricultural Universities, and States. At the Initial Stage, Sashanka Agro Tech Pvt. Ltd. operated from Ranchi, Jharkhand and slowly and steadily they have reached from backwoods of Himachal Pradesh to different rural areas of Karnataka and the difficult hilly areas of Madhya Pradesh to Mizoram.
The company was established by Bishwanath Sinha, the Managing Director. He started his carrier in the field of print journalism, and during his visits in the rural areas he was deeply moved by the apathy of the farmer. While travelling to different places he felt the requirement of increasing the marginal productivity of land by establishing protected structures and through the use of new technologies. As a result Sashanka Agro Tech came alive.
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High-end Services Sashanka Agro Tech is working on the
establishment of the Agricultural infrastructure through turnkey projects, under which different types of green Houses, Hydroponic, Aeroponic and Aquaponics facilities, Drip Irrigation System, on farm Collection and Post Storage Unit, Organic farming Support Facility, Eco Animal Shelter and Training centers are framed. Apart from this, two important projects are Tissue Culture lab and Solar Renewable Energy divisions. In Tissue Culture lab, Company ensure consistently uniform quality of diseasefree planting material through application of biotech for mass micro propagation of high yielding (genetically true-to-type) elite clones. The product of Tissue Culture raised plantlets will have zero variation and uniform growth. In year 2011, Sashanka took its first step towards solar renewable energy after gathering vast experience and expertise with continuous research and development. Thus, the company is now in the position to design,
FEBRUARY 2019
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manufacture and install solar water pumping system, solar roof top system, solar cold storage, solar street light, solar green house and solar street light. Sashanka Solar water pumping solutions has reduced the expense of Diesel and Electricity cost, with little maintenance and long product life, which is indeed a boon for farmers. Sashanka Solar powered cold room addresses the problem of post-harvest losses in fruits, vegetables and other perishable produce. Accomplishments to Be Proud of Company has received various awards and recognition for their exquisite work in the field of agriculture, some of them are: ·
· · · · ·
In 2009, Received ISAC Annual Convention Award from Birsa Agriculture University Received Agro Tech Fair Award in 2011 In 2013, Received Award at National Seminar In 2014, received First Prize at State level Horticultural Festival In the year 2015, Received Prof. Ajit Singh Memorial Award Received award at Indian Institute of Natural Resin and Gum
Crystal clear Mind-Set
“We work with a futuristic approach to successfull y quench client's requireme nts and demands”
them free from vagaries of nature through introduction of modern agriculture practices. Earlier these high-end facilities were accessible only to the big farmers. Now, this facility is available to small and marginal farmers through Sashanka. With the help of Sashanka Solar Green Houses, farmers can keep producing Solar Energy under PV Panels; while, at the same time, farmers can keep producing the agricultural product under the Panels, providing maximum usage of available agricultural land, so these projects actually double the productivity of land. The Way Ahead In future Sashanka is going to initiate many important initiatives for easy adoption of new technology for new farmers, out of which one is international level training center, to be established at Kanke Block in Ranchi District. This training center will be highly developed where, farmers, Govt. officials and the person who are directly or indirectly related with agriculture can acquire the knowledge related to agriculture tissue culture plant Production and uses of Renewable Energy under one roof.
Company is working with a very clear vision to uplift socio-economic status of the farming community by making FEBRUARY 2019
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Smur Agro Espousals of Organic Farming in India
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griculture has been the mainstay of the Indian economy for ages and continues to be a dominant contributor to scaling the GDP of the country. Independent studies have revealed that the total agricultural exports from India have grown over 38 billion USD in FY18. The exponential growth is a combined result of the traditional agricultural products along with the innovative technologies that have emerged as the game changer in recent times. Over the last decade, the advent of agri-tech companies across the country is fuelling the opportunity to transform this sector. By cementing itself as a ‘solution-provider’, the industry stands to be the perfect answer in maximizing productivity and aligning the efficient use of resources. By leveraging technology in the areas of B2C and B2B markets, and even digital agronomy platforms, these companies are able to address the traditional challenges of Indian agriculture. Journey Fostering Creativity and Novelty Population, rising income levels,
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increased export volumes are the key factors driving the agricultural growth Udayan Arya, CEO & Founding Director in India. Evolving startups, established company offers a plethora of products players in the agritech domain along – starting from seed treatment to with the recent Government impetus in ripening. Currently, its portfolio the form of policies and reforms are consists of thirteen products that delivering impeccable solutions for the ensure that all aspects of growing food farmers in an utmost manner. One such are looked after organically and pioneer that has successfully esthetically. It specializes in producing engineered the art of delivering high-grade ingredients like extracts and innovative organic agro solutions is fungal extracts, algae, organic material Smur Agro Ventures. As the demand for specific as well as general use. The for organic food products has company is on a mission to enable witnessed a steep incline in recent organic farming by providing years, studies divulge that the total solutions, products, and support to organic cultivation in India stands at a farmers. The team is receiving meager 2.59% in the global list. This fabulous responses for the NPOP huge difference is one of the foremost certified products that are launched in factors that led to the inception of the Indian as well as global market. SMUR. It has partnered with the latest Especially for crop growth and pest organic innovators, agronomists, and disease management, the company is enablers across the globe and has witnessing a huge surge in the crafted scientific organic products for demands for organic products. As an crops that are favorable to the Indian international associate of iFOAM, soil and climatic conditions. Standing (international umbrella body of tall as one of the forerunners in organic farming, Germany), Spur Agro promoting scientific organic farming, has cemented itself as one of the SMUR has been phenomenal in market leaders in this segment. educating and marketing this concept Alongside manufacturing the products among the all agriculture segments in in the country using ‘advanced nano the country. organic’ technology, the company has tie-ups and association with global Under the flagship of Smur Agro, the FEBRUARY 2019
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organic research and organic companies that have yielded positive results. An Ingenious Mind As the CEO and Founding Director, Udayan Arya is the Captain who is successfully steering the ship of Smur Agro in the business world. With a career spanning over two decades, Udayan has amassed extensive business acumen in the areas of Business Strategy, Communication, Marketing, Re-engineering, and Advisory. In his illustrious career, he has worked with over eighty clients who are reputed and known globally and has earned the reputation of an astute strategist, advisor, and orator.He has also written a paper on ‘inside-our re-engineering process’ christened as ABM. Exceptional Services - Bringing the Change Since inception, Smur Agro has transitioned from an agro-business to a comprehensive ‘solution-provider’. Today it offers a complete range of organic products and solutions for commercial agriculture and domestic garden segments. Talking about commercial agriculture space, the company offers onsite technical assessment, application assistance, customized schedules and much more! As a committed organization, SMUR walks the extra mile to educate and enlighten the farmers about the growing schedule of every crop, cultivation techniques, costs, and expected outcome. Providing a broad analysis related to the cost benefits along with assisting the farmers to FEBRUARY 2019
“We strive to make a one degree global change towards organic farming for healthier tomorrow”
obtain organic certification are some of the mentionable initiatives taken by the team. To expand the prominence of organic farming, SMUR has recently launched a ‘state-of-the-art’ e-commerce platform through their website alongside providing advert and market intelligence support for their channel partners. Enlightening the Tenderfoots The company believes that the agricultural sector has a vast scope and space for entrepreneurs. Embracing innovative business models is the need of the hour for this sector and understanding the real issues of the farmers is the biggest factor. It asserts that if entrepreneurship is built keeping the needs of the farmers in mind, there are a plethora of business opportunities with a lot of real contentment. Future Endeavour Smur Agro carries an optimistic outlook for the future. The company plans to strengthen global tie-ups with prominent players with an aim to fortify its global presence. The company is working to improve the perception of organic farming through the involvement of global influencers and stakeholders. With a focus on continued innovation and promotion of healthy and solid organic products and practices, SMUR continues to partner with best minds across the globe and strive for an easy and economical reach of such best organic products and support system.
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