Agritech startups harvesting smart solutions for Indian farmers

Earlier, if crops got infected by pests or diseases, farmers had to wait to figure out the problem. Not anymore. Today, with the help of AI-powered tools, they can detect pest attacks or crop diseases early and take action quickly. These tools also help predict weather patterns, understand soil health, and improve farm productivity.

Agritech startups across India are using digital and AI solutions to support farmers like never before. Reaching small and marginal farmers in remote areas used to be a huge challenge. But with mobile apps, cloud computing, machine learning, and real-time data, startups can now offer instant advice and updates, no matter where the farmer is.

Take Deepak Kumar, for example. He’s the founder and CEO of Yogitha Biofarming Pvt Ltd in Kharagpur, West Bengal. In 2019, 500 small farmers joined him. Today, over 5,000 farmers rely on his company to help them increase their income through better market links. Deepak, who earlier worked with an NGO in Jharkhand, saw a big knowledge gap between rural farmers and middlemen. While he and his team started by visiting farmers in person, now they’re building a mobile app in Bengali and Oriya that can offer services within two hours.

India’s agriculture sector touched nearly `99.7 lakh crore in 2024 and is expected to grow to `236.6 lakh crore by 2033, with a CAGR of 10.08%, according to IMARC Group. But the sector still faces problems like small land holdings, low productivity, climate change, and soil degradation. That’s where agritech startups come in. They use new-age tech to change the game, improve livelihoods, ensure food security and open up jobs and investments.

One such startup is Eeki, founded by IIT Bombay graduates Abhay Singh and Amit Kumar. Eeki raised $7 million to expand its aeroponic farming across India. They grow pesticide-free vegetables year-round on barren land using just 10% of the usual waterand with 10 times more yield. Their patented growing chambers and automated systems allow them to sell produce at regular market prices. Eeki is tackling food security by farming on land once considered useless, unaffected by changing weather.

In the past nine years, more than 7,000 agritech startups have emerged in India, according to the Federation of All India Farmer Associations. Thanks to research and technology, areas like seeds, irrigation, and fertilizers have all improved. Now, tools like AI, smart sensors, and analytics are helping boost productivity, reduce input costs, and support sustainable farming.

Startups are also looking beyond India for growth. For instance, DeHaat has expanded to 26 countries across the Middle East, Europe and Asia. Cropin is developing smart solutions to reduce crop loss and fight pest problems. Varaha is running carbon-reduction projects in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Kenya and is helping over one lakh small farmers move towards sustainable practices.

Another inspiring example is Rahul Prakash, Founder of Amalfarm. He noticed that while people today are more health-conscious, they still rely heavily on multivitamins. This made him realise the importance of fresh, local produce. During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, he launched Amalfarm in Kolkata to reconnect consumers with the origins of their food. Every product comes with a QR code. Scan it, and you can see who grew it, when it was harvested, what chemicals were used, and where it came from. His company also uses AI in supply chain management to ensure quality and traceability.

Both Deepak and Rahul believe Bengal’s agritech scene is picking up fast. In fact, agritech companies in Kolkata have raised over $141 million in the last 10 years. Sunil Singhi, Managing Partner at V Singhi & Associates, says local players in Bengal are helping farmers get better yields and face fewer crop losses through smart tech solutions.

Today, around one lakh people are employed in India’s agritech sector, and it’s expected to create another 60,000–80,000 jobs in the next five years. Agritech startups have started yielding results with smarter farming solutions and this is indeed a big step towards reshaping Indian agriculture for the future.