Agriculture is one of India’s most important industries, and it employs the majority of the country’s rural people. As a result, we must empower those who engage in this industry, with farmers being one of the most important components.
We must enact laws, amendments, initiatives and business plans to assist farmers and help them expand, since if farmers prosper, so will the agriculture sector and therefore the nation.
KissanPro, a Jharkhand-based startup, is working on this. So, let’s have a look at what the startup has to offer.
About The Startup
Pankaj Roy and Ravindra Dasoundhi established the KissanPro Agro Technology startup in Jharkhand in 2020 intending to enable farmers and help them thrive through technology, design, and data science. Their goals are to assist farmers in boosting land production, lowering land costs per acre, and enhancing per KG prices.
It achieves these goals by utilizing technology, and it has also established help centres where farmers can go if they have any questions or problems. These centres are located in each cluster, making it easy for them to visit anytime they need to.
At present, it is catering to more than 10,000 farmers and helping them by supplying pesticides, fertilisers, etc., providing them with advisories, and linking them with the market to sell their produce.
The co-founder of KissanPro, Pankaj Roy, told Indian Express, “We currently don’t charge farmers for advisories, and are able to give them a better price for input supplies since we buy directly from manufacturers in bulk. We are connected to a few institutional buyers and are helping farmers get a better price. This is where we also earn, as of now.”
How It Has Helped Farmers?
Ajit Manjhi is a farmer associated with KissanPro and is producing crops on three acres of land in Jharkhand. This year he is expecting to earn 1 lakh annually per acre of land.
Another farmer named Raju Mahato, associated with the startup, has harvested 20 tons of cucumber on his five acres of land in Jharkhand.
A group of ten farmers in Khunti district, Jharkhand, has produced 500 quintals of ginger and is expecting to sell them at Rs. 7/kg, which is more than the market price.
Mr. Rajendra, a farmer, said, “I am happy with the services provided by KissanPro. They provided me with the best input supplies and helped in every phase of my crop production by giving me crop advice.”
Also Read: UK Parliament Speaks Up Against The Indian Govt’s Handling Of The Farmers’ Protests, And The Govt Isn’t Too Pleased
Hence, the startup has been helpful for the farmers in producing good quality crops, selling produce at fair prices, and in earning handsome amounts.
Achievements Of The Startup
In September 2021, the startup signed a pact with Barakat Vegetables & Fruit Co from Dubai, and now the farmers will be able to sell their produce in Middle East countries as well.
Ravindra told Zee Business, “KissanPro supplies inputs and marketing services to around 5,000 farmers in Ranchi, Hazaribagh and Bokaro districts.” They are presently working to link their farms with international buyers and agreements will soon be signed.
“The company incorporated itself as KissanPro in 2020 but I have been working since 2016 with just a proof of concept. It earned revenues of Rs 10 lakh, Rs 25 lakh and Rs 40 lakh in the years 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively— with a 30-40% profit in all these years”, Roy told Indian Express.
By the end of this year, KissanPro will do an annualised run rate of USD 5 million.
Image Sources: Google
Sources: Zee Business, KissanPro, Indian Express
Connect with the blogger: Palak Dogra
This post is tagged under: tier 2 startups, tier 3 startups, rural startups, startups from tier 2 cities, startups from rural India, small-town startups, small city startups, India, startups in India, Indian startups, new startups, best startups in India, top startups in India, startups in Bangalore, invest in a startup, fintech startups, funding for startups, startups in Delhi, edtech startups, unicorn startups in India, startups in Mumbai, how to invest in startups, top 10 startups in India
Also Recommended:
This Bhubaneswar Based Startup Is Helping Handicraft Artisans Earn INR 30-40k A Month
