24 agri startups recommended for support from pool of Rs 20 cr: Govt

In a boost to the agritech sector, experts have recommended 24 start-ups for both technical and financial support from a special fund of Rs 20 crore, an official release said on Saturday.

This initiative, aimed at accelerating promising ideas, innovations and technologies, was announced during the ATMAN (Agri sTartup deMo And financing) 2023 program organized by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in collaboration with four Technology Innovation Hubs, read the Press release from the Ministry of Science and Technology.

The Technology Innovation Hubs, established under the National Mission on Inter-disciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) at prominent Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) – Ropar, Bombay, Indore and Kharagpur, played a crucial role in identifying and nurturing of these agricultural start-ups.

A total of 55 start-ups presented their innovative solutions in five panels that focused on precision agriculture, agro IoT, agri 4.0, mechanization, automation, market information, yield forecasting, agricultural advice and communication during the ATMAN 2023 program.

The jury has identified and recommended 24 start-ups as potential beneficiaries of the Rs 20 Crore fund.

In addition, to recognize excellence in innovation, the program has awarded the “Best Pitch Award” to top presentations, underscoring the importance of these emerging technologies in agriculture, read the press release.

In addition, the event showcased 20 key agritech technologies developed by the four Technology Innovation Hubs, driving innovation and collaboration within the sector.

Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, emphasized the need for synergy between research, academia, start-ups and industry, read the press release.

He emphasized the importance of such collaborations not only in developing innovative products but also in effectively branding and marketing them on national and global stages.

Dr. Rajesh Gokhle, Secretary, DST, outlined the potential of the ATMAN program to support the development and commercialization of innovative technologies, products and services in the AgriTech market.

He highlighted its role in providing opportunities for start-ups to showcase their technologies to government and industry stakeholders.

Dr. Akhilesh Gupta, Senior Advisor at DST and Secretary SERB, highlighted the relatively low number of deep tech startups in agriculture and expressed optimism about the growth of this sector, read the press release.

He explained how this initiative aimed to bridge that gap and expand its reach across the country, potentially involving agricultural universities and colleges in the future, the press release said.

The program also launched several initiatives, including the Grand Challenge and Competition (GCC) for Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, “SAMRIDHI 2.0”, focused on holistic innovation and development for ICPS Startups, and the release of the Quantum Enabled Science and Technology (QuEST) compendium and ATMAN booklet.