The aim is to scout for innovative and commercially viable solutions to address six problems faced by the animal husbandry and dairy sector

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, in partnership with Startup India, launched the second edition of ‘Animal Husbandry Startup Grand Challenge’ at an event celebrating ‘National Milk Day’ in Anand, Gujarat to commemorate the birth centenary of Dr Varghese Kurien. The event was organised in the presence of Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister of State of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Information & Broadcasting, Dr L Murugan, and Minister of State of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Dr Sanjeev Balyan.

The first edition of the startup grand challenge was launched by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on September 12, 2019. Animal Husbandry Startup Grand Challenge 2.0 has been launched by Rupala, to scout for innovative and commercially viable solutions to address six problems faced by the animal husbandry and dairy sector. 

The challenge is open for application on the Startup India portal – www.startupindia.gov.in – to all startups for the following problem statements:

• Cost-effective, long-term and user-friendly alternatives for storage and supply of semen doses
• Development of Cost-effective Animal Identification (RFID) and traceability technology
• Development of heat detection kits
• Development of pregnancy diagnosis kits for dairy animals
• Improvement of existing milk supply-chain from village collection centre to the dairy plant
• Development of low-cost cooling and milk preservation system and a data logger

For each of the six problem areas, a winner will be awarded Rs 10 lakh and a runner-up with Rs 7 Lakh each as cash prizes.