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Agribusiness, Company News, India, Interaction, Pulses

Rajavelu N.K, CEO, Crop Protection Business, Godrej Agrovet Ltd shared his views on pulses production in India with AgroSpectrum on the occasion of World Pulses Day celebrated on February 10.

“Achieving sustainable pulse production in India requires a synergistic approach that integrates multiple elements of the agricultural ecosystem” said Rajavelu N.K, CEO, Crop Protection Business, Godrej Agrovet Ltd. Speaking with AgroSpectrum on the occasion of World Pulses Day celebrated on February 10 he said “Our focus on crop protection strategies has demonstrated how effective pest and disease management can immediately boost productivity. We’ve seen firsthand that when farmers have access to the right crop protection solutions, coupled with proper application guidance, the impact on yield is significant and measurable. Innovation plays a crucial role in this transformation.”

He further noted “At Godrej Agrovet, we have partnered with Farmonaut, through which we’ve successfully mapped and monitored over 100,000 acres of farmer fields using advanced satellite technology. This collaboration enables us to provide farmers with real-time data on crop health, soil organic carbon, and weather forecasts, facilitating informed decision-making and optimised resource utilisation. However, the private sector’s efforts need to be complemented by strong government support. Strategic investments in MSP procurement mechanisms, warehousing infrastructure, and modern storage facilities are essential for enhancing market stability. Additionally, policy interventions ensuring price stability, coupled with targeted incentives for pulse cultivation and sustained investments in research and development, are vital for creating a robust pulse production ecosystem.”

Talking about low productivity, he said “The slow adoption of high-yielding, drought-resistant varieties, coupled with significant crop losses due to pests like pod borer and diseases such as Fusarium wilt, poses persistent challenges. Limited access to quality inputs, including seeds, fertilisers, and micronutrients, further constrains productivity.”

It may be noted that the United Nations General Assembly has designated February 10 as World Pulses Day to recognise the importance of pulse crops like chickpeas, dry beans and lentils as a global food. Pulses are the edible seeds of leguminous plants cultivated for both food and feed. Beans, chickpeas and peas are the most well-known and commonly consumed types of pulses, but there are several more types of pulses from around the world, all with great benefits for food security, nutrition, health, climate change and biodiversity. The Day provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the nutritional benefits of pulses as part of sustainable food production with the aim of enhancing food security and nutrition. In 2025, the theme for World Pulses Day is “Pulses: Bringing diversity to agrifood systems” while the slogan is “Love pulses for a healthy diet and planet”. This year’s theme will underscore the vital role of pulses in promoting diversity – both above and below the ground.

Rajavelu N.K, CEO, Crop Protection Business, Godrej

Agribusiness, Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Fertilizers, Agro chems – Pesticides, Company News, Finance, India

Company records overall robust performance in seeds business, driven by grain sorghum, sunflower and corn.

UPL Ltd. reported financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2024. Company’s revenue for the third quarter was up by 10 per cent, driven by 9 per cent increase in volumes, 5 per cent increase in price and 4 per cent decline due to Fx, mainly in Brazil.

Financial Performance Update

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Company’s EBITDA was at Rs 2,163 crores in Q3 FY25 compared to Rs 416 crores in Q3FY24 registering the growth of 420 per cent YoY. Company recorded revenue of Rs 10,907 crore in Q3 FY25 Vs Rs 9,887 in Q3FY24 witnessing 10 per cent growth. Contribution margin increase led by product mix, rebate normalisation and COGS improvement. Strong performance with accretive margins in differentiated and sustainable segment. Overall robust performance in seeds business, driven by grain sorghum, sunflower and corn. Net Debt lower by $745M vs. last year; $363M increase in net debt vs. March ’24, significantly lower than $1.7Bn increase over the same period last year.  

Commenting on the Q3FY25 performance, Jai Shroff, Chairman and Group CEO, said “We are seeing strong bounce back versus last year, with normalisation of business, and recovery of volumes and prices. This has helped in regaining our contribution margins back to our previous higher levels. Through strong focus, the team has done a commendable job in bringing down the working capital, resulting in a significant reduction of our net debt versus September, 2024. With this strong performance, we are confident of delivering our EBITDA and free cash flow guidance for the full year.”  

Mike Frank, CEO, UPL Corporation Ltd., said: “The global crop protection market continues to rebound as farmers and dealer buying patterns are now reset. Our volume growth of 14 per cent in this past quarter demonstrates continued strong demand across regions, and our ability to increase market share. Through our focus on customers, driven by investments in marketing excellence, new launches and differentiated solutions, we have improved our margins, as compared to the last few quarters. We expect benefits from this to continue in Q4 as well as in the next financial year”

Company records overall robust performance in seeds

Agribusiness, Agrotech, Company News, Digital Technologies, India, Start ups

Post the acquisition, DeHaat will be serving an overall base of over 12 million farmers across the country, quadrupling the farmer network benchmark it had set for itself by 2024.

 Leading AgTech platform DeHaat, announced the acquisition of Olam Agri owned AgriCentral, one of the largest farm advisory platforms in India through a Business Transfer Agreement (BTA) in an all-cash deal. This strategic acquisition of AgriCentral, a platform with over 10 million smallholder farmers, will enhance DeHaat’s bouquet of digital farmer services, extend its outreach to these farmers, and solidify its position as India’s largest full-stack AgriTech platform.

DeHaat’s acquisition of AgriCentral aligns perfectly with its mission to empower farmers in leveraging technology to enable better decision making across the crop life cycle. The integration will further strengthen DeHaat’s digital capability to offer holistic solutions across crop advisory, input supply, and market linkages. Post the acquisition, DeHaat will be serving an overall base of over 12 million farmers across the country, quadrupling the farmer network benchmark it had set for itself by 2024.

“DeHaat has successfully developed robust supply chain capabilities to offer 360-degree agricultural solutions to Indian farmers across 120,000+ villages through a network of 15,000+ DeHaat Centres. We have also established institutional tie-ups with 1,000+ agribusiness institutions, including agri-input manufacturers, agri-produce buyers, warehouse operators, and financial institutions,” said Shashank Kumar, Co-founder & CEO, DeHaat.

He added, “AgriCentral’s cost-efficient digital capabilities will complement our efforts in reaching millions of underserved farmers with our full stack agri value chain offerings. It will also enable us to introduce multiple value-added services such as precision advisory, mechanization, insurance, and cattle advisory to enhance the livelihoods of our farmers. With this integration, we reinforce our commitment to bringing transparent and direct access to farmers in the USD 500 billion Indian agriculture sector.”

Founded in 2018, AgriCentral is an Olam backed & incubated app-based platform for Indian farmers and has emerged as one of the largest digital advisory platforms with over 10 million users. The platform today serves farmers through features like real-time crop price data, personalized crop planning, crop health diagnostics and community interaction platforms. AgriCentral harnesses state of the art technologies such as global positioning, satellite imagery, big data analytics, machine learning and image analytics to usher farmers into the era of digital farming.

Commenting on the acquisition, Ramanarayanan Mahadevan, CEO, Jiva AG PTE said ‘At AgriCentral, our mission has always been to leverage technology to enhance the lives of Indian farmers, and we take immense pride in having reached over 10 million farmers through our platform. I am confident that DeHaat will further scale the impact, providing farmers on the AgriCentral platform with better access to a comprehensive range of agricultural value chain services. It is incredibly fulfilling to reflect on the role we’ve played in advancing the Indian agri-tech landscape”.

Post the acquisition, DeHaat will be serving

Agribusiness, Drones, India, Interaction

 AgroSpectrum interacted with Chirag Sharma, CEO, Drone Destination to shed more light on the future growth and challenges of agri-drone industry. Edited excerpts:

An urgent need to increase agricultural output and efficiency has sped up the expansion of the agricultural drone market in India. There are about 3,000 drones in operation right now, and by FY25, that number is projected to rise to over 7,000. Frost and Sullivan, an American business consulting firm, predicts that the agri-drone market will reach $121.43 million by 2030, quadruple by 2028, and increase at a CAGR of 38.5 per cent.

This growth would not have been possible without the efforts of the government. To encourage farmers to use drone technology, programmes are offering incentives and financial aid through schemes like the Agricultural Mechanisation Sub-Mission, as well as programmes that promote ‘Kisan Drones’ for crop management. ‘Drone Didi’ is a new programme that will promote sustainable farming practices by providing drone technology to women’s self-help organisations. Owing to all these developments, AgroSpectrum interacted with Chirag Sharma, CEO, Drone Destination to shed more light on the future growth and challenges of this industry. Edited excerpts:

In your opinion, what does the future hold for the agricultural drone market?

Indian agriculture makes a substantial contribution to the nation’s GDP, employment, and food security. Agriculture in India is one of the primary sources of income for many Indians. Almost 70 per cent of India’s people are employed in agriculture. India also has the maximum land dedicated to the production of crops such as wheat, rice, cotton and more.

Drones in agriculture provide increased efficiency by saving time (drones can spray one acre in 5-7 minutes) and increasing the area covered in a day (drones can cover 25 acres per day vs 2-3 acres using conventional labour. Drones also reduce dependency on labour and provide a safe working environment (labourers don’t have to inhale harmful chemicals using traditional spray means). Agri drones also assist in saving water as well as optimising the usage of fertilisers and pesticides by spraying evenly portions over fields using precise mission planning.

The government of India has introduced Kisan Drone initiatives to facilitate ‘Drone Shakti’ through varied applications and Kisan Drones promoted for crop assessment, digitisation of land records, spraying of insecticides, and nutrients for Drone-As-A-Service (DAAS). Under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM), financial assistance ranging from 40 per cent to 100 per cent is provided to farmers, agricultural graduates, Farmer Producer Organisation (FPOs), Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs), State Agri Universities and more, for the purchase of Kisan Drones and their associated drone training.

The government has also recently approved the Central Sector Scheme for providing drones to the Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) with an outlay of Rs 1261 crore. The scheme aims to provide drones to 15,000 selected Women SHGs for providing rental services to farmers for agriculture purposes (application of fertilisers and pesticides).

More recently large fertiliser companies such as IFFCO, and Coromandel have started giving orders for drone spray services and over two crore acres of spray orders have already been distributed to the industry. The average price per acre for a drone varies from Rs 400 to 700 depending upon the region and crop.

For the coming year, the size of the agri drone ecosystem, consisting of drone sales, services and training, can be estimated to be between 3000 crore and 4000 crores. The future of the agri drone industry looks extremely promising because drones are becoming easily accessible while also widely applicable in the agricultural sector.

How has the use of drones impacted the face of India’s agricultural industry?

Over the past few years, Indian farming has seen some major changes because of the adoption of new technologies. One of the most exciting advancements is the drone. These flying machines have the potential to completely change how farming works across the country. Drones are not just making things easier for farmers but also helping them make more money and grow more crops.

They can do a lot of different jobs that used to be hard or take a lot of time. For example, drones can spray chemicals on crops, manage irrigation, check on crop health, find pests, and even make sure that all parts of the field get the right amount of fertiliser. 

Drones are a game-changer in Indian farming. Their advanced sensors and cameras equip most unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that allow farmers to observe and manage their crops with precision.

Drones are equipped with advanced sensors, and they can collect high-resolution data on crop health. The accuracy allows the farmers to change their practices. It also helps reduce resource waste and increase yields. They play an important role in monitoring the crop. It helps to capture multispectral and thermal images. This data helps farmers identify different types of crop diseases. It enables targeted interventions, reducing the need for extensive pesticide use.

Besides, drones create accurate and timely maps of farmlands. It aids in crop planning and management. The farmers can analyse maps and improve planting patterns. The drones provide farmers with real-time data. Accurate data enables farmers to make informed decisions. This information empowers farmers to respond quickly to changes in crop conditions and weather conditions as well.

The timely data collected from drones helps farmers. It improves their irrigation practices. While identifying certain areas with moisture deficiencies. The farmers can adjust their irrigation timings. It helps to conserve water and improves the overall efficiency of agricultural practices. Drones provide precision agriculture, which boosts productivity. through improving inputs like pesticides, fertiliser, and water. Farmers can lessen their influence on the environment while increasing harvests.

To read more click on : https://agrospectrumindia.com/e-magazine

 AgroSpectrum interacted with Chirag Sharma, CEO, Drone

Agribusiness, Floriculture, India, Opinions

Co-authored by Amit Patjoshi, CEO, Palladium India and Biswajit Behera, Associate Director, Palladium India

India’s export economy has great potential in the floriculture sector, and FPOs are leading the way in harnessing this potential. India’s floriculture FPOs can have a significant impact on increasing exports and empowering smallholder farmers, particularly women in rural areas, by embracing climate-smart practices, improving infrastructure, and strengthening market connections.

Floriculture is a rapidly emerging sector in India, commonly referred to as a “sunrise sector” due to its immense potential for income generation and employment creation, especially for small and marginal farmers, many of whom are women. The Indian floriculture market is projected to reach a volume of approximately $5.9 billion by 2030, growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 7-8 per cent. The sector primarily deals with two types of flowers: cut flowers and loose flowers, with a significant portion of sales occurring through organised retail.

India’s export performance in floriculture has been commendable, though there is still much-untapped potential. In 2023, India exported around 19,600 metric tonnes of floriculture products, worth approximately $86 million. Major export destinations include the United States, UAE, Germany, Canada, Japan, and Malaysia. However, despite the promising figures, the volume of floriculture exports remains modest in comparison to the country’s production capacity.

Geographically, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu lead the country’s floriculture production, accounting for more than 35 per cent of total production. Other key states include Karnataka, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Odisha. These latter states not only produce significant quantities of flowers but also have the potential to serve international markets if supported by improved infrastructure, value chains, and export-oriented business models.

Odisha: Strengthening FPOs Value Chain

Odisha has been an emerging player in India’s floriculture sector, with key districts such as Sambalpur, Rayagada, Ganjam, Puri, Bhadrak, and Angul being major centres for flower cultivation. Farmers in these districts primarily grow marigolds and roses, catering to the local market. However, the state’s floriculture potential extends beyond domestic sales, particularly through the involvement of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).

FPOs have become essential in strengthening the floriculture value chain in Odisha. The first floriculture FPO in the state was established in 2021 by Palladium, in collaboration with NABARD. This initiative trained around 650 women farmers in enhanced production techniques, post-harvest practices, and business planning to cater to local market demands. However, to meet export market requirements, significant challenges remain, particularly related to climate variability, market fluctuations, and a lack of infrastructure.

The floriculture value chain in Odisha involves multiple stakeholders, including smallholder farmers, FPOs, research institutions, and government agencies. FPOs play a critical role by aggregating the produce of small and marginal farmers, helping them achieve economies of scale, access to markets, and technical support. By working collectively, farmers under FPOs can reduce production costs, adopt advanced technologies for post-harvest management, processing and value-addition in floriculture value chains and negotiate better prices in both local and international markets. Furthermore, FPOs can facilitate partnerships with research institutes to drive innovation and improve yields, while also ensuring that sustainable practices are adopted to combat climate-related challenges.

Business models through FPOs

The business model for floriculture exports through FPOs hinges on the role of FPOs, which serve as the link between small farmers and the broader market. The aggregation of products through FPOs ensures that smallholder farmers, who individually may lack the resources or scale to export, can still participate in international markets.

The primary steps in the floriculture export business model include:

1. Production: FPOs provide access to high-quality seeds, fertilisers, and technical knowledge to improve yield and ensure the quality of flowers meets export standards.

2. Aggregation and Processing: FPOs collect the flowers from member farmers and handle post-harvest processing such as grading, packaging, and storage. This ensures that the flowers are of a uniform standard, which is critical for export.

3. Logistics: FPOs manage the transportation of flowers to international markets. In the case of cut flowers, this often involves specialised cold storage and transportation to maintain freshness.

4. Marketing and Export: FPOs, in collaboration with export agencies, identify international markets, negotiate prices, and handle the regulatory requirements of different countries.

FPOs also play a crucial role in ensuring that farmers receive fair prices for their produce by eliminating intermediaries and improving their bargaining power. In the case of Odisha, where floriculture is still in its developmental phase, the business model emphasises capacity building, market linkages, and scientific research to enhance production and ensure that smallholder farmers can access international markets.

Recently, Palladium has successfully facilitated an agreement between the Sabuja Sanatanpali Farmer Producer Company Limited and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow. This partnership focuses on promoting scientific research in floriculture, including plant-environment interactions and biotechnological approaches for improving plant quality. Such collaborations are pivotal in helping FPOs adapt to climate challenges and improve production levels, ensuring the competitiveness of Odisha’s floriculture in export markets.

To read more click on: https://agrospectrumindia.com/e-magazine

Co-authored by Amit Patjoshi, CEO, Palladium India

Agribusiness, Agro chems – Fertilizers, Company News, World

Offerings built to help growers manage risk as they improve soil health and strengthen their nutrient mix

Sound Agriculture, a leading agriculture company dedicated to advancing plant and soil health, has announced new solutions for the 2025 growing season. Grower incentives for synthetic fertiliser replacement and a new beneficial fungi product that enhances nutrient and water uptake will help growers optimize their nutrients and boost crop yields. Combining these solutions with Sound’s existing cash-back product guarantees and 0 per cent financing options makes for a compelling and no-risk nutrient efficiency package.

Sound Agriculture launches synthetic fertilizer replacement incentive & BLUEPRINT™ to increase nutrient & water uptake. “We are dedicated to discovering new methods to help growers maintain productive agricultural systems in ways that are more profitable and better for the land,” said Adam Litle, CEO, Sound Agriculture. “This includes the launch of a new product, BLUEPRINT, that synergizes perfectly with our flagship product, SOURCE. By pairing these products with financial incentives that reward growers for adopting practices that are better for the planet, growers can save money while eliminating risk.”

Sound Agriculture’s Efficient Acre Solution

The Efficient Acre Solution was developed for growers interested in reducing fertilizer while tapping into new sources of income. By using SOURCE® to replace 25 lbs of nitrogen and/or phosphorus, growers can participate in the Efficient Acre Incentive. This program incentivizes farmers to reduce their reliance on synthetic fertilizers, while helping them manage the associated risks. The program includes:

Financial Incentives: Corn growers can earn up to $10 per acre for replacing synthetic nutrients with SOURCE, available on up to 350,000 acres in 2024-25.

Guaranteed Yield Protection: If yield is not maintained, Sound Agriculture will reimburse growers up to $100 per acre.

Risk-Free Adoption: This program eliminates the financial risk of replacing synthetic fertilizer with SOURCE, encouraging growers to improve soil health and nutrient efficiency.

Growers who are already efficient with fertilizer applications and are looking to maximize their yield potential can tap the Maximum Acre solution. Using SOURCE plus BLUEPRINT™ offers a powerful combination that enhances nutrient and water uptake. Unlike most biologicals, BLUEPRINT provides the highest quality arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), expanding the crop’s reach beyond the roots. When used together, SOURCE leads to more available nutrients while BLUEPRINT acts like a superhighway for nutrients and water to get to the plants.

Enhance Nutrient Access: SOURCE activates more than 200 species of beneficial microbes and fungi that create available nitrogen and phosphorus. BLUEPRINT is activated by SOURCE, enabling crops to access more nitrogen, phosphorus, micronutrients, and water.

Improve Plant Health: Enhanced nutrient access throughout the season ensures plants can survive and thrive in high stress environments.

Release Tied Up Phosphorus: By activating P-solubilizing microbes, SOURCE unlocks the vast reserves of tied-up phosphorus that exist in most soils. BLUEPRINT enhances the reach and delivery of phosphorus back to the crop.

“The 2024 season taught us valuable lessons about managing nutrient efficiency amid extreme weather conditions,” said Paul Beck, CRO, Sound Agriculture. “Our new solutions are designed to help growers achieve better yields while protecting the environment and their bottom line.”

Offerings built to help growers manage risk

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Fertilizers, Company News, Finance, India, Seeds

Seeds business faced headwinds on account of weather challenges that impacted production, created inventory shortages and supply constraints, leading to a revenue drop of 7 per cent.

 Agrochemical major, UPL Ltd., reported financial results for the first quarter ended June 30, 2024. Revenue growth for the first quarter was flat at 1 per cent, driven by 16 per cent increase in volumes, 14 per cent decline in price and a negative 1per cent Fx impact.

Seeds business faced headwinds on account of weather challenges that impacted production, created inventory shortages and supply constraints, leading to a revenue drop of 7 per cent and EBITDA drop of 30 per cent YoY.

Net Debt increased by $639 million in Q1FY25 vs year end March 24. The corresponding increase last year was $1,136 million.

Commenting on the Q1FY25 performance, Mike Frank, CEO, UPL Corporation Ltd., said: ″We continue to see strong fundamentals in the global crop protection market, with farmgate demand for our products at or above last year levels in most regions.

Herbicides led the growth in North America, driven by glufosinate and clethodim. Our herbicide performance in Brazil also did well. Fungicides growth was led by higher volumes in Europe and North America.

Revenue growth in our Natural Plant Protection (NPP) business was impressive, up 10 per cent versus last year, driven by a strong performance in Europe, among other regions.

Our contribution margin compressed by 600 bps vs Q1FY24. This was primarily due to price decline, and partially offset with lower cost of goods. Increased freight costs and foreign exchange were also headwinds on margins this quarter.

From an SG&A perspective, we continue to remain disciplined, and the organization is focused on making improvements in the operating model and driving efficiency throughout the enterprise. ″

Commenting on the Q1FY25 performance, Ashish Dobhal, CEO, UPL SAS, said: ″On our India Crop Protection business (UPL SAS), we continued our efforts to restructure the business through strict credit policies and tighter credit terms, which lead to a postponement of sales closer to season, and the consequent impact on Q1FY25 revenues. However, our contribution margins and cash flows have improved and working capital reduced, giving us the confidence that this is the right structural move for us in India”.

Commenting on the Q1FY25 performance, Bhupen Dubey, CEO, Advanta, said: ″On our global seed platform, Advanta, we saw some headwinds in Q1FY25 on account of weather challenges that impacted production, created inventory shortages and supply constraints, leading to the impact on sales and EBITDA margins. ″

Seeds business faced headwinds on account of

Agrotech, Drones, India, Industry Reports / Analysis

Drones are becoming an essential part of the Indian agriculture sector, with over 220 drone startups as of February 2022. The adoption of drone technology faces challenges like high costs, regulatory hurdles, and a lack of technical expertise among farmers. Despite these challenges, with supportive government policies and ongoing technological advancements, the future of the agri drone business is bright.

A large portion of India’s gross domestic product (GDP), workforce, and food security are supported by the agricultural sector. Many Indians rely on agriculture as a main source of income.  The use of drones in agriculture has the potential to greatly improve productivity. Not only can drones spray an acre in just 5 to 7 minutes, but they can also cover an area of about 25 acres every day, compared to just 2 to 3 acres when employing conventional labour. In addition to reducing reliance on labour, drones offer a safer working environment by eliminating the need for traditional spray methods, which expose labourers to dangerous chemicals.

Agri drones help conserve water and maximise the use of pesticides and fertilisers by distributing the spray uniformly across fields through meticulous mission planning. The Indian government has launched a number of kisan drone initiatives to promote “Drone Shakti” through a variety of uses, including crop assessment, digitisation of land records, insecticide spraying, and nutrient delivery for Drone-As-A-Service (DAAS). Financial support ranging from 40 to 100 per cent is provided to various entities, including farmers, agricultural graduates, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), State Agricultural Universities, and more, under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM), so that they can purchase kisan drones and receive drone training.

Even though India is the world’s leading agricultural producer, few would have predicted a few years ago that tech companies would create tools that could revolutionise precision farming. With the goal of making India a world leader in agritech, more than 2,800 entrepreneurs are currently working hard to realise this ambition.

As far as agri-drones in India are concerned, the next year is looking bright. Some market research estimates put the growth rate at more than 30 per cent, with a range of 31.5 to 38.5 per cent. Within the next several years, agri-drones will be widely used by farmers across the nation. The increasing demand for precision farming, along with developments in drone technology and government backing, are driving this trend.

Sharing his views on this growth, Chirag Sharma, CEO, Drone Destination said, “The government has also recently authorised the Central Sector Scheme, which would allocate Rs 1261 crore to purchase drones for use by women’s self-help groups (SHGs). The plan is to supply 15,000 chosen women SHGs with drones so they may rent them out to farmers for agricultural purposes (fertiliser and pesticide application). Drone spraying services have recently seen an influx of orders from major fertiliser firms like IFFCO and Coromandel, with over two crore acres of spraying already supplied to the industry. Drones can cost anything from Rs 400- 700 per acre, with the exact figure depending on the area and crop.”

To read more click on: https://agrospectrumasia.com/e-magazine

Drones are becoming an essential part of

Agrotech, Animal Health, Company News, India, Live Stock, R&D, Start ups

The GRAS status, governed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), sets a high standard for ingredients to be approved for use in both feed and food.

Bangalore based String Bio, a pioneering biotech company announced the self-determined Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status of its innovative microbial protein, PRO-DG™, for use in crustacean feed in the U.S. This landmark achievement was affirmed by an independent panel of experts who rigorously evaluated the body of published data supporting the safety of PRO-DG™ for its intended use.

The GRAS status, governed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), sets a high standard for ingredients to be approved for use in both feed and food. String Bio’s PRO-DG™ stands out as it contains approximately 70 per cent protein derived from methanotrophic bacteria, manufactured through the company’s patented String Integrated Methane Platform (SIMP®). This advanced platform ensures an ideal amino acid profile, resulting in high digestibility and performance, as validated in various aqua trials. Notably, the protein’s tolerability by shrimp was evidenced through peer-reviewed publications (Felix et al., 2023; Nederlof et al., 2023). 

With the global population projected to reach 10 billion by 2050, the demand for sustainable and traceable protein sources is critical. The total aquaculture production is expected to expand to 109 million tonnes by 2030. PRO-DG™ addresses this “protein challenge” by offering a sustainable feed ingredient, essential for the growing aquaculture market while protecting marine ecosystems and resources.

Achieving GRAS status distinguishes String Bio from other players in the alternative protein industry. This milestone, which took over two years of comprehensive scientific documentation and safety studies, validates the company’s commitment to science- based innovation.

Speaking on the announcement, Dr Ezhil Subbian, CEO, String Bio said, “The FDA-regulated GRAS status will enable the commercialization of PRO-DG™ in the United States, opening new markets and opportunities for growth. Many countries look to GRAS status as a strong indication that a feed ingredient has been rigorously tested to meet the highest standard. GRAS status of PRO-DGTM is an important milestone in String’s journey and will boost String Bio’s market presence in the feed sector.”

The GRAS status, governed by the US

Agrotech, Collaborations, Company News, Drones, India

The centre will focus on skill development, employment generation, and empowering the drone ecosystem in India.

Drone Destination and the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a state-of-the-art drone training centre at NSIC, New Delhi. This initiative aims to provide comprehensive training on drone technology, repairs and maintenance, data processing and analysis, remote pilot training and new-age sport drone soccer. The centre will focus on skill development, employment generation, and empowering the drone ecosystem in India.

The collaboration between Drone Destination and NSIC is poised to bring significant advancements in the field of drone technology and AI, and develop a future-ready work force to cater to the growing and diversified demands of skilled manpower in the drone sector, especially in digital agriculture, survey & mapping, mining, asset inspection, surveillance & monitoring, disaster management and many more.  

Chirag Sharma, CEO, Drone Destination, said, “This partnership with NSIC marks a significant milestone in our mission to democratize drone technology in India. By providing specialized training and skill development programs, we aim to empower individuals and organizations with the knowledge and expertise needed to harness the full potential of drones. We are launching these technical skill enhancing courses in addition to the Pilot Training Certification course already offered by us in 12 locations across India.  This initiative will ensure availability of skilled and specialised workforce in the growing drone eco-system in India.”

Kartikeya Sinha Director, Planning & Marketing, NSIC added, “NSIC is committed to fostering skill development across various sectors, and this MoU with Drone Destination aligns perfectly with our objectives. The establishment of this drone training centre will be a game-changer, particularly for aspiring youth and women in technology. By equipping individuals with the necessary skills, we are paving the way for a more technologically advanced and self-reliant India.”

The training programs at the centre will be progressively introduced at all NSIC Technical Skill Centres, ensuring widespread access to cutting-edge drone technology education. This initiative is set to create numerous opportunities for skill development and employment, driving economic growth and innovation in the drone sector.

The centre will focus on skill development,

Agribusiness, Farm Mechanisation, India, Machinery - Pre-harvesting

Spanning 60 years, Mahindra has broadened its tractor offerings to encompass a diverse range of more than 390 tractor models.

Celebrating 60- years of the Mahindra Tractor and the sale of 40 lakh tractor units since 1963, Mahindra Tractors – India’s number one tractor brand and part of the Farm Equipment Sector at Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M) today unveiled ‘Desh ka Tractor: Mitti se Juda, Junoon se Saja’, a unique initiative in honour of the Indian farming community.

A tribute to the hardworking farming community in India, Mahindra Tractors showcased a life-sized tractor-themed sculpture that embodies the spirit of toughness of the farming community, inspired by the design of Mahindra’s renowned ‘Yuvo Tech Plus’ tractor. Innovative and imaginative, the sculpture reflects the diversity of Indian farming and crafted with blends of varied soils collected from over 4000 farms across the country, showcasing the strong bond that exists between Mahindra and Indian farmers.

The essence of ‘Mitti se Juda Junoon se Saja’, embodies Mahindra Tractors spirit to create farming solutions that are connected to the land, with the practicality to work across all kinds of terrain efficiently and effectively. It symbolizes our ‘junoon’ (obsession) to transform farming and enrich lives across India and the world – over the last 60 years and beyond.

The sculpture was unveiled today, in the presence of Vikram Wagh, CEO, Farm Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. at a function held at the company’s Nagpur manufacturing facility.

 Wagh explained the essence of the initiative, saying, “As we celebrate this milestone of serving 40 lakh customers over 60 years, we wish to acknowledge the farmers’ trust that has enabled us to achieve this feat. It has inspired us to create ‘Desh ka tractor’, showcasing the strong bond between Mahindra Tractors and the hardworking, relentless, and courageous Indian farmer. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to all who helped us reach this milestone.”

Spanning 60 years, Mahindra has broadened its tractor offerings to encompass a diverse range of more than 390 tractor models. During this period, Mahindra Tractors has also established a robust network of over 1200 dealer partners across India, with a customer first orientation that has enabled the brand to provide unparalleled levels of sales, service and spares support to an expanding base of 40 lakh Mahindra Tractors customers.

Spanning 60 years, Mahindra has broadened its

Agribusiness, India, Logistics, Supply Chain, Transportation

 International cargo tonnage amounted to 662,258 metric tonnes, recording 9 per cent y-o-y growth. Top commodities included automobiles, pharma and perishables.

 Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL) handled an impressive one million tonnes of air cargo in fiscal year 2023-2024, achieving a milestone. The achievement underscores AAHL’s robust operational capabilities and strategic growth in the aviation industry.

Demonstrating solid growth, AAHL facilitated a remarkable 10,13,115 metric tonnes of cargo in FY 2023-24, capturing an impressive 30.1 per cent market share. This represents a significant 7 per cent y-o-y increase compared to the previous fiscal, when the total cargo tonnage was 9,44,912 metric tonnes.

In FY 2023-2024, AAHL’s cargo operations were predominantly international – 65 per cent of the cargo managed was international. This showcases AAHL’s efficiency in managing worldwide operations while maintaining a robust domestic presence. The international cargo tonnage amounted to 6,62,258 metric tonnes, recording a notable 9 per cent y-o-y growth compared to the previous fiscal’s 6,06,348 metric tonnes.

The cargo operations were driven by commodities, including automobiles, pharmaceuticals, perishables, electricals/electronics, and engineering goods. They were efficiently handled across the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (Mumbai), the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (Ahmedabad), the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport (Lucknow), the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, the Mangaluru International Airport, the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (Guwahati) and the Jaipur International Airport.

The major international destinations for cargo included Germany, Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

Reflecting on the achievement, Arun Bansal, CEO, AAHL, said, “At Adani Airport Holdings Limited, we have been consistently setting new benchmarks for operational efficiency. The cargo terminals have achieved a remarkable milestone, handling over 1 million tonnes this fiscal year. This achievement solidifies our position as key facilitators in both international and domestic airfreight operations in India.”

The following highlights from fiscal year showcase 2023-2024 AAHL’s journey:

Mumbai international airport witnessed the highest recorded volumes for the fiscal year in March 2024.

  • The airport received 2 major awards:
  • Cargo Airport of the Year – Region India at Air Cargo India 2024.
  • The Best Cargo Airport – Efficiency & Digitization at the India Cargo Awards 2023.
  • Notable additions of new freight operators: Challenge Group, CMA CGM Air Cargo, Air Pace, Kenya Airways, Indigo, and Uganda Airlines.
  • SACT at Mumbai implemented 100 per cent virtual account usage by trade partners, taking a major step towards digitization in domestic cargo operations.
  • Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (Ahmedabad) successfully handled Indigo’s first A320 neo freighter on 18 May, 2024
  • International cargo operations at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport (Lucknow) achieved the highest-ever volume of 700 tonnes in March 2024.

 International cargo tonnage amounted to 662,258 metric

Agribusiness, Company News, Dairy, India

The company aims to be present across 500+ modern trade stores in the city of Hyderabad by year-end.

Creamline Dairy Products Limited (CDPL), a subsidiary of India’s largest and diversified agribusiness, Godrej Agrovet Limited (GAVL), announced the launch of Godrej My Farm Milk, a premium milk straight from Godrej’s farm to consumers’ doorsteps. With Godrej My Farm Milk being directly sourced from Godrej’s own farm, pasteurized, and packaged using cutting-edge technology, it ensures that milk is fresh with its natural flavor and nutritional value intact. To be available only in Hyderabad, the entire process from milking to product reaching the consumer is automated, thereby making Godrej My Farm a zero human touch milk with a single point fully controlled supply chain starting from feed to breed. The company aims to be present across 500+ modern trade stores in the city of Hyderabad by year-end.

Commenting on the launch of My Farm Milk, Bhupendra Suri, CEO, Godrej Jersey, said”, “We at Godrej are fully committed to the way our milk is produced and distributed. With the quality of milk dependent on how cows are treated, we take personalized care of 1,400 cows, including monitoring their food and health on a regular basis. This, coupled with our state-of-the-art processing plant and fully controlled supply chain, enables us to deliver untouched, nutritious, and fresh milk. Being a single source of milk with complete traceability from cow to packaging, ensuring its safety, consumers can now enjoy Godrej My Farm milk as if having a cow in their backyard and milk reaching their table.”

The milk report launched on the sidelines further highlighted that 55 per cent of consumers associate unhygienic milk with unbranded milk options. Additionally, with 90% of consumers willing to pay more or a premium for high-quality and safe milk, the report reiterated the growing demand for pure and safe dairy products among consumers.

Today, Indian consumers are very conscious of their health and strive to choose the best for themselves and their families. The same was also resonated in the findings of the Milk Report titled ‘Bottoms Up…India Says Cheers to Milk’, with 1 out of every 2 consumers considering hygienic sourcing, processing, and packaging in addition to the assurance of no adulteration while purchasing the milk.

By prioritising quality, transparency, and technological prowess, GAVL remains committed to playing a leading role in shaping a healthier and more vibrant dairy landscape in India.

The company aims to be present across

Agribusiness, Company News, Drones, India, Start ups

 Over the past year, company’s revenue has grown 2.7x to Rs 32.26 Crore and PAT has grown 2.76x to Rs 7.08 Crore.

Drone Destination India’s leading Drone-as-a-Service provider and the largest DGCA certified Drone Pilot Training company, today announced its financial results for FY 23-24. Company has posted revenue of Rs 3262.02 Lakhs in FY 23-24. Company’s EBIDTA stood at Rs 1386.39 Lakhs with margin of 41 per cent. Company reported Rs 948.12 Lakhs Profit Before Tax (PBT) with margin of 29 per cent. Profit After Tax (PAT) stood at Rs 708.21 Lakhs in FY23-24.

Chirag Sharma, CEO, Drone Destination said, “Over the past year, our revenue has grown 2.7x to Rs 32.26 Crore and our PAT has grown 2.76x to Rs 7.08 Crore. We have continued to maintain leadership position for Drone Training in India, and we are proud to be part of the Namo Drone Didi scheme, having trained the highest number of Drone Didis in the country. Drone Destination won and successfully executed its first independent drone survey project for Government of Andhra Pradesh Land Records Dept. We also forayed into Agri Drone Services in collaboration with IFFCO and executed over 28,000 Drone Demonstrations under the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra. Drone Destination is on a high-growth trajectory and aims to scale its integrated Service & Training network pan-India.”

Alok Sharma, Chairman, Drone Destination said, “Our vision and business fundamentals aligned with core focus on Drone-based Services & Training has helped us achieve 43 per cent EBIDTA and 22 per cent PAT over the last year. Our on-ground execution capabilities have helped us develop credible associations, as we have recently collaborated with IFFCO for the largest Drone Spray project over 30 lakh acres across 12 states in India. Drone Destination also has a steady pipeline of upcoming projects and partnerships, including Urban Mapping, LIDAR surveys, as well as launch of Drone Soccer in India, an exciting new sport, blending education, technology and recreation.”

Key highlights:

  • Became the first Drone Company to list on NSE Emerge.
  • Trained over 2100 Pilots along with our partner IGRUA Actively participated in the “Namo Drone Didi” scheme and trained more than 600 Namo Drone Didis, nominated by our new client base including large fertilizer and agro-chemical companies such as IFFCO, KRIBHCO, Chambal Fertliser, IPL, Indorama etc.
  • Won and executed our first independent Drone Survey Project from Andhra Pradesh Land Records Department, mapping 1.4 Lakh hectares in the state
  • Forayed into Agri Spray services and deployed close to 200 Drones & Drone Pilots for IFFCO, and covered over 28,000 Gram Panchayats for Agri Spray demonstrations under Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra
  • Introduced new “Kickstarter” & “Training Partner” Program to expand training footprint across India

 Over the past year, company’s revenue has