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HomePosts Tagged "Gram Unnati"
Agribusiness, Agrotech, Collaborations, Horticulture, India, Start ups, Sustainability

Project Unnati will collaborate closely with Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), the Mango Board, the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), and various horticulture departments across different districts.

Coca-Cola India, in collaboration with Gram Unnati, is excited to announce the launch of “Project Mango Unnati,” with an aim to revolutionise sustainable mango cultivation initiative, focusing on the Alphonso and Totapuri varieties in Karnataka. Project Unnati will collaborate closely with state horticulture agencies such as Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), the Mango Board, the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), and various horticulture departments across different districts.

Project Mango Unnati will promote ‘Sustainable Agricultural Practices’ to enhance mango yields and farmer incomes by improving the quality, size, and shelf life of the fruit. This would help farmers achieve better market prices. The project will also demonstrate and facilitate the adoption of rejuvenation techniques for old and senile orchards and high-density plantation (HDP) practices.

Project Mango Unnati will also emphasise on sustainable agriculture through micro irrigation, integrated pest management (IPM), and water conservation techniques such as mulching and rainwater harvesting. Through this initiative farmers will receive training in safe and modern agricultural practices to ensure sustainable farming.

The project will provide crop advisory services, including climate forecasting and crop alert systems, to equip farmers with climate-smart techniques besides enhancing the traceability and sustainability of the crop that will help farmers achieve better returns for their produce. Special training modules have been designed to empower female farmers, promoting gender equality in the agricultural sector.

Commenting on the launch of the project, Aneesh Jain, CEO and Founder, Gram Unnati, said, “Gram Unnati is proud to partner with Coca-Cola India on this transformative project that underscores our commitment to sustainable agriculture and farmer empowerment. By adopting modern practices and focusing on quality, we aim to significantly enhance the livelihoods of mango farmers in Karnataka. Together, we will drive sustainable growth and innovation in mango farming, benefiting farmers and the environment alike.”

“Farmers are the backbone of India’s horticulture system. With Project Mango Unnati, we aim to elevate the livelihoods of these farmers with advanced horticulture solutions, empowering them to significantly increase their incomes. This aligns with the Government of India’s vision for Atma Nirbhar Bharat, making the agrarian economy self-reliant”, said, Rajesh Ayapilla, Senior Director- CSR and Sustainability for Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia.

Project Unnati will collaborate closely with Krishi

Agrotech, Collaborations, Company News, Digital Technologies, India, Inputs, Supply Chain

The partnership will support farmers in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the first phase of execution.

 Bayer, a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of healthcare and agriculture, announced its partnership with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)’s Common Service Center (CSC-SPV), a strategic cornerstone of the National e-governance plan which aims to usher rural India into a digitally empowered era and foster a knowledge-based economy. The strategic collaboration aims to provide Indian farmers with access to quality agri-inputs through digital capability building and strengthen rural livelihoods and farm incomes. The partnership will support farmers in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the first phase of execution. Besides access to the entire range of Bayer’s agri-solutions from seed to harvest, farmers can also avail of crop-specific agronomic advisory through CSC’s online platform.

As part of the MoU, Smallholder farmers will be able to access timely crop advisory, transfer of good agricultural practices and access to premium Bayer products through CSC’s online portal. Gram Unnati will facilitate farmer mobilization and ensure market linkages. Together, Bayer and CSC-SPV aim to empower over 500,000 (0.5 million) smallholder farmers over the next two years. To facilitate easy access to quality inputs, agronomic support, and encourage agri-technology knowledge transfer based on the latest practices, Bayer will also nurture agri-entrepreneurs by leveraging village-level entrepreneurs of CSCs from within the local communities. The newly announced partnership follows an ongoing pilot engagement project running between Better Life Farming centres and CSC in Jharkhand’s Lohardega district since late 2020.

Simon-Thorsten Wiebusch, President, Bayer South Asia said, “Smallholder farmers are vital in ensuring food and nutritional security in the country and Bayer is dedicated to empowering them through the expansion of access to essential agricultural inputs and expert agronomic guidance, driven by digital innovation and collectivization. Our association with the Government of India’s Common Service Center and Gram Unnati will help bring us closer to our shared goal of empowering farmers as we bridge the gap to remote farming communities, promote financial literacy and foster an entrepreneurial spirit leading to optimized resource utilization, and maximizing farm potential to enhance their livelihoods sustainably.”

Sanjay Rakesh, MD & CEO, CSC-SPV said, “We are excited to collaborate with Bayer and strengthen our e-commerce platform to scale support to smallholder farmers through our technology-powered ecosystem. By leveraging our synergies with Bayer Crop Science Limited, we envision sustained enhancements in rural agriculture within the identified centres. This partnership will enable last mile access to tailored solutions, to better support the rural community and agri-entrepreneurs.”

Aneesh Jain, Founder & CEO, Gram Unnati said: “We are extremely delighted to work with Bayer CropScience and CSC e-Governance to play the role of a key facilitator in this ground-breaking association. We are already developing a system with CSC e-Governance to enable farmers to sell their end produce through the VLE network. This collaboration will enable farmers to get timely access to high quality agri inputs, thus further improving their crop quality and yields too.”

The CSC scheme, a collaborative e-governance platform, is part of the Digital India programme. The Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) aims to facilitate the delivery of government, private and social sector services to Indian citizens through the CSC network. It supports linkages, connecting villages in India through high-speed internet and scaling the delivery of products & services to reach the last mile.

The partnership will support farmers in Telangana,

Agribusiness, Agrotech, Collaborations, Company News, E-commerce, Start ups

Project rolled out in 60 villages of Bulandshahr with plans to scale up pan India in 24 to 36 months.

In a bid to boost market linkages to Indian farmers, Gram Unnati, India’s first integrated agri solutions company has tied up with Common Services Centre (CSC) E-Governance Services India Limited, to establish a digital platform that empowers smallholder farmers to market their produce efficiently. CSCs are internet enabled access points, which provide last mile access to various e-governance services through digital connectivity.

The pilot project has been initiated in 60 villages of Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh. Farmers residing in these villages can notify the nearest CSC VLE (Village Level Entrepreneur) about the quality and quantity of their agricultural produce. Gram Unnati will then engage with the farmer, inspect produce quality, offer fair selling prices, and take possession of the goods. Payments to the farmers will be processed instantly and in full directly into their bank accounts. Based on the learning of this pilot, in the next 6-12 months, this initiative will be rolled out across the district and in 24 to 36 months across the country.

Commenting on the association, Aneesh Jain, CEO and Founder, Gram Unnati, said, “This initiative by Gram Unnati promises several benefits for farmers, including a 15 per cent to 20 per cent increase in net price realisation due to savings on transportation and trader commissions, fair weighment of produce, transparent payment processing directly into farmers’ accounts within an agreed timeframe, along with advisory support on crop planning and management to enhance quality, productivity, and in turn better price realisation. Gram Unnati’s deep penetration and knowledge and the digital platform offered by CSC will be a game changer for farmers in getting a higher yield for their produce through a right market linkage program.”

Kuldeep Meena, Chief Development Officer of Bulandshahr District, Uttar Pradesh, expressed his enthusiasm about the initiative and said, “The farmers stand to gain extensively through this joint initiative by CSC & Gram Unnati as market linkage is the need of the hour. This initiative will facilitate and accelerate this process, catering to farmers’ needs through last-mile delivery. Not only will farmers get easy access to markets at the village level, but they will also receive fair prices for their produce.”

The primary objective of this initiative is to provide vegetable farmers access to markets at the village level, ensure prompt and full payments directly into farmers’ bank accounts, and offer timely advisory services in case of pest or disease issues.

Project rolled out in 60 villages of

India, Start ups, Sustainability

The project, which is also supported by IFC’s India Agtech Advisory Project (IAAP) aims to shift 100,000 acres from summer paddy to spring maize across six districts in Western UP.

Lucknow based Four Leaf Clover Agro Pvt. Ltd. (Gram UnnatiTM), India’s first truly integrated agri solutions company, announced that it is getting into a strategic partnership with the Government of Uttar Pradesh for a massive transformative initiative aimed at diversifying crop cultivation.

The project was unveiled here at the IIA Bhawan under the Chairmanship of Manoj Kumar Singh, IAS, Agriculture Production Commissioner / Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner & Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of Uttar Pradesh, and in the presence of Dr K.V. Raju, Economic Advisor to the Chief Minister of UP. 

The project, which is also supported by IFC’s India Agtech Advisory Project (IAAP) aims to shift 100,000 acres from summer paddy to spring maize across six districts in Western UP: Amroha, Bareilly, Bulandshahr, Moradabad, Rampur, and Sambhal. Spanning a timeline of three to five years its overarching goal is to elevate farmer incomes and preserve vital natural resources.

Commenting on the launch of the project, Manoj Kumar Singh, IAS Agriculture Production Commissioner / Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner & Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of Uttar Pradesh said: “This initiative marks a significant milestone in agricultural sustainability and socio-economic development in Western Uttar Pradesh. We are extremely delighted to have Gram Unnati as a valuable partner for a critical project that will lay the groundwork for a transformative journey toward sustainable agriculture. This project will showcase the potential for socio-economic progress through innovative crop diversification and will reap financial benefits for a number of farmers in these six districts of Uttar Pradesh.”

The primary objectives are to significantly enhance farmer incomes by 15 per cent to 25 per cent and to conserve crucial natural resources, including reducing water usage for irrigation by an impressive 60 per cent to 80 per cent.

Aneesh Jain, CEO & Founder, Gram Unnati said, “We are greatly honoured today to see the fruits of months of effort of fostering collaboration among a wide range of stakeholders come to life. Our commitment is to cultivate synergies among stakeholders, crafting a model that not only bolsters farmer prosperity but also champions environmental preservation. Facilitating partnerships between the government, maize processors, input suppliers, and other essential actors in the agricultural ecosystem is crucial for the project’s success.”

The project, which is also supported by

Agrotech, Company News, Interaction, Start ups

 It focuses on imparting best practices for paddy with an emphasis on the agronomical practices to be followed after sowing as well as looking into opportunities for market linkage.

Delhi based Gram Unnati, India’s first integrated agri-tech solutions company, recently conducted the first of the series of knowledge workshops along with Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Bareilly, for paddy farmers in Uttar Pradesh. The first camp was held at Mangadpur village, Riccha Block in Bareilly and was participated by nearly 100 paddy farmers.

The knowledge workshop was organized to provide guidance to farmers on the appropriate and scientifically recommended package of practices to be followed in the crop after transplantation has taken place. The camp was attended by Dr. Brijpal Singh – KVK Bareilly in-charge, Dr. Ranjeet Singh – Agri scientist, KVK, Dr. Rakesh Pandey – Agri scientist, KVK, Mr. Inderpal Singh – local officer from Agriculture Dept., Mr. Shyam Singh – expert on micro-nutrients, and Dr. BP Singh – Agri expert from Gram Unnati. It was organized by the UP-project team of Gram Unnati comprising Nupur Mishra (Project Manager), Pawan Kumar (Project Coordinator), and field officers Vishwajeet and Tejram.

Gram Unnati has also lined up a series of awareness workshop with KVKs across western Uttar Pradesh. Besides UP, Gram Unnati is also launching similar workshops with KVKs in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Haryana, and Maharashtra. The awareness workshops would focus on imparting best practices for paddy with an emphasis on the agronomical practices to be followed after sowing as well as looking into opportunities for market linkage.

Aneesh Jain, CEO & Founder, Gram Unnati said, “For many farmers, in the past, the entire paddy field has been destroyed due to lack of timely guidance with respect to control and management of pests along with nutrient management. In this region, paddy is the principal crop grown during the Kharif season, making it one of the main sources of income for local farmers. This is the reason why we decided to organize awareness camps for farmers with the help of KVKs.”

 Dr. Brijpal Singh, KVK Bareilly in-charge, said: “We are delighted to be a part of this program organized by Gram Unnati. This is a great platform that would help the farmers learn new technology to better their produce.”

 It focuses on imparting best practices for

Agrotech, Interaction

In an exclusive interview with AgroSpectrum, Aneesh Jain,  Founder, Gram Unnati talks about the current status of agriculture in India.  Edited excerpts;

Agriculture is unquestionably the most important component of the Indian economy both in terms of its contribution to the GDP as well as a source of employment for the majority of the country’s  population. This sector is currently showing immense opportunities, with India presently being one of the world’s largest agricultural producers by value. Gram Unnati is  working closely with multiple stakeholders to help farmers in the Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand save 4,000 litres per acre by bringing climate-compatible agriculture to over 5,000 acres of farmland. In an exclusive interview with AgroSpectrum, Aneesh Jain,  Founder,Gram Unnati talks about the current situation in agriculture in India.  Edited excerpts;

What are the major plans in store for 2022-2023, particularly in terms of investments and product launches in India?

We plan to launch our end-to-end technology application suite for farmers, our on-ground field executives, and our sales enablement platform to optimise market linkages for large agro processors and input manufacturers.

What is so unique about your company? How does it stand different from others in competition?

Unlike most competition Gram Unnati is present across the value chain and works directly with large agro processors. We believe in bringing the market to the farmers rather than the other way round and that we believe would be our biggest edge.

How do you foresee the future of the agriculture industry in India in the next 5 years?

New-age technologies focus on robotics, precision agriculture, artificial intelligence, block chain technology, and more. Use of digital and analytic tools is driving continuous improvement in agriculture, resulting in improving crop yields and helping in the overall income enhancement and improvement in livelihoods of the farming community. The Government of India has contributed to this by launching the Digital Agriculture Mission initiated from 2021-2025 for projects based on new technologies. 

Over the next five years more farmers will get access to smart devices and will be more digitally connected. Modernisation of the agriculture sector will continue by infusing the new-age technologies that will not only help in increasing incomes of farmers but will also contribute to food and nutrition security of the nation while being climate compatible. 

Please list out the key achievements of your company since inception, particularly in terms of product launches, patents, R&D investment.

  • Over the last 9 years of operations, we have been able to onboard 200,000+ farmers across 7 states in our network
  • We have grown 5x in top-line during the pandemic years and 100 per cent + annually over the last three years with stable and improving unit economics as a result of our structured approach and maturing relationships that we have built with 20+ major agro processors pan India
  • We have been able to bring about sustainable income enhancement of 15-20 per cent within our farmer network
  • We are a trusted enablement partner for various state governments, national agencies, farmer mobilisation organisations, and agro-logistics companies.

How much revenue was generated in FY 21-22? What are the growth expectations this year?

We are expecting hyperscale growth (500 per cent + Y-o-Y) over the next three years driven by a healthy pipeline. We have a strong order book in place across diversified customers comprising a mix of MNCs, Indian (listed and unlisted) and export-oriented players.

Any new technological innovations you are planning to introduce that specifically help the agri & food industry?

We are developing an end-to-end technology application suite for farmers, our on-ground field executives, and building a sales enablement platform to optimise market linkages for large agro processors and input manufacturers.

How are you aiming to expand your reach in India?

  • Currently we are partnering with various state governments, national agencies, farmer mobilisation organisations, and agro-logistics companies. Through these partnerships we expect to strengthen our on-ground presence and are targeting to have 850,000+ farmers within our network by 2025. 
  • We are looking at both horizontal and vertical expansion opportunities. This includes expansion into new commodities such as livestock, aquaculture as well as new segments like precision agriculture, farm management, and financial services. 

What are the major challenges you are facing in the industry?

The Agriculture Industry is facing highly uncertain times, as witnessed recently when the government banned wheat exports in mid of May due to record-breaking heatwave damaged crops. Earlier in April, the government was planning to export wheat and help the countries affected by the Russia-Ukraine War. Inefficient practices in the industry have also played a huge role to make the sector highly unorganised. The long chain between the farmer and end user results in distribution of farmers income in the hands of traders and other intermediaries, ultimately resulting in value loss for farmers. Inefficient practices such as sowing high water demanding crops like Summer Paddy in places with less irrigation facilities further contributes to the sustainability issues.

What can be done to improve market linkage and sustainability?

Adopting efficient practices would not only enhance the income for farmers, but will also help in addressing issues of sustainability. To tackle this problem in the short term, advisory and assistance services to farmers will be the most efficient way to guide and support farmers in adopting good agricultural practices.

Long chain of intermediaries has been a problem for the sector and farmers, since they wipe off most of the farmer’s margins. In order to address this, the market linkages must be direct with the farmers, so that the demand can be addressed efficiently and also support in better realisation of the margins. 

                                                                                                        Pooja Yadav

                                                                                                    pooja.yadav@mmactiv.com

In an exclusive interview with AgroSpectrum, Aneesh

Environment

The company plans increase the initiative to 100,000 acres of spring Maize

Gram Unnati, India’s first integrated agri-tech solutions company, worked closely with multiple stakeholders to help farmers in Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand save 4,000 liters per acre by bringing climate-compatible agriculture to over 5,000 acres of farmland.

In what may become a lesson in climate compatible agriculture to millions of Indian farmers, Gram Unnati worked closely with the local district administration, local maize processors, input companies, and lead farmers in a short span of 18 months prompting 2,000 farmers to switch to climate-compatible crops that are commercially viable as well. 

Commenting on the success of the project, Aneesh Jain, CEO and Founder, Gram Unnati, said, “The success of the project comes at a time when we are dealing with acute water shortage across the world. According to the United Nations, by 2050 more than five billion people could be affected by water scarcity. India, which constitutes 16 per cent of the total world population, has access to a meagre 4 per cent of the world’s water resources. The success of our pilot project in Uttarakhand will impact other farmers to shift towards climate compatible crops without having an impact on yield and returns.” 

“Gram Unnati intends to scale up this intervention to 100,000 acres of Spring Maize in the next five years. Not only would this reduce dependency on groundwater resources, but it will also help in making agriculture more remunerative for the farmers and more sustainable for the environment,” Jain added. 

The company plans increase the initiative to

People

Sunil Arora is a retired civil servant (IAS) with a rich leadership experience spanning over 36 years

Gram Unnati, India’s 1st full stack agricultural value chain services, has announced the appointment of Sunil Arora, former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, as its board’s new Chairman (Non-Executive).

Sunil Arora is a retired civil servant (IAS) with a rich leadership experience spanning over 36 years. He has headed strategic departments while driving governance and policy reform initiatives both at the central and state government levels. He has served as Secretary to two key ministries – The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) and the then newly set up Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).

Aneesh Jain, CEO and Founder, Gram Unnati said “We are delighted to have Sunil Arora joined us. It is an honour to work under his esteemed guidance and supervision. His rich experience, insights and direction will enable Gram Unnati to further improve its market-linked solution for farmers and sustainably enhance their incomes.”

Arora has served as Additional Chief Secretary (Home) to the Government of Rajasthan and aside from being a key proponent for the Rajasthan State Industrial Policy, he has been on the board of various corporate entities, such as Barmer Mining and Lignite Company, Mahindra SEZ, and Rajasthan State Mines and Minerals Limited.

Arora has led administrative and policy reforms to revitalise the then Indian Airlines as its Chairman & Managing Director from 2000-2005. Under his leadership, the airline turned profitable after years of incurring losses. He also served as a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation during 2000-2002 wherein he played a key role in operationalising the deployment of CISF for security purposes at airports.

Sunil Arora is a retired civil servant