The agri-startup sector in Karnataka is a dynamic and rapidly evolving landscape, driven by innovation, technology, and a commitment to sustainable agricultural practices. Karnataka’s diverse agro-climatic zones provide a fertile ground for various crops, ranging from cereals and pulses to high-value horticultural products. The state’s agri-startups are leveraging this diversity to create innovative solutions that address the challenges faced by farmers and enhance agricultural productivity.
The session focused on understanding the challenges faced by agri-tech startups and how innovative solutions from Karnataka’s entrepreneurial ecosystem are transforming the sector. Startups highlighted key issues such as market access, funding, regulatory hurdles, digital adoption by farmers, and supply chain inefficiencies. The startups that gathered are leveraging advanced technologies like AI, IoT, and Data Analytics to address various challenges faced by farmers. While they are driven by innovation and technology, they are specifically focused on improving crop yields, ensuring sustainable farming practices, and enhancing market access for agricultural products. The ministers and officials, during the session, engaged in meaningful discussions, emphasizing the government’s commitment to fostering technology-driven agricultural growth.
C-CAMP Agriculture Grand Challenge program was launched at the session, which helps farmers in making significant contributions to the agricultural landscape by providing farmers with access to quality inputs, real-time data, and market linkages. The program seeks to identify promising innovations that can address various problem areas and gaps in agriculture sector. These innovations hold significant potential to disrupt and transform key aspects of agriculture. The challenge provides a unique opportunity for Agri-tech start-ups with commercially viable solutions to tackle grassroots-level problems through deep-science innovations.
One of the flagship initiatives of the Department, the Elevate Grant in Aid program which has funded 983 startups, including 30% women-led and 25% from Tier II/III cities, with INR 224.06 crore, has had 75 agri and agritech beneficiaries with grant of 15.6 cr. This has helped enable entrepreneurship in the agri and agritech space by providing financial, mentorship, and infrastructural support to startups to develop prototypes, conduct market research, and scale their operations.
The state’s focus on deeptech, AI, and digital platforms to enhance agricultural productivity and assured support in policy alignment and infrastructure to help agri-startups scale, was reassured during the meeting. The Government of Karnataka reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening agri-tech innovation through policy support, funding mechanisms, and industry collaborations.
This session is part of Karnataka’s broader efforts to position the state as a leader in agricultural innovation, ensuring farmers benefit from cutting-edge technology and sustainable solutions.
