VillageAgro: An Agri-tech startup bridging the gap between farming and technology
Indian eating habits have undergone a sea-change during the pandemic and one supreme impact of the same has been felt at the ground level, amidst the farmers. The force driving this change and bringing the local farmers and consumers together with each other is a unique start-up called VillageAgro - which was launched in Telangana by a group of IITians about 8 months back, to bring traditional agricultural practices in touch with the latest technological intervention. The result has been a big boost in the rural farming sector in Telangana, a growing supply of fresh and healthy farm produce, and a dream-come-true for the local economy.
In fact, it is this major shift in the customer demand towards farm-fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy and poultry products, which has pushed the growth of VillageAgro and is paving a new way forward for similar start-ups in the country.
Immunity Goes Organic
Tired of sitting at home during different phases of lockdown, the majority of urban Indians started paying more attention to their health, and eating right was the first step towards that. It is such men and women who began looking for food with better nutrition, rich flavors, and cheaper cost, who inspired this bunch of young entrepreneurs to launch a start-up to help clean eating. Apart from healing the bodies, this move is environment-friendly as well. In fact, the biggest beneficiary of the “Go Local” practice is Mother Earth and the surrounding environment.
Working Against Constraints
Apart from boosting the human body’s immunity with organic farming products, the start-up also works hard to go beyond the usual constraints of traditional farming with the help of its app. This app is armed with the latest technology features like inventory management, practicing agronomy, drones and agricultural equipment, etc. The limited shelf life, multiple intermediaries, lack of accountability, and disrupted financial transactions were some of the other challenges that the VillageAgro team worked to conquer. They procured logistics as the basis of their supply chain management system, thus devising the most essential link between the farmers and consumers.
One-Stop Solution
VillageAgro, in the past 8 months, has established itself as a one-stop solution to all the problems faced during this campaign. They have created a strong network of repetitive orders, most of which are placed by the urban, health-conscious consumers, who want quality produce regularly. Their co-branding and inventory management app establish close liaison with farmers through smart farming technology and regular procurement, which brings economic benefits right to the doorstep of the farming community. VillageAgro is live on platforms like PayTM, Dunzo, Swiggy, Zomato, Coutloo Meesho, which makes it available across the spectrum. Currently, the company, with 3000 farmers and 6000 retailers onboard, has been able to notch up more than 1500 invoices. Deriving confidence from such milestones, VillageAgro is also expanding to cities like Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, and Pune in the near future.
At present, VillageAgro is a rapidly growing multi-head agritech start-up, with its command over the digital media, and an expansive outreach among the rural community & woke consumers.
