6 Indian Startups Making A Huge Difference In Farming


#3 Barrix Agro Sciences

Founded in: 2011

Founder: Mayil Vaganan

Concept: To manufacture pheromone-based traps as an alternative to pesticides.

Over usage on low-quality pesticides is ruining the quality of fruits and vegetables. Mayil Vagnan, a former scientist at Ranbaxy recently launched this startup in order to reduce the use of pesticides and insecticides by Indian Farmers. The traps are laced with Pheromone, a natural chemical secreted by female insects to attract male insects. Pheromones act as smelling agents and attract insects; traps and kills them. Barrix sells one gram of their product, Vegetable Fly Lure C10 for 360 and it lasts for 60 days.

#2 Microspin Machine Works

Founded in: 2011

Founder: Lakshminarayan

Concept:  Producing special fabric spun with innovative small spinning machines.

In 2011, Lakshminarayan invented micro spinning machines that would change the lives of thousands of farmers in years to come. These unique machines are one-tenth the size of regular spinning machines that are used in large mills. This handy machine can be easily set-up near a cotton farm and thereby saves small-scale cotton growers the trouble to export their cotton to nearest mill. This saves the cotton from getting compressed into hard-blocks, which is a necessary action needed while transporting it bulks. Thus this helps retain the light, airy quality of the cotton fabric.

#1 Reuters Market Light

Founded in: 2007

Founders: Thomson Reuters and IvyCap Ventures

Concept: Providing farmers call-based informational services.

Thomson Reuters teamed up with IvyCap Ventures, a Mumbai based company that invests in innovative startups and introduced Reuters Market Light (RML) that provides information services for the Indian Farming Community. RML has benefited the farming community in the rural areas by providing clear-cut informational services on agricultural and weather issues, market price and crop info over mobile phones. Today, RML has more than a million subscribers, from about 50,000 villages from all over India.