by Agrisnip Reporter | Dec 30, 2025 | Agri Startups, Startoscope
A Founder Who Understood the Soil
The company started in 1986 in a small town called Jalgaon in Maharashtra. The founder, Bhavarlal Jain, did not come from a big city. He grew up in a farming family. He saw his parents and neighbours work from sunrise to sunset, but they always struggled. The biggest problem was water. Either there was too much of it, or there was none at all.
Bhavarlal had a simple goal: he wanted to make the farmer’s life easier. He didn’t want to just sell products; he wanted to solve the mystery of why Indian farms weren’t producing enough food. He believed that if you take care of the land, the land will take care of you. This was the beginning of a journey that would eventually reach millions of farmers.
The Magic of Drip Irrigation
For a long time, Indian farmers used a method called “flood irrigation.” This meant they would pour huge amounts of water into the fields. Most of this water was wasted. It would either evaporate in the sun or run away into the dirt where there were no plants. It was like trying to give someone a drink by throwing a bucket of water at their face.
Jain Irrigation introduced Drip Irrigation. This system uses a network of thin plastic pipes with tiny holes. These holes are placed right next to the roots of each plant. Instead of a flood, the plant gets a slow, steady “drip” of water.
This changed everything. Farmers saved nearly 70% of their water. Because the water went straight to the roots, the plants grew much faster. Farmers also found they had fewer weeds because the areas between the plants stayed dry. This simple shift helped farmers grow more food using much less water.
Winning the Trust of the Village
In the beginning, it was very hard to sell this idea. Farmers were used to seeing their fields soaked with water. When they saw the tiny drips from the pipes, they didn’t believe it was enough. They thought their crops would die. Many were afraid to spend money on this new “plastic technology.”
Bhavarlal Jain knew he couldn’t just give speeches. He went into the heart of the villages. He set up “demo farms” where everyone could watch the crops grow. When farmers saw that their neighbours were growing huge bananas and healthy sugarcane with very little water, they finally started to trust the company. Jain Irrigation didn’t just act like a business; they acted like a helpful neighbour. They stayed in the villages, taught the farmers, and listened to their problems.
More Than Just Water: A Full Support System
As the years went by, the company realised that a farmer needs more than just a good watering system. To be successful, a farmer needs a complete plan. This is where Jain Irrigation became truly special. They started offering things that no one else was providing in rural India:
Better Plants: They built labs to grow “Tissue Culture” plants. These are baby plants that are guaranteed to be healthy and free of disease.
Solar Power: Many villages don’t have steady electricity. Jain Irrigation created solar pumps so farmers could water their crops using the power of the sun.
Buying the Crop:
The company built factories to buy fruits like mangoes and onions from the farmers. This meant the farmers didn’t have to worry about where to sell their harvest.
One of the best things about Jain Irrigation was its work with the government which made the farming affordable for everyone. New technology can be expensive for a poor farmer. The company worked to make sure farmers could get “subsidies,” which are financial help from the government. This made it possible for even the smallest farmer with a tiny piece of land to buy a drip system.
This effort turned dry, brown lands into green orchards. It didn’t just happen in India; soon, the company was taking its ideas to other countries like the USA and Israel. They showed the world that an Indian company could lead the way in modern farming.
A Lasting Change for the Future
Today, Jain Irrigation has faced some financial struggles because they grew so fast. However, their real success is seen in the fields of India. They changed the mindset of the Indian farmer. They proved that you don’t need a flood to grow a forest; you just need a few drops of water in the right place.
The story of Jain Irrigation is a story of hope. It shows that when you combine a love for the land with smart ideas, you can feed a nation. They taught everyone that every drop of water is a gift, and if we use it wisely, we will never go hungry.
by Shahu Pawar | Aug 21, 2025 | Agri Startups, Startoscope
BharatAgri: The Digital Doctor for India’s Farmlands
In India’s vibrant farmlands, a new revolution is quietly transforming how millions of farmers grow their crops and run their businesses. Born from the challenges of Vidarbha’s cotton fields and powered by the innovation hubs of IIT Madras, BharatAgri is championing a uniquely Indian model: where personalized, science-driven agri-advisory meets a farmer-friendly online marketplace, accessible right from Karnataka and beyond.
The Spark: Bringing Science Home to the Fields
Co-founded in 2017 by Sai Gole and Siddharth Dialani, both with deep roots in farming families and top-notch engineering backgrounds, BharatAgri began as an effort to answer a question they’d both faced growing up: How can Indian farmers get reliable, scientific advice and quality products without leaving their villages? They saw that farmers lacked systematic knowledge in agronomy, were often misled or underserved by local retailers, and missed out on crucial timely interventions for better yields.
The Solution: LeanNutri Algorithm, Personalized Advice, and E-Commerce
Dubbed a “doctor for India’s farmlands,” BharatAgri’s secret sauce is its LeanNutri algorithm—a tech marvel that tailors recommendations to each plot’s specific crop, soil, and weather data. Farmers start with a consultation, get a digital “prescription” for what, when, and how much to sow, fertilize, or spray, and benefit from real-time, local language alerts for pest and disease threats.
- Precision Advisory: From sowing to harvest, every step is backed by data and agro-science.
- E-commerce Empowerment: Inputs like seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides—literally the “medicines” for crops—are available in a vast, vetted marketplace delivered to the farmer’s doorstep, even in remote villages. No more stock-outs or long waits, and no need to trust the local shopkeeper over genuine quality.
- Pest & Disease Focus: Farmers receive early alerts and best-in-class solutions for pest and disease management, boosting yields and minimizing losses.
The Impact: Growth, Profit, and Sustainability
BharatAgri isn’t just about advice—it’s about results. Farmers using the platform see up to 30% higher production and a 20% reduction in costs, thanks to tailored recommendations and faster, better access to inputs. With over four million farmers served and a reach across 20,000+ pin codes in India, the platform reduces greenhouse emissions by promoting sustainable practices and guides farmers toward healthier soil and water use.
The Hook: Bharatiya Roots, Digital Heights
Picture a farmer in Karnataka, getting a custom plan for her chickpea field, ordering “crop medicine” with the click of a button, and harvesting higher yields with less worry about pests, market shortages, or misinformation. That’s BharatAgri’s dream in action: bridging ancient farming wisdom with next-gen technology.
With its unique blend of personalized agri-advisory, science-powered algorithms, and rural e-commerce, BharatAgri is setting a new standard—where every Indian farmer can access the right knowledge and products at the right time, and realize the full potential of their land.
by Shahu Pawar | Aug 7, 2025 | Agri Startups, Startoscope
Crofarm: In the bustling urban sprawl of Delhi NCR, Crofarm is leading a digital revolution in agriculture—using AI-driven logistics to connect farmers directly with businesses, reduce waste, and ensure every tomato or mango arrives crisp and fair-priced.
The Backstory: Building from the Ground Up
Founded in 2016 by Varun Khurana and Prashant Jain, Crofarm’s journey began in the world of grocery logistics. The co-founders previously launched Mygreenbox, a grocery delivery startup acquired by Grofers, and quickly realized the biggest pain wasn’t delivery—it was the chaos and waste in the upstream supply chain. Layer after layer of middlemen made produce expensive for consumers and unrewarding for farmers, with up to 40% of fresh food lost before even reaching the city.
Determined to fix this, Varun and Prashant plunged into India’s heartland, visiting farms across Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Haryana. There, they saw the real challenges: farmers struggling with unpredictability, delayed payments, and lack of market access. The duo envisioned a transparent, tech-powered network that would give both farmers and buyers a better deal.
The Solution: AI-Powered Agri Logistics at Scale
Crofarm set up a robust, AI-driven digital supply chain to tackle the root of the problem:
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Direct Sourcing: They buy fruits and vegetables straight from over 20,000 farmers in more than twelve states, cutting out traditional market “mandis.” This shrinks costs and guarantees timely, electronic payments to farmers.
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Demand Prediction: Crofarm uses advanced machine learning to forecast exactly what and how much produce is needed by retailers and consumers. This tech has slashed wastage from 30-40% in traditional systems to under 4%, and sometimes as low as 3%.
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Fast Turnaround: Their system moves produce from farms to city warehouses within hours. Warehouse operations—sorting, quality checking, and last-mile dispatch—are optimized by smart software, with live rider tracking and routing to ensure ultra-fresh, just-in-time delivery.
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Traceability: Every veggie can be traced back to its farm, building consumer trust and rewarding growers for premium quality through a blockchain-based traceability and incentive system.
Impact: A Win-Win for Farmers, Retailers, and the Planet
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For Farmers: Crofarm means more predictable demand, higher earnings (with market guidance), and prompt digital payments—ending the cycle of uncertainty and debt.
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For Retailers and Consumers: Reliable, daily deliveries of fresh, nutritious produce; transparent pricing; and the assurance of quality, with fewer hands (and less time) between harvest and plate.
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On Wastage and Efficiency: Tech-driven demand prediction has brought food waste down to one-tenth of market averages. This saves money, natural resources, and environmental impact.
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For Women & Local Communities: Through its sister brand Otipy, Crofarm empowers over 500 women resellers to distribute at the hyperlocal level, boosting rural incomes and building a new “farmer-to-family” economy.
The Hook: A New Era for India’s Food Chain
Crofarm isn’t just a logistics startup—it’s a community. By weaving together AI, a passionate farmer network, and modern supply chain muscle, it’s making Indian agriculture more transparent, profitable, and sustainable. Their relentless focus has already created a digital, cross-country expressway for India’s fruits and veggies—one that’s fairer to the field and fresher to the fork.
Crofarm’s story proves that with the right blend of tech and purpose, even the most challenging supply chains can be rebuilt for people and planet alike—a harvest of hope for millions.
by Shahu Pawar | Jul 3, 2025 | Agri Startups, Startoscope
Bonsai Robotics: Reimagining Farming with Vision-Based Autonomy
Bonsai Robotics is a California-based startup that’s rapidly redefining the future of agriculture through AI-powered, vision-based autonomous navigation for farm equipment. Founded by industry veterans Tyler Niday (CEO) and Ugur Oezdemir (CTO), the company’s mission is to tackle some of farming’s toughest challenges, starting with the labor crisis in orchards and other permanent crop environments.
The Founders & Their Vision
Tyler Niday, Bonsai’s Co-Founder and CEO, is no stranger to agricultural innovation. Before launching Bonsai Robotics, he spent seven years at Blue River Technology and John Deere, where he was instrumental in developing the pioneering “See & Spray” technology and led the autonomy team. His career began at Orchard Machinery Corporation (OMC), designing advanced equipment for the nut industry—a background that gave him firsthand insight into the sector’s pain points.
Ugur Oezdemir, Co-Founder and CTO, brings deep expertise in robotics and computer vision. He helped build autonomy stacks at John Deere and Blue River, and contributed to Airbus’s Vahana project, as well as senior roles at Volkswagen, Toyota, and Mercedes-Benz.
The Genesis: Solving a Growing Crisis
The story of Bonsai Robotics is rooted in a simple but urgent problem: a severe and worsening shortage of farm labor. Modern orchards, especially in the nut industry, require intensive manual work that’s increasingly hard to staff. Recognizing this, Bonsai Robotics set out to automate the most grueling, repetitive, and hazardous tasks by making farm vehicles “see” and “think” like humans, without relying on GPS, cellular, or internet connections.
Their flagship technology, Visionsteer, uses advanced computer vision and AI models trained on a vast orchard dataset. This allows tractors and harvesters to navigate independently, even in harsh, GPS-denied environments filled with dust, darkness, debris, and uneven terrain. The result: machines that can operate safely and efficiently, day or night, in conditions where traditional automation fails.
Impact: Transforming Farming from the Ground Up
For farmers, Bonsai’s autonomy means:
- Labor relief: Machines take over repetitive, physically demanding jobs, addressing the chronic shortage of workers.
- Efficiency: Jobs are completed up to 60% more effectively and efficiently, reducing operational costs and increasing productivity
- Resilience: The technology works in the toughest conditions—no more downtime due to poor GPS or lack of connectivity
- Data-driven insights: Growers get real-time data, analysis, and notifications to make better decisions about their operations.
For the agriculture industry, Bonsai Robotics is a game-changer:
- Sustainability: By optimizing resource use and minimizing waste, their systems support more sustainable farming practices.
- Scalability: OEM partnerships allow Bonsai’s technology to be integrated into new or existing equipment, accelerating adoption across the industry.
- Future-proofing: As the farming population ages and labor becomes scarcer, automation ensures food production can keep pace with global demand.
The Journey & What’s Next
Bonsai Robotics has already made headlines with successful collaborations, like transforming OMC’s historic Shockwave tree shakers into fully autonomous harvesters. Their recent funding rounds, including a $10.5 million seed and a $15 million Series A, reflect strong investor confidence and will fuel further R&D and commercialization.
As CEO Tyler Niday puts it:
“We are revolutionizing orchard farming by automating some of the industry’s most challenging processes…offering farmers seamless solutions that drive efficiency and sustainability.”
With its bold vision, cutting-edge tech, and relentless focus on real-world problems, Bonsai Robotics is not just building smarter machines—it’s cultivating a future where automation and agriculture grow together
