SBI Foundation and Villgro have introduced a new initiative called ‘Innovators for Bharat’ to support 14 promising agritech startups. The program was officially launched at an event held at the Bangalore International Centre, attended by representatives from SBI Foundation, Villgro, NABKISAN, and various industry stakeholders.
The 14 selected startups are Bharat Rohan, RAAV Techlabs, Navork Innovations, Marut Drones, GreyMatter (Upaz), Carbon Masters, Raheja Solar, Ekosight, Pasidi Panta, Agrosperity (Kivi), Krimanshi, RuKart, GreenSupply, and E-Feed. The initiative aims to drive innovation in the agricultural sector by addressing critical challenges such as climate change, sustainability, and farmer profitability.
The key objective of the ‘Innovators for Bharat’ initiative is to support early and growth-stage agritech startups in solving pressing agricultural issues. Sanjay Prakash, Managing Director and CEO of SBI Foundation, said, “SBI Foundation’s vision is to support early and growth-stage startups that tackle the challenges associated with agriculture and the impacts of climate change. We aim to foster the development of tech solutions from these startups, ultimately improving the income of smallholder farmers and making their businesses more profitable and sustainable.”
This program is backed by an initial funding of Rs 3.25 crore from SBI Foundation, with additional capital provided by NABKISAN, bringing the total funding to Rs 6 crore. This “catalytic capital” is intended to support the 14 selected startups, allowing them to scale their operations and bring their innovative technologies to market.
Over the next two years, the program aims to impact the lives of 10,000 individuals, promote sustainable agricultural practices on 60,000 acres of land, and prevent 15,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. The ‘Innovators for Bharat’ initiative is a collaborative effort that combines SBI Foundation’s financial support with Villgro’s mentorship and technical assistance.
