Agriculture Grand Challenges

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Agriculture Grand Challenges

3rd Call Open

Agriculture Grand Challenges Program aims to identify promising innovations to address problem areas and gaps in Indian agriculture, identified through the Agri Immersion Program These innovations will have strong potential to transform key aspects of Indian agriculture in a disruptive manner. The challenge is a unique opportunity for Agri-tech start-ups with a commercially viable solution to solve defined problems at the grassroots level through deep-science innovations. 

Call for Applications for Agri Grand Challenges 3:

Agriculture Grand Challenges Call 3 was officially launched by the Hon'ble Minister for IT, BT and Rural Development, Shri Priyank Kharge and Hon'ble Minister of Agriculture, Shri N. Cheluvarayaswamy on 20th February, 2025.

The Agriculture Grand Challenge 3 (AGC-3) is an initiative by the Centre of Excellence for Agri Innovation (Agri CoE) at C-CAMP, designed to drive breakthrough innovations in the agriculture sector. AGC-3 is the third edition of the highly successful AGC series, which has empowered startups to solve pressing agricultural challenges. In this edition, AGC-3 focuses on ten high-priority problem statements identified through immersion program that involved multiple stakeholder engagement, including farmers, agricultural experts, and government agencies. 
 
Problem Statements AGC-3 is tackling key challenges in agriculture, including:
  1. Biodegradable and Affordable Plastic Mulching Alternatives
  2. Yellow Leaf Disease Detection and Control in Arecanut
  3. Precision Weeding Technology for Small Farms
  4. Detection of Contamination and Adulteration in Perishables
  5. Real-Time Disease Monitoring in Fish Farming and Poultry
  6. Early Warning System for Spike Disease in Sandalwood
  7. Drought-Resistant and Disease-Resistant Crop Varieties
  8. Precision Nutrient and Water Management for Dryland Farming and Paddy Cultivation
  9. Disease Detection and Climate-Resilient Technologies for Red Gram
  10. Improved Harvesting, Drying, Sorting, and Grading Technologies for Cash Crops
Note: The detailed description of problem statements, including expected outcomes and focus areas is presented in “Startup Guidelines for AGC-3” 
 
Eligibility Criteria
  • Indian startups (registered in India, less than 10 years old, and with 51% or more Indian ownership).
  • International startups must collaborate with Indian organizations or provide solutions adaptable to India.
  • The proposed solution must be deep-tech or science-based and aligned with one of the problem statements.
Scope of Support AGC-3 offers selected startups access to:
  • Funding Support: Up to INR 50 Lakhs for Indian startups, and investor connects for international startups.
  • Mentorship & Networking: Guidance from leading agricultural experts and industry stakeholders.
  • Field Trials & Validation: Deployment support through partnerships with agricultural institutions.
  • Infrastructure & Resources: Access to cutting-edge research labs, testing facilities, and industry collaborations.
Evaluation Parameters Startups will be assessed on:
  • Innovation: Novelty, creativity, and IP potential.
  • Feasibility: Practicality and ease of implementation.
  • Impact: Benefits to farmers, the environment, and sustainability.
  • Scalability: Potential to expand to other regions or crops.
  • Deployment Readiness: Progress toward MVP or pilot deployment.
Application Process
Submission: Apply online via the official AGC-3 application portal: Apply Here. 
  1. Submit a detailed project proposal, including: - Executive summary (max 4 pages), - Pitch deck (max 10 slides), -Supporting documents like proof of concept, pilot results, or team credentials.
  2. Evaluation: Applications will undergo a multi-stage review by a panel of experts.
  3. Shortlisting: Selected startups will be invited to pitch their ideas to the jury.
Email: agri@ccamp.res.in
 

C-CAMP Agri Grand Challenge Awardees

Cohort #1
Klonec Automation Systems Pvt Ltd

Klonec Automation Systems Pvt Ltd is an Agri-tech start-up specializing in soil technology, farm data acquisition and related cloud services by building disruptive solutions for soil analysis using cutting-edge technologies. Operating under the brand ‘Krishitantra’, their objective of the solution is to encourage balanced application of fertilizers leading to higher farmer income, soil rejuvenation, savings on irrigation water, reducing water contamination and greenhouse gases, etc. The IOT based indigenously developed products - KrishiRASTAA and KrishiJEEVAN - when utilized in soil testing and agronomy advice on balanced application of fertilizers.
Current Status: Currently, their products are used in domestic and international markets as well. Within India, they are present across 18 states with 2000+ installations. They cater to retail, enterprise and government segments, including FPOs, VLEs, Foundations, Agri-service providers, fertilizer manufacturers, supply-chain companies & aggregators, food processing industries, contract farming institutions, and organisations in FMCG products. Krishitantra is appointed by Govt of India to handle the ‘soil health card’ portal and digitize the end to end soil testing from soil collection to data generation.
Website: https://krishitantra.com/

Papyrus Diagnostics Pvt Ltd

Papyrus Diagnostics is an early-stage start-up incubated at Society of Innovation and Development at Indian institute of Science, Bangalore. The company is a spin-off from Dr. Bhushan Toley’s lab at IISc. Papyrus Diagnostics work in the domain of Agri-tech and infectious disease diagnostics. Papyrus provides a patented portable soil testing device with an USP ‘single step disposable test’. The device fits inside a palm and is robust to all common weather conditions. The technology has been demonstrated for one of the three analytes that’s proposed. The device has 2X accuracy and gives result in 3-5mins.
Current Status: Papyrus is conducting quick validation for the assay and exploring opportunities for validation with potential customers. They are validating their product in the hydroponics sector. In addition to device development, they are also focusing on developing a software interface that will serve as a seamless mediator between the product and end customers.
Website: https://www.papyrusdx.com/

Navork Innovations Pvt Ltd

Navork is a spin-off from IIT Delhi currently incubated at SINE IIT Bombay, developing solutions derived from plants to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables and reduce post-harvest losses.
Navork takes a multifaceted approach to take care of all parameters causing deterioration of shelf life. A Unique solution derived from plants keeps the moisture in and keeps oxygen out with the help of hydrophobic material from plants peel. They use an extract from Soy that has reduced enzymatic activity and cinnamon extract that reduces the microbial load. The plant extract when dipped or sprayed on fruits and vegetables increases their shelf life by over 2.5x as it takes care of all aspects of post-harvest losses.
Current Status: Navork has commercialized the technology for improving the quality and shelf life of mushrooms. Along with clearing the regulatory FSSAI license and safety certifications for the product, they have validated the product from ICAR and several mushroom farms in the country. Navrok’s product is established and is being used repeatedly by customers. Navork is helping to reduce the ‘cap opening’ of mushrooms by 90% as per farms and improved quality and shelf life is fetching them 10-15 rupees extra per kg of mushroom at farms. The product is currently commercialized in five states of India.
Website: https://navork.com/

Ekosight Technologies Pvt Ltd

Ekosight is developing AI-powered soil testing and fertilizer recommendation device that solves the problem of complex, delayed and costly soil testing process for agricultural society and provides them point-of-care timely service at less cost with precise fertilizer recommendations. with state-of-the-art AI-powered actionable recommendations services. With the vision of becoming a Google map for providing soil data to all the Agri service providers and farmers, Ekosight is working on a mission of providing accurate soil data to Agri communities.
Current Status: Ekosight has successfully completed a paid pilot program in Punjab. Ekosight has deployed 10 devices across 20 districts and is conducting comprehensive soil tests on over 1,500 samples. With Ekosight’s recommendation, a per-sample charge of INR 180 for the six parameters is charged. Farmers can make informed decisions based on reliable soil data. The impact has been remarkable, with a 20% increase in yield and a 30% reduction in input costs reported by farmers.
Website: https://www.ekosight.com/