A Boston Consulting Group study titled ‘The Rising Connected Consumer in Rural India’ says “the number of connected rural consumers is expected to increase from about 120 million in 2015 to almost 315 million in 2020.”
Because of government initiatives such as Digi Gaon (Digital Village) and the Bharat Net project, which provide access to high-speed broadband connectivity, WiFi hotspots, and other low-tariff digital services, “more than half of all new Internet users will come from rural communities and rural users will constitute about half of all Indian Internet users in 2020,” says the study.
To cater to these customers, almost all agri-tech startups in India commenced operations to build mobile apps to solve problems related to quality of soil, weather prediction, pests, disease control, equipment, prices in markets, and storage of grain produced, reports Forbes.
Bangalore-based Nubesol technologies enables farmers to consult with agricultural scientists and also offers ‘Remote Sensing Technology’ that diagnoses soil health; Agrihub is an e-commerce ecosystem that connects traders, companies, and distributors with the needs of farmers; EM3 offers interventions from soil preparation to harvesting, where farmers pay a service fee calculated on a per-hour or per-acre basis; and Ergos offers micro and medium warehousing services. Pune headquartered AgroStar can receive real-time data on the pest or disease that has affected a crop and offer solutions.
“These startups are increasing productivity, bridging knowledge gaps, and making a huge difference in the way work is done in fields,” notes Forbes.
