With the goal of fostering India’s entrepreneurial spirit and uniting key players, industry body ASSOCHAM, in collaboration with Nasscom, Bootstrap Incubation & Advisory Foundation, TiE, and Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association (IVCA), will host Startup Mahakumbh from March 18-20 in New Delhi.
The one-of-a-kind event will see the participation of over 1,000 high-growth startups, unicorns, domestic and global venture capitalists, and other stakeholders. Additionally, it will showcase more than 10 sector-specific pavilions, highlighting India’s most innovative startups.
Meticulously selected, these pavilions will showcase cutting-edge advancements and industry insights across various fields. One particularly important pavilion will highlight the innovations and achievements of the agritech sector, crucial for modernizing the country’s agriculture.
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As per the World Economic Forum, India’s agritech sector has experienced a remarkable surge in recent years, with startups increasing from 43 in 2013 to over 1,000 in 2020. Acknowledging this growth, the agritech pavilion will host engaging discussions on India’s agritech potential, including a fireside chat featuring Mohandas Pai, Chairman of Aarin Capital Partners, and Dr. Vaibhav Tidke, Co-founder and CEO of S4S Technologies.
“The importance of the agritech pavilion is in realising what agritech startups can do for the farmers. The aim is to help the farmers transcend into the role of micro-entrepreneurs. Agritech startups will also work to decode the engagement with farmers at a social and cultural level,” said Vineet Rai, founder and chairman of Aavishkaar Group, executive member of IVCA and the lead for agritech pavillion.
Moreover, the pavilion will organize inspiring keynotes, panel discussions, and an exclusive award ceremony dedicated to promising ventures.
Attendees can anticipate one-on-one mentoring sessions, masterclasses, live pitches, deal rooms, and unicorn roundtables aimed at facilitating the exchange of ideas and networking. Spearheaded by the Aavishkaar Group, the pavilion will also exhibit exhibition pods highlighting startups at the forefront of agricultural innovation.
“We’re excited to participate in Startup Mahakumbh,” said Rai, “The ‘Bharat Innovates’ theme embodies the link between innovation and startups. As host and pavilion lead, we’ll bring key partners, visionaries, and promising enterprises, weaving a rich tapestry of insights, ideas, and investments. It will showcase the latest advancements, disruptive technologies, and opportunities reshaping agriculture’s future,” he added.
Nabard, India’s leading development bank focused on sustainable and equitable agriculture and rural development, will serve as a key partner and sponsor of the agritech pavilion. This partnership underscores Nabard’s commitment to fostering innovation and advancement in the agritech sector. Within the pavilion, Nabard will introduce a curated group of startups, demonstrating the vibrant potential within India’s agricultural startup ecosystem.
“Significant interventions need to be made to make the supply of farm inputs seamless and create more value. There is also a pressing need to look into the post-harvest aspect and how the food makes it from the farm to the fork. Innovations in branding, food processing and fintech aspects are also important. Farmers should be made an intrinsic part of the food processing industry so they flourish as micro-entrepreneurs,” said Rai.
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