Lok Sabha Question No. 4347 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-19
Subject: Promotion of Agricultural Startups
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Dharambir Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.  4347 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19 th  AUGUST, 2025

## PROMOTION OF AGRICULTURAL STARTUPS

4347. Shri Dharambir Singh:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  identified  Rural  Innovation  Centres  to  promote agricultural startups among youth and if so, the details of such identified centres;
- (b)  whether these centres are providing early-stage funding, technical mentorship and marketing support to agri-startups, if so, the structure and scale of such assistance;
- (c)  whether  collaboration  initiatives  have  been  launched  between  agri-startups  and agricultural universities or Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), if so, the number of functional partnerships;
- (d)  whether such innovation centres are operational in aspirational districts like Bhiwani and Charkhi Dadri to ensure inclusive development; and
- (e)  whether a dedicated Agri-Startup Portal is available for application, funding access and real-time progress tracking, if so, the functionalities and coverage of this portal may be provided

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण राǛ मंũी (SHRI RAM NATH THAKUR)

- (a):  To  promote  innovation  and  agri-entrepreneurship,  Department  of  Agriculture  and Farmers'  Welfare  is  implementing  'Innovation  and  Agri-Entrepreneurship  Development' programme  by  providing  financial  and  technical  support  under  the  Pradhan  MantriRashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY) from 2018-19. 5 Knowledge Partners (KPs) and 24  RKVY  Agribusiness  Incubators  (R-ABIs)  have  been  identified  and  appointed  for providing implementation assistance, training and support to startups under this programme. The list of these KPs and R-ABIs is at Annexure-I
- (b):  Under  the  programme,  trainings,  technical  mentorship,  marketing  and  funding supports are provided to  the  selected  start-ups  through  the  respective  KP  or  R-ABIs  to launch their products, services, business platforms, etc in the market and to facilitate them in  scaling  up  their  products  and  operations  to  attain  business  viability.  The  financial support upto Rs. 5 lakhs at the idea/pre seed stage and upto Rs. 25 lakhs at the seed stage are provided to selected startups.
- (c):        KPs/RABIs  collaborate  with  various  host  universities,  Krishi  Vigyan  Kendras (KVKs), Research & ICAR Institutes to support startup for product validation, field trials, technology dissemination, etc. Multiple functional partnerships have been established to strengthen these initiatives to support start-ups by collaborating with relevant agricultural stakeholders.  These  KVKs  and  Institutions  support  startups  by  conducting  field  trials, facilitate technology dissemination, and carry out extension activities, etc. The number of these functional partnership/collaborations of KPs & R-ABIs with KVKs/Universities/Intuitions to support startups is at Annexure-II
- (d):    Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar is a R-ABI to cover outreach  to  startups/entrepreneurs  from  Haryana  including  aspirational  districts  like Bhiwani and Charkhi Dadri. Besides this the startups may also seek support from the 5 KPs established under the programme. Primary incubation facilities are located at Hisar and innovators are  engaged through awareness programmes, virtual mentoring, capacity-building  workshops  and  field  demonstrations  conducted  in  collaboration  with KVKs of Haryana.
- (e):   A dedicated portal  (https://agristartup.gov.in/) at central level has been developed for startups.  Besides this, the respective KP and R-ABI have their own websites which are  used  for  advertisement  of  applications,  monitoring  of  fund  release,  expenditure  & utilization,  startups  progress  reports,  etc.  Sanctions  generated  for  the  startups  are uploaded on the portal for disbursal of the funds.

The list of 5 Knowledge Partners (KPs) and 24 RKVY-Agribusiness Incubators (R-ABIs) from across the country appointed by DA & FW are as follows:

## I. 5 Knowledge Partners (KPs):

- (1)  National  Institute  of  Agricultural  Extension  Management  (MANAGE), Hyderabad,
- (2) National Institute of Agricultural Marketing(NIAM) Jaipur,
- (3) Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) Pusa, New Delhi,
- (4) University of Agriculture Science , Dharwad, Karnataka and
- (5) Assam Agriculture University, Jorhat, Assam

## II. 24 RKVY Agribusiness Incubators (R-ABIs):

- 1)  Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Hisar, Haryana
- 2)  CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh
- 3)  IIT-BHU, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
- 4)  Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh
- 5)  ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh
- 6)  Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab
- 7)  Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur, Chhattisgarh
- 8)  Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu, J & K
- 9)  IIM, Kashipur, Uttarakhand
- 10)  Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, Kerala
- 11)  ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad, Telangana
- 12)  Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
- 13)  Agri innovation and entrepreneurship cell, ANGRAU, Andhra Pradesh
- 14)  National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, Odisha
- 15)  S K N Agriculture University, Jobner, Rajasthan
- 16)  Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal
- 17)  Bihar Agricultural University, Bhagalpur, Bihar
- 18)  Anand Agricultural University, Anand, Gujarat
- 19)  ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai, Maharashtra
- 20)  Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, Maharashtra
- 21)  ICAR-NIVEDI, Bengaluru, Karnataka
- 22)  College of Fisheries, Lembucherra, Tripura
- 23)  Veterinary  Medicine  College  of  Veterinary  Sciences  &Animal  Husbandry, Mizoram
- 24)  College of Horticulture & Forestry, Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh.

## Details of functional partnership/collaborations of KPs & R-ABIs with KVKs/Universities/Intuitions to support startups

|   Sl. No. | Name of KPs / R-ABIs                                                                      | Number of functional partnership                                                 |
|-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad (KP)          | 8 Universities across 8 states                                                   |
|         2 | Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) Pusa, New Delhi (KP)                        | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh                      |
|         3 | Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat (KP)                                                | 23 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) across 23 districts of Assam                     |
|         4 | University of Agriculture Science , Dharwad, Karnataka (KP)                               | 1 KVK, Sirsi, Karnataka                                                          |
|         5 | Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab (R-ABI)                                  | 18 KVKs in Punjab                                                                |
|         6 | Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur, Chhattisgarh                                | 28 KVKs across Chhattisgarh 2 Institutions (IIT, Kanpur & IIM, Calcutta)         |
|         7 | Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir | 9 KVKs in Jammu region                                                           |
|         8 | CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh                   | 8 KVKs of Himachal region                                                        |
|         9 | Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kashipur, Uttarakhand                               | 5 KVKs 3 universities                                                            |
|        10 | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), BHU, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh                        | 1 university                                                                     |
|        11 | ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai, Maharashtra             | 1 State University - Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV), Rahuri, Maharashtra |
|        12 | Bihar Agricultural University, Bhagalpur, Bihar                                           | 22 KVKs                                                                          |

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