Lok Sabha Question No. 507 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-06
Subject: Support to Agri-Tech Start ups
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Jagannath Sarkar

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 507

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 06 th  FEBRUARY, 2024

SUPPORT TO AGRI-TECH START UPS

507. SHRI JAGANNATH SARKAR:

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

- (a) whether the Government is supporting and fostering the Agri-Tech Start ups in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether there are specific policies  or  funding  mechanisms  to  encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in the agricultural technology sector; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE SHRI ARJUN MUNDA )

क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी (

- (a)  & (b) The Government of India is committed to promote Agri-startups by providing financial  and  technical  support  to  agri-startups  in  agriculture  and  allied  sectors. Department of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare (DA&FW) is implementing 'Innovation  and  Agri-Entrepreneurship  Development'  programme  under  Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) from 2018-19 with an objective to promote innovation and agri-entrepreneurship by providing financial and technical support for nurturing startups  ecosystem  in  the  country.  So  far,  5  Knowledge  Partners  (KPs)  and  24 RKVY  Agribusiness  Incubators  (R-ABIs)  have  been  appointed  for  training  & incubation of agri-startups and implementation of this programme. The list of these 5 KPs and 24 R-ABIs is at Annexure-I.
- (c)  & (d) Under the programme, the financial support upto Rs. 5.00 lakh is provided at the idea/pre seed stage and upto Rs. 25 lakh at the seed stage to entrepreneurs/ startups in the field of agriculture & allied sector to launch their products, services, business platforms, etc into the market and facilitate them to scale up their products and operations.  Each  KP  and R-ABI  can select a maximum 20 start-ups in each category  of  pre  seed  and  seed  stage  in  a  particular  year  for  financial  assistance under  Innovation  and  Agri-entrepreneurship  programme.  The  fund  is  released  in installments  to  the  selected  startups  based  on  the  recommendation  given  by  the Committee constituted for this purpose.

Start-ups are trained and incubated by these Knowledge Partners (KPs) and RKVY Agribusiness Incubators (R-ABIs) appointed under the programme. Technical support and mentorship is provided on financial, technical, IP issues etc. Besides, Government of India organize various national level programmes including agri-startup  conclave,  agri  fair  and  exhibitions,  webinars,  workshops  to  provide  a platform for the promotion of agri startups by linking them with various stakeholders.

Under  this  programme,  funds  are  released  to  KPs  and  R-ABIs  situated  in different States. The financial assistance of Rs. 111.57 crores have been released in installments to a total of 1554 agri startups through various KPs and R-ABIs from 2019-20 to 2023-24.

## List  of  Knowledge  Partners  (KPs)  and  RKVY-  Agribusiness  Incubators  (RABIs)

## Knowledge Partners (KPs):

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

## RKVY-RAFTAAR 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 Vishwa Vidyalaya, 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 & Kashmir
- 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)  National Institute of Veterinary  Epidemiology  and  Disease  Informatics (NIVEDI), Bengaluru, Karnataka
- 22)  College of Fisheries, Lembucherra, Tripura
- 23)  Department of Veterinary Medicine College of Veterinary Sciences &Animal Husbandry, Aizawl, Mizoram
- 24)  College of Horticulture & Forestry, Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh

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