Nagpur: An agri product startup by two youths from Akola is one of the 12 startups selected for funding from across the country at the Youth Co:Lab National Innovation Dialogue (YCNID) 2022-23 held in New Delhi.
Akshay Vairale and Akshay Kavale’s AgroSure manufactures equipment that reduces or eliminates manual labor on farms, especially for women workers.
Youth Co:Lab was launched in 2017 by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and City Foundation, but introduced in India in 2019 in partnership with NITI Aayog and Atal Innovation Mission.
Vairale and Kavale, both 30 years old, started AgroSure three years ago in Akola with Rs 6 lakh from their own funds. Vairale said, “We manufacture farm implements equipment that help in weeding, farming etc. We have a variety of implements that can be used as a standalone product or can be attached to tractors etc.”
Her innovation caught everyone’s attention which proved to be a boon for the women agricultural labourers. “While weeding, the workers were required to carry heavy machinery on their backs. So we created a self-propelled machine with wheels on which weeders and even sprayers can be stacked, saving unnecessary labor in the fields,” said Vairale.
While YCNID awards $5,000 (roughly Rs. 4 lakh) to its winners, which is not a huge amount as AgroSure already generates a revenue of Rs 80 lakh annually, it still gives the startup a global reach. Is.
“We have already reached the break-even point and are all set to cross the Rs 1 crore revenue target this year,” said Vairale. Our manufacturing unit is located in Akola itself,” says his company, which received funding of Rs 10 lakh from IIT-Kanpur last year.
Both the co-founders are engineering graduates and Vairale also completed his MBA before starting AgroSure. “We plan to stay in Akola and expand our micro manufacturing unit here. Our aim is to provide employment to people in Vidarbha while providing relief to agricultural workers,” said Vairale.
“With 254 million young people aged 15 to 24, India has a unique opportunity to lead innovation and social entrepreneurship, and to value youth voices,” said Shoko Noda, UNDP India local representative.
YCNID had received around 400 applications out of which 47 were shortlisted. These startups received one-on-one mentorship and capacity-building sessions from experts for two months through the Youth Co:Lab Springboard program, a startup support platform for SDG innovators. These startups then presented their ideas to an eminent jury in May 2023, from which 12 winners were selected.
Akshay Vairale and Akshay Kavale’s AgroSure manufactures equipment that reduces or eliminates manual labor on farms, especially for women workers.
Youth Co:Lab was launched in 2017 by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and City Foundation, but introduced in India in 2019 in partnership with NITI Aayog and Atal Innovation Mission.
Vairale and Kavale, both 30 years old, started AgroSure three years ago in Akola with Rs 6 lakh from their own funds. Vairale said, “We manufacture farm implements equipment that help in weeding, farming etc. We have a variety of implements that can be used as a standalone product or can be attached to tractors etc.”
Her innovation caught everyone’s attention which proved to be a boon for the women agricultural labourers. “While weeding, the workers were required to carry heavy machinery on their backs. So we created a self-propelled machine with wheels on which weeders and even sprayers can be stacked, saving unnecessary labor in the fields,” said Vairale.
While YCNID awards $5,000 (roughly Rs. 4 lakh) to its winners, which is not a huge amount as AgroSure already generates a revenue of Rs 80 lakh annually, it still gives the startup a global reach. Is.
“We have already reached the break-even point and are all set to cross the Rs 1 crore revenue target this year,” said Vairale. Our manufacturing unit is located in Akola itself,” says his company, which received funding of Rs 10 lakh from IIT-Kanpur last year.
Both the co-founders are engineering graduates and Vairale also completed his MBA before starting AgroSure. “We plan to stay in Akola and expand our micro manufacturing unit here. Our aim is to provide employment to people in Vidarbha while providing relief to agricultural workers,” said Vairale.
“With 254 million young people aged 15 to 24, India has a unique opportunity to lead innovation and social entrepreneurship, and to value youth voices,” said Shoko Noda, UNDP India local representative.
YCNID had received around 400 applications out of which 47 were shortlisted. These startups received one-on-one mentorship and capacity-building sessions from experts for two months through the Youth Co:Lab Springboard program, a startup support platform for SDG innovators. These startups then presented their ideas to an eminent jury in May 2023, from which 12 winners were selected.