How Agpulse Organics is using herbal agricultural recipes to protect farm biodiversity
Offering a range of organic products for crop protection and animal husbandry, the Delhi-based agri startup aims to replace synthetic products for crop protection, helping reduce toxic residue in food crops and improve socioeconomic conditions of farmers.
With rapid urbanisation, people in metro cities are becoming increasingly health conscious. According to India fitQ 2016, a report by health and lifestyle company GOQii, which surveyed over 50,000 respondents, Mumbai was found to be the most health-conscious metro in the country, beating Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai. It is widely known that the residual effects of synthetic chemical pesticides are harmful for the human body, and switching to natural inputs is beneficial for soil, plants and human population.
In its bid to contribute towards the green cause, Delhi-based manufacturer, supplier and exporter Agpulse Organics offers a range of herbal insecticides, pesticides, organic fertilisers and animal feed. Using the brand’s cost-effective and quality herbal agricultural products, farmers can bring down their costs and increase crop production. The products are also aimed at controlling pests, improving soil health and creating favourable conditions for healthier plant growth.
Under its agriculture products section, the brand has four product categories – herbal insecticides (Rodhak, Krimidote, Bugdote, Termidote and Agniastra), herbal pesticides (Fungidote and Viridote), organic growth promoter (Vridhak – Herbal, VermiMiracle and Panchagavya) and organic manure (Vermicompost, Organic Compost and City Compost). For animal products, Agpulse Organics offers multi-enzyme-based animal feed (Gavahnika – Lacto+) and herbal animal feed supplement (Gavahnika – Bioksheera).
“We believe that organic is the way forward for the world and it can bring positive change to mankind. Our company, with an aim to rejuvenate Mother Earth with natural products, has redefined crop protection and growth technology by means of Ayurveda,” added Sagarika Gandhi, Co-founder of Agpulse Organics.
Agpulse Organics’ USP
As per Indian Council of Food Research report on organic farming, the total organic agricultural land in India was 1.18 million hectares, accounting only 0.7 percent share of the total agricultural land in 2015, depicting large scope for adoption in organic farming in the country.
Though the startup is over a year old, it hopes to create an edge in the market and claims that the products are beneficial in a number of ways.
“We ensure that the products are met with highest standards. We have invested in state-of-art facilities in Delhi and Gujarat to provide products at competitive pricing so that farmers can maximise their farm produce qualitatively and quantitatively,” added Rajeev Ranjan, Co-founder of Agpulse Organics.
The back story
Launched in September 2016, Agpulse Organics is the brainchild of Rajeev Ranjan (32) and Sagarika Gandhi (32). The duo has nearly 7 years of experience in various agriculture and development projects in India and abroad. Sagarika is a graduate in agriculture and has an MBA in agribusiness. Prior to Agpulse Orgaincs, she has worked with Indian Society of Agribusiness Professionals (ISAP) and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).
Rajeev has an undergraduate degree in agriculture and an MBA from Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences (SHIATS), formerly known as Allahabad Agricultural Institute. While working for different projects, the co-founders identified the gap for organic pest and disease control products, decided to bridge the divide with Ayurveda and Agro-homeopathy recipes. To pursue his entrepreneurial vision, Rajeev even gave up a doctoral degree offer from Sheffield University in England.
“There was a gap in the market for genuine organic pest and disease control products. We planned to fill the gap with ancient Ayurveda and Agro-homeopathy, have untapped potential in the Indian market. Also, there is huge demand for organic food (grains, vegetables, pulses, spices) in the market and our products fit completely to grow these commodities,” said Rajeev.
Today, the startup is backed by a 10-member team and has been incubated in Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi.
Future plans
Focused on organic growth, the brand has been bootstrapped and is not looking to raise funds for now. However, the startup has received seed grants from IIT Kanpur for research.
In the last one year, Agpulse Organics has witnessed a monthly growth of 40 percent and sold over 2,000 litres of its products. The brand has also received traction from European and a few African countries and is soon planning to enter the international markets in the coming years. Going ahead, the brand plans to create a robust presence in India’s northeast states and is eyeing to take its sale to 50,000 litres in the next three years.
