The pivotal role of tech in solving India's agri-financing complexities

As agriculture transforms in India through technology and digital adoption, the finance sector has a key role to play in enabling agri-economic growth. With digital adoption accelerating across rural India, an evolving technology landscape has brought in new possibilities for credit and risk sharing that can expand agricultural productivity. 

In the past, agriculture in India has faced two big challenges of credit and risk, among other gaps in the value chain. Credit and risk are two interlocking problems, where both on the supply side financial institutions face large and systemic risks in providing credit to agriculture and on the demand side, farmers face risks beyond their control in trying to finance the investments necessary to increase productivity.

While these challenges have been answered in parts, a large amount of effort, investments and strategic decisions remain, so as to positively impact all stages of the agri value chain. Startups in the sector have been on the forefront of bring about disruption in agriculture that ranges from blending farm inputs with physical infrastructure for greater price certainty, engaging in predictive analysis to improving yields, enabling farm management and precision agriculture, eliminating inefficiencies in supply change, and helping farm owners access credit and crop insurance.

The aim is to identify and suggest solutions for gaps that still need to be addressed in the agri-fintech space. From understanding effective ways of tackling agriculture risks through technology breakthroughs, private-public partnerships to boost the sector, predictive methodologies for assessing agri worthiness, making institutional credit seamless on supply and demand sides and setting up the cornerstones for digital strategies to push farmer prosperity in India, are some key points under discussion, among others.

Our esteemed panelists and domain experts Hemendra Mathur, Partner, Bharat Innovation Fund and Co-founder, ThinkAg; Azad Mishra, Senior Vice President for Rural and Agri-business Group, HDFC Ergo GIC; and Balachandran M K, Head, Rural Retail and Microinsurance, SBI General Insurance will be offering future forward strategic insights, so as to help catalyse the changes agri-fintech is looking for.

To be held on March 9, 2022 between 3-4 pm, this panel will be moderated by Sujit Janardanan, CMO, CropIn.

To all the credit and risk institutions out there, learn how some of your peers and Agtech experts are solving for the complexities of this sector.

To join and live stream the event,