Rescuing India’s dying farmlands

In 2016, Vishnu Dhas and Pravin Shinde launched KhetiGaadi to help farmers rent, buy, and sell tractors. Today, it has evolved into an ecommerce platform offering farming equipment, seeds, nourishing fertilisers, and a miscellany of other farming-related products.

Wednesday May 04, 2022 , 3 min Read

In 2016, Vishnu Dhas and Pravin Shinde launched KhetiGaadi to help farmers rent, buy, and sell tractors. Today, it has evolved into an ecommerce platform offering farming equipment, seeds, nourishing fertilisers, and a miscellany of other farming-related products.

It also offers financial services such as tractor loans, crop insurance, etc.

The goal is to “change how farmers think about problems”, helping them look for more scientific solutions instead.

“India used to be a very philosophically developed agricultural nation; we used to use all-natural things to treat nature. It was slow but always sustainable. Western agricultural practices have destroyed India’s farmlands, and if things continue the way they are, in the next 45-50 years, we won’t be able to grow anything,” Vishnu tells YourStory.

This April, the startup launched KhetiGuru, a free advisory platform for farmers, with two types of basic services — farm tools and equipment recommendations, and agricultural input recommendations. It has helped nearly 3,000 farmers already.

The co-founders are now focused on taking the product to agricultural states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat. Read more.

Editor’s Pick: Entrepreneurship 101

With Indian startups reaching new heights with every passing year, diversity and inclusion have started to become a benchmark for calculating this growth. So, what is the advantage of having a diverse workforce?

A study by McKinsey called ‘Diversity Wins’ found that diversity in executive teams is related to the strengthening of financial outperformance. It further confirmed that companies with over 30 percent women executives are more likely to outperform companies where the percentage ranged between 10 and 30. Read more.

Startup Spotlight

Enabling Web2 to Web3 transition

Today, tech enthusiasts around the world have been swearing on the potential of Web3 as the next phase of the internet. But Gaurav Kumar (40) and Saurav Kumar (37) already saw the day coming.

Founded in February 2020, Myraah is a Web3 startup helping SMEs, small businesses, and consumers build their Web3 presence and digital assets such as logos, websites, blogs, and domain names. Read more.

Startup Spotlight

Creating eco-friendly oral care products

Why should the first thing you use every morning be a medley of chemicals? In 2012, this problem statement led a team of dentists to launch Delhi-based dental health startup Bentodent – a brand with a difference.

While global and established brands like Colgate, Pepsodent, Sensodyne, Close Up, and Patanjali are single-mindedly focused on reaching consumers in the most remote towns and villages of India, this oral care startup is betting on innovation to set it apart. Read more.