- Selected
startups to receive support across product development and market
deployment
- Program
will offer milestone-based non-dilutive funding of up to INR 50 lakhs for
field implementation and access to additional funding of up to INR 2
crores for scale-up
- Beyond
funding, startups to receive lab, capacity building and business advisory
support
New Delhi, October 16, 2025 : Cisco India CSR and Social Alpha, India’s leading venture
development platform for science and technology startups, today announced the
launch of Krishi Mangal 3.0, the third edition of their flagship
accelerator program for farmer-centric innovations. The latest edition of
Krishi Mangal will scale seven startups that are harnessing the power of
artificial intelligence, IoT, robotics, and renewables to address soil
degradation, water management, farm mechanisation, post-harvest losses, and
supply chain inefficiencies. With its emphasis on climate resilience and
income security, Krishi Mangal 3.0 is designed to empower farmers with
solutions that drive higher productivity and profitability while safeguarding
the long-term viability of agricultural and allied practices.
The accelerator program will support the selected
startups with deployment focused milestone-based funding and scale-up
opportunities. Each startup will deploy its solution with farmers and
grassroots partners, backed by non-dilutive funding of up to INR 50 lakhs. The
startups will have the opportunity to scale across multiple states with access
to more than 200,000 farmers and 150 farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and
have an opportunity to access an additional non-dilutive funding of up to INR 2
crores facilitated by Social Alpha. They will also have the opportunity to
access seed investment from Social Alpha and its partners, subject to due
diligence.
Startups will also benefit from tailored business
planning as well as access to Social Alpha Labs for product design,
prototyping, and manufacturing support.
The seven pioneering startups of the latest edition
include:
- Ekosight
Technologies Pvt Ltd, through its Soil Doctor
Clinic, acts as a local knowledge hub that geotags farms, tests soil, and
provides season-long crop advisory. Its portable device tests 16 key soil
parameters with over 95% accuracy, generating instant digital reports
stored in the cloud. By combining geotagged data with satellite imagery
and AI, the solution tracks crop health, identifies nutrient gaps, and
guides fertilization strategies.
- ArkaShine
Innovations Pvt Ltd is advancing soil health
management with AI-enabled, portable “Point-of-Care” devices that assess
physical, chemical, and biological soil properties. Integrated with a
digital dashboard, the solution delivers fertilizer and crop
recommendations tailored to soil health and microclimatic conditions. By
offering soil-specific nutrient guidance and advising on suitable cropping
patterns, ArkaShine empowers farmers to improve yields and soil
resilience.
- Terracroft
Agritech Pvt Ltd has developed KrishiBOT, a
smart, battery-operated farm robot designed for inclusive and sustainable
farming. Built for gender-neutral operation, KrishiBOT reduces physical
strain, especially for women and elderly farmers. It supports line sowing
and intercropping while minimizing soil compaction and lowering CO₂
emissions. By reducing manual effort and enhancing precision, KrishiBOT
helps farmers boost productivity and adopt more sustainable practices.
- Surobhi
Agro Industries Pvt Ltd, through its platform
Farmology, combines patented organic inputs with AI-powered agronomy
solutions. Its system integrates IoT-based soil testing, AI-driven crop
health monitoring, and personalized farmer consultations. With 95%
accuracy, the platform helps farmers make timely decisions on water, pest,
and nutrient management. It also provides climate alerts, supports
sustainable practices, and connects farmers directly to markets.
- Agribotic
Systems Pvt Ltd has built a 90% indigenous
agri-drone ecosystem designed for Indian farms. Compact and foldable, the
drones enable affordable Drone-as-a-Service solutions for precision
farming. With real-time spraying, obstacle avoidance, and a 10L tank
capacity, the drones integrate with a mobile app for IoT-based data
syncing, fleet management, and precision advisory. This innovation makes
advanced farm mechanisation accessible and scalable for smallholder
farmers.
- Bhairaj
Organics Pvt Ltd, with its solution Desigo,
addresses inefficiencies in India’s milk supply chain by offering a clean,
cold, and traceable delivery system. Using alternative energy, the system
reduces fuel and electricity consumption, eliminating the need for cold
storage and middlemen. With smart milk barrels, automated AI training, and
FSSAI-compliant traceability, Desigo ensures 0% spoilage and affordable
pricing. The model also empowers women entrepreneurs, supports indigenous
breeds, and improves land fertility.
- Rudra
Solar Energy Pvt Ltd offers high-efficiency, low-cost solar cabinet dryers
with three heat transfer modes that speed up drying, cut post-harvest
losses, and improve product quality. With direct market linkages and a
buy-back model, farmers secure fair prices, reduce reliance on intermediaries,
and increase income while minimizing food waste.
Announcing the third edition of Krishi Mangal,
Harish Krishnan, Managing Director & Chief Policy Officer, Cisco India
& ASEAN, said: “At Cisco, we believe in
the power of an inclusive future, where technology acts as an enabler for
everyone, everywhere. technology and innovation can make a big difference.
Whether it’s using AI to predict weather and soil health, IoT sensors for
smarter irrigation, or blockchain for better price transparency these technologies
can help solve real problems on the ground. The startups in Krishi Mangal 3.0
cohort have done a great job of building and applying these innovations in
truly meaningful ways. They’re not just working on technology; they’re solving
real problems for farmers.
This initiative is not just about agricultural
innovation; it is a direct contribution to the vision of Viksit Bharat.
By empowering our farmers with cutting-edge technology, we are boosting rural
incomes, fostering economic resilience, and ensuring food security, all
foundational pillars of a developed nation.
Ganesh Neelam, Co-Founder, Social Alpha, said: “Smallholder farmers are navigating a
complex web of systemic issues—from erratic monsoons and degrading soil health
to rising input costs, limited infrastructure, and shrinking access to credit.
Climate change continues to intensify these vulnerabilities, often pushing
farming families into cycles of economic distress. At Social Alpha, we believe
that deep science and technology can offer farmers new pathways to resilience.
Through Krishi Mangal 3.0, we are backing entrepreneurs who are building
climate-smart, farmer-first innovations that address these structural
challenges and create sustainable, long-term impact.”
Shri Deepak Bagla, Mission Director, Atal
Innovation Mission, NITI Ayog, stated, “India has moved up the
Global Innovation Index from rank 81 in 2015 to 39 in 2024. No other country of
comparable size and scale has made such a significant leap in just 3,500 days.
India is a land of extreme entrepreneurship, with close to 70 million MSME’s.
The strength of our MSME’s lie in their ‘we will get it done’ mindset.
The growth of the nation is tied to the growth of
Agriculture, the primary sector in India. Through initiatives like Krishi
Mangal, a new world order is being created. The innovators sitting in the room
are reshaping the cost curve, which has a profound impact on agricultural
progress. Each innovator is playing the role of a protagonist in bringing India
to one of its most critical inflection points - not only for India but also
globally, demonstrating to the world how it is done.
Since its inception, Krishi Mangal has supported 12
startups across two successful editions. In the first edition, five startups
deployed solutions in seven states, directly impacting over 17,000 farmers and
collectively raising INR 34.8 crore in follow-on funding. The second edition
enabled seven startups to deploy in six states, benefiting more than 32,000
farmers, reducing manual labour, improving productivity, lowering input costs,
and enabling a cumulative increase of 14.9% in farmer incomes. Together, the
first two editions have demonstrated the potential of technology-driven
innovation to transform livelihoods, improve resilience, and build sustainable
agricultural ecosystems.
About Social Alpha
Social Alpha is a multistage innovation curation and
venture development platform for science and technology start-ups that address
the most critical social, economic, and environmental challenges through the
power of entrepreneurship and market-creating innovations. Since its inception
in 2016, Social Alpha has nurtured over 350 start-ups, including 120+ catalytic
grants and 100+ seed investments.
Visit: https://www.socialalpha.org/
About Cisco India CSR
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