The Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (DA&FW), Government of India is implementing “Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development” programme under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) from 2018-19 onwards with an objective to promote innovation and agri-entrepreneurship by providing financial support and nurturing an incubation ecosystem in the country. The total Budget Estimates allocated under the Agri-entrepreneurship programme and fund released from 2018-19 to 2023-24 are as under:
Rs. In Crore| Year | Allocation | Fund Released (As on 04.03.2024) |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 238.00 | 39.90 |
| 2019-20 | 123.70 | 15.27 |
| 2020-21 | 119.40 | 48.00 |
| 2021-22 | 102.85 | 31.60 |
| 2022-23 | 132.34 | 35.50 |
| 2023-24 | 106.05 | 45.15 |
| Total | 822.34 | 215.42 |
This Department has appointed five Knowledge Partners (KPs) and twenty-four RKVY Agribusiness Incubators (R-ABIs) from across the country for implementation assistance and incubation of startups under this programme. Besides, Nodal Division, DA &FW also monitor the implementation of the programme and its impact. The list of these 5 KPs and 24 R-ABIs is annexed.
Under the programme, the financial support is provided to entrepreneurs in the field of agriculture & allied sector to set up their startups. For this, a financial support of Rs. 5.00 lakh is provided at the idea/pre seed stage and Rs. 25 lakh at the seed stage as grant-in-aid under the programme. Technical and financial assistance is provided to startups to launch their products, services, business platforms, etc into the market and facilitate them to scale up their products and operations to attain business viability.
So far, 1554 Agri-Startups have been supported with technical and financial assistance under this programme during FY 2019-20 to 2023-24. The funding support of Rs. 175.38 crore as grants-in-aid has been recommended for release in installments to these selected startups. In total, the amount of Rs. 111.57 crore grants-in-aid have been released in installments for funding to these 1554 agri- Startups to the respective KPs & R-ABIs by DA & FW.
Start-ups are taking projects in various field of agriculture and allied sectors like Precision agriculture including applications of sensor, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Information & Communication Technology (ICT), & drone, Farm Mechanization, Post-Harvest, Food Technology & Value addition, Supply Chain and Agriculture logistics & agriculture inputs, Waste to Wealth & Green Energy in Agriculture & Organic Farming, Allied Sector (Animal Husbandry, Dairy, Fisheries, etc.), Secondary agriculture, etc.
AnnexureThe list of 5 Knowledge Partners (KPs) and 24 R-ABIs RKVY-RAFTAAR Agribusiness Incubators (R-ABIs) from across the country appointed by DA & FW are as follows:
The DA &FW has appointed 5 Knowledge Partners (KPs) for implementation assistance and advise on smooth implementation of the scheme, handholding of R-ABIs and implement a Centre of Excellence (CoE) to demonstrate best practices to startup ecosystem, etc.
1. National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad
2. National Institute of Agricultural Marketing(NIAM) Jaipur
3. Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) Pusa, New Delhi
4. University of Agriculture Science , Dharwad, Karnataka and
5. Assam Agriculture University, Jorhat, Assam
The DA &FW has also appointed 24 RKVY-RAFTAAR Agribusiness Incubators (R-ABIs) for the purpose of encouraging start-ups, which are as follows:
1. ChaudharyCharan Singh University, Hisar, Haryana
2. CSK Himachal Pradesh KrishiVishvavidyalaya, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh
3. IIT-BHU, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
4. Jawaharlal Nehru KrishiVishwaVidyalaya, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh
5. ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh
6. Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab
7. Indira Gandhi KrishiVishwavidyalaya, Raipur, Chhattisgarh
8. Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu, J & K
9. IIM, Kashipur, Uttarakhand
10. Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, Kerala
11. ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad, Telangana
12. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
13. Agri innovation and entrepreneurship cell, ANGRAU, Andhra Pradesh
14. National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, Odisha
15. S K N Agriculture University, Jobner, Rajasthan
16. Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal
17. Bihar Agricultural University, Bhagalpur, Bihar
18. Anand Agricultural University, Anand, Gujarat
19. ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai, Maharashtra
20. Dr.PanjabraoDeshmukhKrishiVidyapeeth, Akola, Maharashtra
21. ICAR-NIVEDI, Bengaluru, Karnataka
22. College of Fisheries, Lembucherra, Tripura
23. Veterinary Medicine College of Veterinary Sciences &Animal Husbandry, Mizoram
24. College of Horticulture & Forestry, Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh.
