How Agri-Tech is Transforming the Agriculture Sector?

As a result of the proliferation of online agritech companies in India, India's agricultural sector is undergoing profound change and development. The future of agriculture in India has the potential in the burgeoning agri-tech sector, which is expected to generate $24 billion in revenue by 2025.

Currently in India, the agricultural sector is experiencing a transformation. Indian agriculture has gone a long way from its early days of merely guaranteeing the nation's food security to its current position as one of the world's top producers. With 58% of the people engaged in agricultural activities, India is still primarily an agrarian economy. Currently, the agricultural sector and related businesses account for roughly 17–18% of GDP. Agriculture and related businesses have tremendous room for expansion.

The term "agri-tech" has become the latest fad in India's agricultural industry. Inc42 reports that there are one thousand agri-tech startups in India as of 2020 and that these businesses have raised over $400 million in funding between 2014 and 2020. Similar studies estimate that by 2025, India's agri-tech sector might generate $24 billion in sales. There is just approximately 1% of agri-tech penetration in India at the moment. This means there is a tremendous amount of room for growth and potential in the market. There is a new era dawning in Indian agriculture, and it is being ushered in by the agri-tech startups and direct-to-consumer enterprises operating in this market. It will also play an important part in modernising agriculture and ensuring food security for India's projected 1.6 billion people by 2050.

The Agri-Tech Boom:
The term "agri-tech" refers to the intersection between agriculture and technology. It is the practice of incorporating new methods and tools into farming in order to boost output, quality, efficiency, and return on investment. Recent innovations in robots, big data, artificial intelligence, and other techniques have propelled the agri-tech revolution. The Indian agri-tech business is thriving, addressing the country's agriculture sector's innumerable needs, issues, and concerns. Animal husbandry, cattle management, poultry farming, and dairy farming are all areas where online agritech companies in India are addressing challenges.

Financial difficulties, difficulties in the supply chain, difficulties in farming under extreme weather, and gaps in supply and demand are all being addressed through innovations in the sector. Today's agriculture ecosystem startups are using cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning (ML), big data (big data analytics), and blockchain to address market inefficiencies, thereby transforming the industry and improving farmers' bottom lines.

When it comes to agriculture, how exactly is agri-tech changing the game in India?
There has been a technological breakthrough in Indian agriculture. The agri-tech industry is reshaping India's agricultural landscape with the help of a variety of innovative technology.

Market connections, farm inputs, precision farming, Farming-as-a-service, as well as financial services are just some of the sub-sectors that may be found among agri-tech startups. In the sections that follow, we'll examine how each of these industries is shaking up the home front in modern times.
- Market Connections:
By connecting farmers with buyers and sellers directly, startups in this space are increasing farmers' income. This explains why farmers in India are embracing market connection solutions so enthusiastically. Book My Crop an excellent online agriculture store in India, is a distinct platform that brings farmers and buyers together for the agro-trade.
- Farm inputs:
Here, a variety of data elements are assisting farmers in increasing their production and productivity. Smart farming sensors enabled by the Internet of Things (IoT) are assisting farmers in collecting temperature, data on soil quality, ammonia content, humidity, etc. It can help them keep tabs on the soil in real-time by measuring and reporting on factors like temperature, moisture, soil pH, electric conductivity, as well as the content of organic matter. Monitoring the types of microenvironments available to cattle is also helpful in the animal husbandry sector.
- Precision farming:
Historically, India's agricultural output has lagged behind international standards due to its subpar agricultural methods. Precision farming, though, is altering the landscape completely. Precision farming is a method of farming that employs novel strategies and cutting-edge technologies, such as the study of topography and weather forecasts and the use of automated irrigation systems. Using Internet of Things (IoT) sensors or geospatial technologies and combining analytics to deliver timely insights, supplies farmers with farm-specific data regarding soil, the ever-changing weather conditions, terrain, pests, etc. It aids in the management of farming systems, frequently in real-time, and contributes to making farming more systematic as well as scientific.
- Farming-as-a-Service:
Among the many options provided by farming as a service are the rental of machinery on demand, pesticide spraying, as well as field levelling. Pay-as-you-use or subscription-based access to cutting-edge, enterprise-level technology used in agriculture and adjacent industries. Some answers are tech-driven breakthroughs, while others are just reimagining old methods in a more systematic and effective way.
- Financial services:
For decades, Indian farmers' access to capital has been a major issue. The online agri market faces a number of challenges, and new agri-tech businesses are working to solve them. Technology advancements in secure banking systems, micropayments, real-time market prices, mobile banking, as well as remote monitoring are all being put to use to improve the efficiency, safety, and dependability of financial service solutions provided to farmers.