Indigram Labs Foundation Announces Winners of its Smart Village Program - 'Adhunik Gram'

Indigram Labs Foundation, a leading agri-tech focused incubator, has announced the winners of its smart village program - 'Adhunik Gram', an initiative to empower agribusiness in rural India.

The winner was IndusTill FarmeTech Pvt. Ltd. which won a cash prize of Rs 1 Lac. The 1st runner up was Urdhvam Environmental Technologies Pvt. Ltd. which won a cash prize of Rs. 50,000 and the 2nd runner up was Impagro farming solutions Pvt. Ltd. which won Rs. 30,000. The program which was launched in September 2019, received over 120 applications of which 14 start-ups were short listed and 11 start-ups presented on demo day.

[caption id="attachment_143696" align="alignleft" width="391"] Dr. Manisha Acharya, CEO, Indigram Labs Foundation[/caption]

Commenting on the occasion, Dr. Manisha Acharya, CEO, Indigram Labs Foundation, said, "Rural India has been getting an insignificant chunk of the pie in the economic plans of the country. Majority of the schemes for rural India are just to help earn a very basic livelihood for the people and not for the upliftment of the rural economy as a whole. Therefore, a balanced approach should be adopted to maintain a balance between rural and urban quality of life. Future course of actions, policies, tools, and instruments should deliver valuable building blocks for 'Smart Villages'. With a mission for "A Better Life in Rural Areas" we have initiated the Smart Village Program-Adhunik Gram."

IndusTill founded by Shrilesh Rajendra Mande is committed to developing an affordable smart agricultural vehicle for small and marginal farmers of India. This multipurpose vehicle has the ability to decrease the labor cost by half which constitutes a major part of input cost and double farmer's income with yields and Crop prices remaining constant.

Urdhvam Environmental Technology's [www.borecharger.com] water-recharge technology provides innovative nature-based solutions to a vexing problem affecting humanity worldwide. It was founded by Vinit Phadnis.

Impagro Farming Solution's Co-founded by Akbar Sher Khan is developing energy-efficient village-level cold chain infrastructure for farmers with a facility to pre-cool and store their crops at the farm-gate before dispatch to market which greatly reduces post harvest loss and improves profitability.

The Adhunik Gram (Smart Village) program was launched with support from NABARD and start-up India with the objective of identifying the problems of rural areas and exploring solutions with the help of science & technology based start-ups. The focus of the program is to contribute to the promotion of an innovation and technology-driven entrepreneurial ecosystem with an objective of rural development through wealth and job-creation. The innovative ideas of these tech-based start-ups will further help in promoting economic development that improves quality of life and attracts human capital to villages.

The program achieved significant outcomes for the selected start-ups who explored, developed & executed innovative solutions to address agricultural & rural development issues in rural India in collaboration with farmers/Cooperatives/Govt./Pvt. Institutions. From customized capacity building program to making them investment ready, identification and access to funding opportunities, market linkages and networking opportunities with relevant industry ecosystem, the Adhunik Gram program equipped the budding start-ups with necessary knowledge and skills.

About Indigram Labs Foundation

Founded in 2015 with its headquarters in New Delhi and promoted by Indian Society of Agriculture Professionals [ISAP], Indigram Labs Foundation is a technology business incubator [TBI] with thrust on Agriculture-Technology & food processing, Clean Energy and Automation, Rural focused Healthcare and Education. Backed by NSTEDB, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, Indigram Labs provides infrastructure, networking, technical, IPR and financial support to its incubates. It has collaborations with leading scientific research organizations, academic institutions, venture capitalists and accelerators in India and abroad. Indigram Labs has so far incubated over 40 start-ups with 28 in the pipeline. The incubatee companies have generated revenues of more than USD 25 million in FY 2019-20 and provided full time employment to more than 900 people. Some of the prominent incubatee companies in its portfolio include Intello Labs, New Leaf Dynamics, Agriwatch, Global Eats, TechnifyBiz, Farm Guide and Tractor Junction among others.

For more information, please visit indigramlabs.org.

~ Newsvoir

Indigram Labs Signs MoU with a leading Agribusiness Incubator in Africa

Indigram Labs Foundation (ILF), a technology business incubator and accelerator has signed MOU with EXCEL HORT CONSULT AGRIBUSINESS INCUBATOR [EHCAI], Uganda during the World Incubation Summit, 2019 held at Doha, Qatar. The conference brought together an exclusive group of international incubators and accelerators, multinational corporations, and government innovation agencies seeking innovative ways to collaborate with each other. 

EHCAI, at Uganda, is an organization that provides Business Incubation Management, Agri-business enterprise development and agro industry value chain development services to local, national, regional and international organizations as well as private sector players. It is a 20 years old business Incubator from Africa. 

ILF is tying up with several international accelerators and incubators across the globe, which includes TBIs in Singapore, Australia, Uganda, Israel, Estonia etc. This is first time they have tied up with a Ugandan Organization considering the strategic advantages both the nations can have from each other.

 “The aim of the partnership is at fostering job and employment creation in Africa and India through business incubation and technology exchange. The collaboration will add value and boost growth and development of incubators and accelerators. Excel Hort Consult Agribusiness Incubator limited will tap into rich knowledge and expertise of Labs Indigram foundation to grow its business and support to start ups in Africa,” said Mr. Alex Ariho, Director General, EHCAI, Uganda.

The collaboration between EHCAI and ILF can be leveraged to facilitate international linkage opportunities for innovations and startups in both countries. The partnership will also serve as a platform for cross learning, sharing knowledge, best practices on innovation, and startup ecosystem development between Uganda and India. It will also allow technology-based universities and institutes to undertake collaborative research and development in areas like Agri-Tech, Agriculture, agri-business etc.

“This is an important collaboration between the two incubators as this will help agri-business focused startups in India and Uganda to do and learn international business,” said Dr. Manisha Acharya, CEO, ILF.

Through this MoU, startups of both countries will get to know about the entrepreneurial university model and practices in different sectors like food technology, agriculture, etc. They can also, collaborate to explore new models of innovation by measuring the market potential in terms of desirability, feasibility, viability, and adaptability of the products. Startup interaction festival can be organized to bring together Ugandan startups and Indian startups to meet for discussion and exchange ideas, vision and business acumen with each other to get familiarize with the business environment, products, and services.

The establishment of collaboration will also, pave a way for the new collaboration opportunities with other reputed international organizations working actively in domains like agricultural technology, food technology, artificial intelligence, blockchain programming, etc.

This partnership can serve as a platform to promote, participate and engage diversified stakeholders like expert mentors, institutes/universities/faculties, investors, media etc. Also, various activities can be organized like international programs, business seminars, workshops, exhibitions, networking events, conferences/conclaves/summit, startup idea-exchange festivals, etc. Both the incubators (EHCAI and ILF) can also jointly participate in various events to meet with investors, learn from worldwide successful entrepreneurs, explore market and technology trends etc.

About Indigram Labs Foundation (ILF):

Indigram Labs Foundation is a technology-based incubator founded in 2015 with a vision to promote creativity and innovation in agriculture, renewable energy and rural healthcare industry. Notably, Indigram Labs is one of India’s leading agribusiness incubators based in New Delhi. ILF aims at fostering and nurturing viable business ideas through the process of consulting, mentoring, leveraging technology tie-ups and access to platforms. ILF has been supported by the Department of Science and Technology since September 2016, via the National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board, Govt. of India. Indigram as a group has 18 years of diversified & extensive on-ground experience & presence through its multiple entities & agencies.

To Fund Promising Start-ups, Indigram Labs Ties Up with Dept of Science and Technology, NIDHI-SSS

Indigram Labs Foundation (ILF), a technology incubator and accelerator is enabling a DST seed fund support system for promising start-ups with a corpus of Rs 10 crore under the scheme "National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations - Seed Support System (NIDHI-SSS)" of the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

Indigram Labs is an agriculture ecosystem focused where technological, social, financial solutions are encouraged. Start-ups with innovative and executable ideas/products oriented to Agri sector are welcome to apply for this opportunity through the Indigram website. All the facilities and support provided by ILF are enlisted on the web portal.



NIDHI seed support is a system for providing financial assistance to potential start-ups with promising ideas, innovations, and technologies. This will help a few of the incubatee start-ups with innovative ideas and or technologies to graduate to a level where they will be able to raise investments from Angel Investors or get a loan from commercial banks /financial institutions. This funding mechanism narrows the gap between development and commercialization to a great extent.

The first meeting of the Executive/Management Committee under the scheme “NIDHI Seed Support System” from NSTEDB, GOI was held on September 09th, 2019 at ILF where several top-level government officials from Department of Science and Technology (DST) and other renowned businessmen comprised the selection committee.

Dr. Manisha Acharya, CEO, stated “Just like a seed is required for a planting a tree, this NIDHI seed fund will help our startups for their early-stage funding requirements which will help them to raise further funds and to scale up.”

Out of 45 applicants, the 5 (Five) applicants were selected for the presentation of the proposed seed funds. The following five shortlisted start-ups presented their business plan in front of the selection committee.

The members appreciated each of the company’s growth, so far, and opined that the innovative platform of the company will be really useful in future for tractor related products and services. The maximum investment cap of Rs. 25 Lakhs as NSTEDB seed fund was decided for investment in each of the Companies.

Indigram Labs is one of India’s leading agribusiness incubators based in New Delhi and ILF aims at fostering and nurturing viable business ideas through the process of consulting, mentoring, leveraging technology tie-ups and giving access to various platforms.

Indigram Labs launches “Adhunik Gram, A Smart Village Program” to Empower Agri-Business in India

Indigram Labs Foundation (ILF), a technology-based incubator launches “Smart Village Program” initiative to facilitate the agribusiness in rural area. The applications of the program are now open till the end of October 2019.

Notably, Indigram Labs is one of India’s leading agribusiness incubators based in New Delhi and ILF aims at fostering and nurturing viable business ideas through the process of consulting, mentoring, leveraging technology tie-ups and giving access to various platforms.

“Adhunik Gram” initiative is focused on the upliftment of the rural economy as a whole. The concept of Smart Villages prophesize on e-literacy skills, access to e-health and other basic services, innovative solutions for environmental concerns, circular economy applications to agricultural waste, promotion of local products supported by technology and software, implementing and taking full benefit of smart specialization agri-food projects, tourism, and cultural activities, etc.

Also, a Smart Village provides long-term social, economic, and environmental welfare activity for village community. This provision of different components will enable and empower enhanced participation in local governance processes, promote entrepreneurship and build more resilient communities. Additionally, it will also ensure proper sanitation facility, good education, better infrastructure, clean drinking water, health facilities, environment protection, resource-use efficiency, waste management renewable energy etc.

Indigram Labs Foundation is already supporting start-ups in the sector of agriculture, food, renewable energy & healthcare.  With the launch of SMART village, Indigram focuses on nurturing and promotion of Agri-preneurship as well as the development in the village economy.

Commenting on launching this initiative, Dr. Manisha Acharya, CEO, ILF said” It is anticipated that this initiative will be a stepping stone to connecting the villages and countryside, and stakeholders and policymakers are invited by this organization to get involved and work with us so that together we can deliver on the promise of “A Better Life in Rural Areas”.

ILF has listed a few potential areas, where Smart Villagecreates measurable and significant impact and Startups can identify solution in these key areas:

• Smart Dairy-Remote supervision and monitoring in open fields and barns


• Smart Farming- Satellite data for farm activities


• Smart agriculture- Smart agricultural equipment for crop production


• Smart Weather and Irrigation-Weather forecast water levels in dams


• Smart health care –Smart beds and equipment to monitor the patient/digital healthcare


• Smart Education – Interactive learning through videos


• Smart Energy-  Alternative renewable energy(e.g Solar energy,Biomass energy)


• Smart surveillance system – CC cameras and sensors to detect robbery


• Smart Buildings – security cameras, fire safety, electricity management

Any student founder can apply whether engineer or non-engineer, however, the team must be able to complete personal interview round to get selected.

The following action plan will be adopted for the Smart Village project:

• Call for application to identify and solve the problem of a village (open till end of October 2019)


• Selection of top-10 startups


• Arranging workshops for the selected start-ups


• Final demo day-cash award and providing pilot test facility to the start-ups.

About Indigram Labs Foundation(ILF):

The Indian Society of Agribusiness Professionals (ISAP) in setting up of more than 1,800 Agri-based ventures through its various program and is currently promoting 250 FPOs in 18 states. Such extensive experience leads to the genesis of Indigram Labs Foundation as an Incubator supporting grassroots innovation & entrepreneurship development. We are, therefore, in a unique position to undertake this below mentioned project work.

ILF has been supported by the Department of Science and Technology since September 2016, via the National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board, Govt. of India.

Indigram Labs Foundation is a technology based incubator founded in 2015 with a vision to promote creativity and innovation. In agriculture renewable energy and rural healthcare industry. Notably, the Indigram Labs is one of India’s leading agribusiness incubators based at New Delhi. 

ILF aims at fostering and nurturing viable business idea through the process of consulting, mentoring, leveraging technology tie-ups and access to platforms. ILF has been supported by the Department of Science and Technology since September 2016, via the National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board, Govt. of India.

Indigram as a group has 18 years of diversified & extensive on-ground experience & presence through its multiple entities & agencies.