Hyderabad, March 2022- Grus & Grade (G&G), a technology company operating in the Agri-tech/Fintech market, started by alumni of IIM Indore, IIIT Delhi and the University of Delhi will launch its first product ‘UPAJGURU’, a Agtri FinTech Platform. It will be launched on 12th March, Saturday in a function to be held at ASPITRE, BioNest, Department of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad.
G&G is incubated at Aspire BioNest, University of Hyderabad and Centre of Excellence in blockchain through APIARY, (STPI Gurgaon under Ministry of Electronics and Telecommunications, Government of India).
ASPIRE – Association for Scientific Pursuits in Innovative Research Enterprises is a section-8, not-for-profit organization that manages the innovation and entrepreneurial activities at the University of Hyderabad through incubation of start-up companies in various disciplines of science and technology.
The new futuristic platform with future full of promises will be launched in the presence of Chief Guests Dr.Chandrasekhar, Secretary of Dept. of Science & Technology, Govt of India; Dr Krishna Ella- Chairman & Managing Director of Bharat Biotech International Limited and Dr Chintan Vaishnav Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission, Delhi
Ravi Soni, Cofounder and CEO – “Our motto has been to change the perception of agriculture and endure absence of pride to the farming community. Upajguru bridges the gap of digital technology in the agri-value chain, so as to make it agriculture sustainable and profitable”
Adds Nitya Nand Deepak, Cofounder and COO – “UPAJGURU is a product of Grus and Grade is a futuristic crop management system set to make agriculture and agri business more efficient, profitable and traceable. In Particular it will also strengthen Farmers Producers Organisations(FPOs) and agribusiness consortiums”
UPAJGURU is a product of Grus and Grade is a futuristic crop management system set to make agriculture and agri business profitable, sustainable and traceable. UPAJGURU connects farmers with farmer collectives(FPOs), input suppliers, transporters, warehouses, marketplaces, insurance companies and banks at a single point of contact. It integrates game changing features at each step to reduce inefficiencies and leakages along the value chain.
Collectivisation, negotiation and transactions with input suppliers and at farm gate become seamless, and transparent. The IOT powered farm advisory system helps generate farm advice to mitigate environmental risks. AI enabled Integrated data predicts farm outputs and predictive market prices; Blockchain backed traceability from farm to fork promotes export and commercialization of nutritionally enhanced biofortified and organic foods and non-food crops. Automation and smart contracts ease transactions, provide a complete audit trail, thereby reducing credit risk for banks and insurance companies. With lending getting smoother, lending terms become easier and collateral free.
UPAJGURU hits all the right notes for sustainable, efficient, profitable agribusinesses. It creates value for all stakeholders, maximises per acre value and gives greater control to farmers.
The platform is a medium to unleash the spirit of entrepreneurship in the farmer and empower the collectives of farmers to innovate and adapt. A win win for present and future.
It is the need of the hour platform. The world population is set to grow upwards of 10 billion by the middle of the century. But would we have enough food to provide for it? Would farms produce enough to continue to provide for the new expanded world? The agricultural produce would have to double, and double soon enough for the future to prosper. Farming will have to don a new revolutionized avatar, one catering to the future and the environment. Agriculture as a business will have to become rewarding.
The Indian ‘Annadata’ has been struggling with poor access to inputs, farm loans at reasonable rates, environmental uncertainties and ever thickening layer of intermediaries before realizing profits. Farming for prosperity and that too for the future is a distant dream. Cutting into the inefficiencies of the current value chain is the only way to achieve that, he added.
The company has won India Startup 500 award in the year 2021 and best Agritech Start-up 2021 by CEO magazine.
