Agri-entrepreneurs rewrite India's growth script

Hailing from the western Indian state of Maharashtra, Akash and Santosh Jadhav could have been pursuing conventional careers in engineering and business, but chose farming instead. The childhood friends, who grew up discussing life and land are today the face of a new generation of farmers, making agriculture aspirational again.

Through their digital platform Indian Farmer, Akash and Santosh built a grassroots movement that’s changing how farmers see themselves – not just as producers, but as entrepreneurs.

With thousands of videos, regional-language content and practical courses, they are helping farmers think smarter, earn better and take pride in their work. It’s farming, but with more clarity, confidence and a fresh mindset.

This change matters because agriculture is not just about tradition. It is a sector with massive potential. India’s agriculture sector supports about 42.3 per cent of the population and has a share of 18.2 per cent in the country’s GDP. According to McKinsey & Company, the agricultural economy is valued between $580 billion (Dh2.13 trillion) and $650 billion today and could grow to $3.1 trillion by 2047.

Yet, despite the opportunity, farming is still often seen as a fallback and not a first choice. Co-founder of Indian Farmer, Santosh’s story reflects that. In 2015-16, he returned to farming after stepping away from his family’s business. He began growing high-value crops like coloured capsicum and grapes and was doing well financially.

But not everyone saw it that way. “People around him said things like: ‘You won’t get a wife,’ ‘This won’t become a career,’ ‘There’s no money or status in farming,’” Akash tells GN Focus. That mindset, he says, is the real barrier.

“In today’s world, status, lifestyle, and image matter. And farmers are often stripped of all three – even when they succeed.”

That’s what Akash and Santosh are working to change.

“Farmers don’t get the right knowledge at the right time,” says Akash. “Every farmer has land, labour, and ambition. But most of them don’t know what to do, when to do it, or how to do it in a systematic way.”

They noticed the gap and acted on it and that’s how Indian Farmer began in 2018.

“Most farming content online comes from scientists, journalists, or agencies. But we’re farmers ourselves. When farmers see us speak from our own farms, in their own language, showing what we actually do ¬ that’s where trust is built. It’s not scripted, it’s not polished, it’s real,” says Akash.

What started as a YouTube channel is now a full-fledged knowledge platform reaching over 10 million farmers. Their videos cover everything from crop care and weather issues to market strategies, in Hindi, Marathi, and increasingly with subtitles. “We’re slowly adding subtitles, experimenting with dubbing, and using tech to reach more people; but the core has always been relatability.”

The larger goal? Changing the image of farming at its root. “We want farmers to treat farming like a business, with planning, costing, crop cycles, and decision-making. That’s what we’re teaching,” Akash says.

With structure, learning, and discipline, they believe farming can become an aspirational choice again. “Making agriculture aspirational means creating a space where the next generation feels proud to say, ‘Yes, I’m a farmer,’” says Akash. “We are doing this not by adding fake filters or glamour, but by showing real stories ¬ real farmers who are doing well, who are figuring it out, who are living with clarity, stability and pride.”

That kind of thinking isn’t limited to the field. Founder of Cropin, Krishna Kumar’s journey shows how even those from urban, non-farming backgrounds are stepping into the agri-space and bringing fresh perspective.

Kumar did not grow up on a farm; he was an engineer at GE. But something changed. “Leaving a stable job to build something in agriculture was an emotional decision more than anything else,” Kumar, also the CEO at Cropin, tells GN Focus.

“At the time, farmers in India were facing constant challenges ¬ poor prices for their produce, unpredictable incomes, and difficult livelihoods. I felt a strong urge to do something about it and help them grow better and earn more.”

In 2010, Kumar started Cropin, a Bengaluru-based agri-tech company that uses AI, satellite remote sensing, IoT sensors, and ground-level data to help farmers and agribusinesses make better decisions. The aim is simple: remove guesswork from farming and make it more predictable.

“Farming, unlike other industries, has no fixed rulebook. It’s built on generational knowledge and centuries-old practices. But in today’s climate-impacted world, that traditional wisdom is being tested like never before. That’s where technology steps in,” he points out.

“Our platform delivers real-time insights, AI-powered advisories, and predictive models like water stress and disease early warning systems to help farmers and agri-businesses make faster, smarter decisions. From choosing the right crop to optimising irrigation and preventing disease outbreaks, Cropin empowers stakeholders across the agri-food value chain,” Kumar explains.

So far, Cropin has digitised over 30 million acres of farmland, worked with more than 250 organisations, and impacted over 7 million farmers. In a recent initiative, Walmart began using Cropin’s custom-built, AI-powered solutions to strengthen its supply chain resilience across the US and South America. From advising governments on food security to helping insurance companies develop smarter products, Cropin’s impact is truly global.

What’s next? “Today, we are building the world’s largest crop knowledge graph, one that maps over 400 crops and over 10,000 varieties across diverse geographies. It grows stronger every day by processing millions of crop-specific data points in real time, helping accelerate the digital transformation of global agriculture,” he says.

If Kumar is solving the intelligence layer of farming, Vimal Panjwani is tackling the foundation – clean energy.

Through his venture AgriVijay, Panjwani is addressing a critical but often overlooked problem: the lack of affordable and sustainable energy in India’s rural farming communities.

“At AgriVijay, the gap we identified in the agricultural ecosystem was the lack of access, awareness, and affordability of clean, renewable energy solutions tailored for farmers and rural households,” says Panjwani, Founder and CEO,

Too often, he explains, farmers were sold generic solar products that didn’t match their actual needs. Others kept relying on diesel pumps, firewood, or expensive LPG, pushing up their costs and environmental footprint.

AgriVijay’s solution is local renewable energy stores, run by trained entrepreneurs and backed by tech. These stores offer renewable and green energy products and agritech, all supported with regional-language assistance, AI chatbots and EMIs.

“What sets these stores apart is that they are not just shops, they’re advisory and trust-building centres. Farmers walk in to understand which renewable energy product suits their needs, be it a solar pump, biogas digester, electric tool, or organic agri input. Our field teams and digital support systems guide them through energy need assessments, demonstrations, financing, and even after-sales service,” says Panjwani, who founded AgriVijay amidst Covid in 2020 with co-founder, Shobha Chanchlani.

The impact has been tangible ¬ over 124,153 tons of CO2 mitigated, Rs15,000 (Dh 628) - Rs30,000 per month saved per farmer, and nearly Rs30 million in additional income across rural households. Women are using clean energy for cooking and irrigation while rural youth run these stores as entrepreneurs.

And they’re not stopping there. “We’re bringing AgriVoltaics with vertical bifacial solar panels, India’s first of its kind, where agriculture and solar coexist without harming vegetation,” says Panjwani.

AgriVijay is already in 18 Indian states, 37 districts, and 595 villages with 101 stores, and it’s now exploring global markets in the UAE, Africa, and Vietnam. Ambitious? Yes. But these aren’t just isolated success stories.

Together, Akash, Santosh, Krishna, and Vimal represent a growing wave of new-age farmers, professionals and entrepreneurs who are consolidating the future of Indian agriculture. Not as a backup plan, but as a sector of strength, innovation and pride.