The ministry will hand-hold and help startups in finding technological solutions that should be affordable and implementable, Agriculture Secretary S K Pattanayak said while launching this grand challenge.
Agri-tech start-ups have been asked to find simplified soil testing methods; assaying and grading solution; development of e-marketplace; price forecasting during sowing; last mile information dissemination; yield estimation; sorting and grading of produce; adulteration testing; customer hiring centres; crop residue disposal; prevent pre- and post-harvest losses and enhancing agricultural productivity.
Stating that India is self-sufficient in foodgrain production, the secretary said that the ministry's focus has now shifted from food security to nutritional security.
The government has also set a target to double income of farmers by 2022, he added.
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The idea stage start-ups will get incubation support to go from idea to prototype while the ready market solutions will become part of a market access programme, aimed at easy adoption of their innovation.
Invest India, Villgro, Qualcomm India and ICRISAT are strategic partners for this event.
This is the first time the ministry has taken up such an innovative approach towards crowd sourcing solutions and promoting the start up ecosystem at the same time.
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