Empowering Farmers and Women: The Story of Sathwik Shailesh Kumar and Prafal Agro

Siddaganga Incubation Foundation (SIF) is a section 8 non-profit entity located at Siddaganga Institute of Technology, Tumakuru, Karnataka. It focuses on supporting innovations in Agritech and allied areas, social impact sectors to nurture startup culture and address challenges in rural India. SIF is recognized by NSTEDB, the Department of Science & Technology, Startup India Seed Fund Scheme, and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Government of India. SIF offers pre-incubation, incubation programs for early-stage startups, and invests in startups through the SISFS scheme.

Siddaganga Incubation Foundation has launched the Ignite Incubation Program, specifically designed for early-stage startups and aspiring innovators. This is a fantastic opportunity for those who are interested to scale up their ideas in Agri Tech & allied areas, Climate Tech, Health Tech, and Social Impact. 

This program offers access to funding, One-to-one mentoring from industry experts and investors, access to stakeholders, support on growth strategy with dedicated support, Live field trials, access to prototype labs etc..

Last date to apply for the program is on 18th June 2024

If you have a startup or working on an innovative idea in any of these sectors, Don’t miss the opportunity!! 

For more details visit: Siddaganga Incubation Foundation 

In the quest to bridge the gap between farmers and profitable markets, Sathwik Shailesh Kumar, a Mechanical Engineering graduate from Sahyadri College of Engineering and Management, Mangalore, has emerged as a visionary entrepreneur. His journey from an engineering student to the founder of Prafal Agro is a testament to the power of innovation and dedication in addressing real-world challenges faced by farmers and rural women.

Sathwik’s entrepreneurial journey began during his second year of engineering when a stakeholder visit to farmers revealed significant issues in the agricultural supply chain. He noticed that many smallholder farmers struggled to sell their produce profitably due to a lack of access to suitable markets. Additionally, he encountered a mushroom farmer facing huge losses due to crop failures and a lack of machinery. These observations sparked the idea to develop a technology-integrated supply chain solution to assist farmers in production, marketing, and sales.

The idea has been shortlisted under NIDHI iTBI Ignite grant, funded by DST, Govt of India of INR 5 lakh from Siddaganga Incubation Foundation (SIF) for the  product development and market access. 

While brainstorming various platforms to help farmers sell their produce, Sathwik was inspired by a woman who turned excess crops grown by her husband into value-added products, selling them through her brand locally. This encounter motivated him to help more such women start businesses, acting as an aggregator to assist them in selling their products.

Prafal Agro is a technology-assisted supply chain company that follows a farm-to-fork model, helping farmers and rural women earn additional income by marketing and selling value-added products. What sets Prafal Agro apart is its focus on empowering rural women and farmers in South India, providing them with greater market access and sustainable business models. Their main competitors, Farm Didi and MomsKart, primarily focus on North Indian regions like Maharashtra, Delhi, and Gujarat.

The dedicated team at Prafal Agro includes co-founders Shalvian and Madhava, who have been friends since college. Shalvian oversees web development, while Madhava leads the marketing team. They launched their value-added products through pop-up flea markets across Mangalore about four months ago. Since then, they have generated a total revenue of INR 1.5 lakhs and onboarded two farmers and three women who produce six handmade food products.

Prafal Agro aims to recruit more women to create a greater range of products and set a target to become a 1000 Crore company in the next 15 years. Currently a bootstrapped company, they have invested over INR 4 lakhs and plan to remain bootstrapped until they achieve their revenue target.

Getting customers familiar with their products and retaining them has been a major challenge for Prafal Agro. However, by setting up effective sales and marketing funnels, they have been able to keep in touch with their customers and ensure repeat business.

Sathwik advises young entrepreneurs not to delay developing their products due to financial constraints. He believes that while money does not grow on trees, it will be found when needed.

Sathwik appreciates the support from Siddaganga Incubation Foundation. The hospitality during their stay for the bootcamp and the continued mentoring sessions have been instrumental in their journey.