Giving farmers a connectivity boost
A young woman from Punjab aims to facilitate profitable deals for all stakeholders in the agriculture sector
Our platform enables farmers to connect to commercial buyers who will give them the right price for their produce. We have been recruiting local people from different states for better connectivity and reach.
—Nitika Bhatia
India is an agrarian economy. A sizeable chunk of economic activity takes place in the hinterlands, where lack of awareness about technology and access to industrial centres are major challenges. Nitika Bhatia from Punjab, who has first-hand knowledge of the concerns of the agricultural community, has come up with an initiative to connect all the stakeholders in the agrarian cycle. The 25-year-old alumna of the Lovely Professional University, Punjab, started Agrohub, India’s first B-2-B-C web platform for farmers, in 2020, with an exhaustive database of certified vendors, including machinery manufacturers, seed producers, fertilizer manufacturers, farmers and dealers from all parts of the country.
“Providing the right information at the right time to Indian farmers is what I am looking to do,” explains Nitika, further adding, “My aim is to revolutionise the agriculture sector. I hail from Ludhiana, Punjab, the land of agriculture. I am well aware of the concerns of the agriculture community. I have seen how even farmers who produce good crops tend to get a raw deal when it comes to selling.” The initiative, which started with five people in September last year, now has 15 members across various states. At present, the start-up has over 280 registered companies from nearly a hundred cities. Though marriage and motherhood didn’t slow Nitika down, the pandemic has impacted her efforts to an extent. But she and her team look forward to bridging the gap between farmers and consumers, as she divides her time between looking after her fledgling enterprise and her toddler.