A total of 16 start-ups incubated under KAU-RABI, the agri business incubator of the Kerala Agricultural University, have bagged Central funding of ₹1.95 crore for pre-seed stage and seed-stage activities.
The first instalment of grant-in-aid was distributed by Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar recently.
Entrepreneurs
KAU-RABI, established with aid from the RKVY-RAFTAAR (Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana – Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied sector Rejuvenation) scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture, is creating a new wave of entrepreneurship by providing technical and financial support to emerging start-ups amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.
“The agri business incubator under the KAU is one among the four incubation centres from the southern States aligned with National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management, Hyderabad, as its knowledge partner,” R. Chandra Babu, KAU Vice Chancellor said.
“KAU-RAFTAAR agri business conducted two months of agripreneurship orientation and start-up incubation training for 42 agri-innovators. Out of the 260 applicants, 16 start-ups were selected and the Agriculture Ministry sanctioned a grant of ₹1.72 crore in seed-stage funding for 10 start-ups and ₹23.5 lakh for six start-ups under pre-seed stage funding,” K.P Sudheer, Head KAU-RABI, said.
Among the start-ups, Sredha Mobile Veterinary Service by Priya Prakasan (veterinary service delivery on the doorstep); Agromech innovations of Suresh P.V. (litter racking machine), and Kocoos Industries of Sijoy K.C. (coconut peeling machine) were sanctioned the highest amount of ₹25 lakh.
Temperature controlled and vacuum frying based health products of Dr. Jackfruit India of Manas Madhu and Crimz Food Products of Abhilash K.K. were sanctioned ₹20 lakh each to scale up the start-ups. Jijo Paul of EVR Innovations, who came up with a black soldier fly based waste processing method, will receive ₹15 lakh.
The idea of gluten-free pasta and noodles from millet and tapioca flour from Bindu K. of Sankalp ATMA group and Coconut milk-based drink developed by Aadrics Agro Products of Chithra K. Kumar will get ₹12 lakh each for commercialising their products.
Francis Jacob of Navaharitham and Johny Varghese of Frugal Innovations will get ₹10 lakh and ₹8 lakh respectively for expansion of their start-ups.
Betty Bee’s Gourmet grocery of Betty Evangila Thomas (sweet chilli sauce from fresh red chillies) and Cocobricks of Jishnu V.G. (coconut fibre enhanced cement board) were allotted pre-seed-stage funding of ₹5 lakh each. Jerome K. George from Coco Cubes International (coconut health drink ) and Vasudevan C.M. of Solmate (low cost indigenous solar heater) were sanctioned ₹4 lakh each to prototype development of their ideas.
Biodome Solutions of Jayaram K.S. and MVS Biopesticides & Agro Wellness of Saifulla P. also will benefit from a pre-seed stage funding of ₹3 lakh and ₹ 2.5 lakh respectively.
