In an ambitious move to revolutionize the agrarian economy, Mumbai-based agtech startup Bharat Intelligence is looking to establish itself as the ‘Urban Company’ in horticulture. By seeking to connect farmers with skilled agricultural workers, founders Azhaan Merchant and Gourav Sanghai aim to create a streamlined marketplace that caters to the pressing labor needs of farmers across India.

Having recently launched their platform, the company initiated services for grape farmers in the Nashik region just two months ago. With plans to expand their offerings to banana farmers in Solapur starting January next year, Bharat Intelligence is keen on providing farmers with a comprehensive solution to their labor challenges. “What we are trying to do is create an end-to-end solution. Think of it like a marketplace, like what Urban Company has done for service needs,” explained Merchant during an online interaction with businessline.

Bharat Intelligence is leveraging an innovative artificial intelligence-powered platform designed to facilitate seamless connections between farmers and agricultural workers—accomplished through a user-friendly WhatsApp interface. This tech-driven approach aims to alleviate two critical issues: labor availability and fair compensation. According to Sanghai, the platform ensures that farmers receive timely access to skilled workers when they need them most, while also providing farm laborers with the opportunity for better income and increased job mobility.

Current metrics indicate that workers are now earning an average of ₹800 per day, significantly higher than the previous ₹600, with same-day payment processing established to ensure quick compensation. This adjustment brings fresh incentive to the burgeoning field, creating a more dynamic workforce.

Merchant and Sanghai’s vision for Bharat Intelligence was cast through their collaboration with India’s largest farmer-producer company (FPC), Sahaydri Farms, which recently invested ₹7 crore into the startup. This investment comes at a pivotal time, as all 22,500 farmer-shareholders of the FPC now hold stakes in Bharat Intelligence—signifying a strong community backing for the startup’s endeavors.

One of the primary challenges faced by farmers in the Nashik region has been the lack of skilled labor—a sentiment expressed during extensive discussions with the senior leadership and farmers of Sahaydri Farms. Currently, over 7 lakh tribal migrant workers traverse from the inner regions, but as farming demands grow, particularly with Sahaydri Farms increasing their grape cultivation area to 1.5 lakh acres, the urgency for a well-organized and skilled workforce intensifies.

Notably, labor wages have surged 10-15 percent annually, exacerbating the woes of farmers who require competent laborers for optimal crop management. As Merchant notes, “No one is skilling these laborers. There is no formal player that is, frankly, organizing this workforce, leading to widespread discontent among the farming community.”

To address these labor shortages, Bharat Intelligence has already enrolled around 1,000 laborers for grape farming, with aspirations to scale that number to 10,000 within the next year. An impressive retention rate of over 90 percent among the workers underscores the startup’s effectiveness and the urgency of labor management. Not only does the platform handle worker payments and service management, but it also administers rating reviews that provide laborers with upskilling opportunities, thus enhancing their prospects.

As Bharat Intelligence strives to meet the critical needs of both farmers and laborers, the dual challenge of finding skilled labor and addressing farmer complaints is being tactfully navigated. With labor availability being acutely time-sensitive—especially in terms of tending to plants—Bharat Intelligence’s intervention is poised to transform the horticultural labor landscape, paving the way for a more resilient agricultural ecosystem.

In summary, as this innovative agtech startup scales its offerings and fine-tunes its platform capabilities, industry observers will be keenly watching its impact on the agrarian workforce and overall productivity levels within India’s horticulture sector. The convergence of technology and agriculture may indeed begin a new chapter for the country’s farming community.