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Assam AgTech Open Challenge Program

Assam AgTech Open Challenge Program (OCP) is a platform to implement technology solutions for Assam’s agriculture sector. A first of its kind initiative in the NE region for Agri-tech startups with a commercially viable solution to solve challenges faced by Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) in Assam.

Assam AgTech OCP aims to bridge the gap between agriculture and technology sector and would support innovators and existing start-ups to develop solutions that address challenges for smallholder farmers and the Farmer Producer Companies serving them in the State of Assam.

Assam AgTech OCP is jointly implemented by OctaNE Centre of Entrepreneurship (CoE), Software Technology Park of India (STPI), Guwahati and ARIAS society. The selected participants will get access to Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs), mentorship from sector experts along with grant support and infrastructure facilities in STPI CoEs to help them not only in development of the tech solutions but also in scaling their solutions . Following two OctaNE CoEs of STPI would be opened for start-ups selected under Assam AgTech OCP:

i.IoT in Agriculture CoE – STPI Guwahati

ii.AgriTech CoE – STPI Gangtok

Assam AgTech OCP: Current challenges faced by FPCs

Smallholder farmers in Assam face a myriad of challenges across the value chain, owing to the size of their land and a lack of access to information and markets to enable them to get good returns on their produce. These include low productivity and yields, climate-change-related vulnerabilities, lack of access to quality inputs, credit, information, as well as weak market linkages.

Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) play a significant role in helping farmers get access to resources such as financing, inputs, farm technologies, and agricultural markets. However, FPCs face several issues across the agricultural supply chain which restricts their ability to adequately support farmers. These include:

     1. Digitization and maintaining records of their farmer members.

     2. Lack of quality inputs,

     3. Inadequate or inaccurate information about weather events, pests, and diseases.

     4. Low access to markets beyond their local mandis, national as well as international

     5. Difficulty in accessing information about buyer requirements and product certifications

     6. Inadequate access to financing

To align the Agritech OCP with the objectives of the Government of India to form 10,000 new Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), the program will prioritize solutions that directly benefit FPOs. Incentives and grants will be offered for technological solutions that enhance FPO operations, improve market access, or provide better financial management tools. FPOs demonstrating successful adoption of these solutions will be considered for mentorships to further strengthen their capabilities.

How will the Assam AgTech OCP work?

The initiative will familiarize Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) with Disruptive Agriculture Technologies (DATs), and a selected group of Agri Tech enterprises or solution providers with the potential to address some of the challenges faced by FPCs in their operations.

The objectives of this program are to identify the key technology needs of FPCs, identify technology solutions that can help address these needs, and facilitate the process of integrating these technology solutions with FPCs in Assam and also provide them grant and technical support, in collaboration with some experts in the sector.

Assam AgTech OCP - Key themes

To address different challenges faced by FPCs, the Assam AgTech Open Challenge Program will invite potential solutions in five key themes covering the operations of FPCs across the value chain -

THEME 1: Improving yield efficiency

Enabling the adoption of modern agricultural technologies , access to modern farming techniques, quality seeds, fertilizers, advisory services and promote the uptake of climate-smart technologies and efficient farming practices.

THEME 2:Market linkage – farm inputs

Digital market place and physical infrastructure to link farmers to inputs.

THEME 3: Precision agriculture and farm management

Use of geospatial/ weather data, IOT , sensors, robotics etc. to improve productivity; farm management solutions for resource and field management, etc.

THEME 4: Quality management and traceability

Post-Harvest produce handling, quality check and analysis, produce monitoring and traceability in storage and transportation.

THEME 5: Supply chain tech and output market linkage

Digital platform and physical infrastructure to handle post-harvest supply chain and connect farm output with the customers.

Selection of Start-ups under Assam AgTech OCP

To identify the technologies, a competitive process will be followed, wherein Startups/Industry will be invited to submit their applications for the Assam AgTech OCP Facility. An evaluation of eligible applicants will be conducted based on specified criteria by a committee comprising of members from STPI, ARIAS, mentors, Industry experts, domain experts etc. The applications will be invited under 5 key themes as mentioned above, which capture the key technology needs of FPCs in the state of Assam -

The committee so constituted and chaired by Director, STPI Guwahati will assess the technological readiness, scalability, and potential impact of proposed solutions. The committee will help in identifying promising startups and DAT solution providers aligning with the program's goals.

Eligibility Criteria

• The applicant Startup/company should be registered/willing to be registered in India under Companies Act. The shareholding by Indian promoters in the company should be at least 51%
• The date of registration/incorporation should not be beyond 10 years.
• The applicant Startup/company should be at least in Prototype, Pre-revenue or Revenue stage.
• Startups having technology solution of Technology Readiness Level 6* and above, are encouraged to apply.

Benefits to Startup

• Financial Support: Seed Funding up to INR 25 Lakhs.
• Access to and interactions with Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs).
• Access to knowledge Partners and domain experts.
• State of the art P-n-P incubation with all facilities like 24*7 security Power Backup, High Speed Internet, Conference rooms etc.
• Domain Specific Lab Facility at each CoE.
• Marketing, Networking and Outreach.
• Mentoring and Technical Support.
• IPR/Patenting Facilitation and Legal Assistance.

For technical queries in filling the application form, please contact at: agtech.ne@stpi.in