Cisco and Social Alpha Unveil Krishi Mangal Second Cohort to Accelerate Innovations for Small and Marginal Farmers

BENGALURU, 25 June 2023: Cisco and Social Alpha have announced the second cohort of the Krishi Mangal accelerator program, which aims to accelerate innovations for small and marginal farmers in India.

The program will support seven start-ups that are developing technologies to improve soil quality, water management, and post-harvest management.

The Krishi Mangal program provides grant funding, market access assistance, and mentorship from Cisco and Social Alpha experts. The goal of the program is to help start-ups develop and scale their technologies so that they can have a meaningful impact on the lives of small and marginal farmers.

The seven start-ups in the second cohort of Krishi Mangal are:

• Proximal Soilsens, which has developed a soil testing system that provides accurate and quick results.
• Niyo Farm Tech, which has developed a small, user-friendly sprayer that reduces drudgery and improves yields.
• Urdhavam Environmental Technologies, which has developed a smart borewell recharging technique.
• Dharaksha Ecosolutions, which has developed a biotechnology process that converts crop stubble waste into biodegradable packaging material.
• Animeta Agritech, which has developed a digitized end-to-end animal healthcare platform.
• Mivipro Products Private Limited, which has developed a bio-liquid that masks the crop's odour and renders it unappetising for wild animals.
• Capsber Global Agro, which has developed a technology that improves crop yields and food security by leveraging the potential of the microbiome.

“We are excited to support the second cohort of the Krishi Mangal program,” said Harish Krishnan, Managing Director and Chief Policy Officer at Cisco India. “These start-ups are developing innovative technologies that have the potential to make a real difference in the lives of small and marginal farmers. We are committed to helping them succeed.”

“More than 80 percent of farmers in India are small and marginal, and they face a number of challenges,” said Himanshu Mishra, Director of Livelihoods and Prosperity at Social Alpha. “The Krishi Mangal program is designed to help these farmers access the technologies they need to improve their productivity and livelihoods. We are confident that the start-ups in this cohort will have a significant impact on the Indian agricultural sector.”

The Krishi Mangal program is part of Cisco's commitment to using technology to solve some of the world's most pressing challenges. The company is also a founding member of the Atal Innovation Mission, which is a government-led initiative to promote innovation in India.