In the issue of “The 10 Most Valuable Agro Solution Provider Companies”, we have presented the pioneer Agro solutions providers, who have accomplished trademark by providing best-in-class agro solutions and are well equipped for continuing the Agro-industries future.

1. The way of business solutionswww.insightssuccess.in
January 2018
Let’s do something
Environment friendly
Signicant Elements of
Innovation and Trends
in Agro Business
Go Green
Expert’s View

4. Editorial
gricultural development depends on innovation. Innovation is a major
Asource of improved productivity, competitiveness, and economic
growth throughout advanced and emerging economies, and plays an
important role in creating jobs, generating income, alleviating poverty, and
driving social development. If farmers, agribusinesses, and even nations are to
cope, compete, and thrive in the midst of changes in agriculture and economy,
they must innovate continuously. Investments in science and technology are a
key component of most strategies to improve and maintain agricultural
productivity and innovate. Research, education, and extension investments are
necessary components but have not been sufficient for agricultural innovation to
occur. Other conditions and complementary interventions are needed.
This fact may shape the agricultural markets in ways we have never witnessed
before. Farmers will be needed to increase the crop production, either by
enhancing productivity on existing agricultural lands through fertilizer and
irrigation or by increasing the amount of agricultural land to grow crops and
adopting new methods like precision farming. Emerging markets—and in
particular the most advanced developing economies—are at the forefront of this
movement. In recent years Brazil, Russia, India and China, among others, have
had a major influence on changing global food production and consumption
patterns. While, on the other hand, they have also been some of the world’s
most successful food producers over the last two decades.
There’s a significant need for long-term private investment and public spending
in the agricultural sector. A lot of large institutional investors, including
sovereign wealth funds and pension funds, have already made major
commitments to support the global agricultural production and trading in recent
years—not least because agricultural (land) investments have historically
delivered increased diversification, outpaced inflation, and strong returns.
Still, over the last 30 years, there’s a steep decline in the investment in
agriculture and much less is spent on R&D compared to developed
countries—resulting in low productivity and stagnant production. Particularly,
investments by farmers and large corporations are very less since the banking
sectors in developing countries give fewer loans to farmers (compared to the
share of agriculture in GDP). To attract more financing and investment in
agriculture, the risks need to be reduced by governments. Regulators need to
redevelop the policies that limit inclusion of rural, small-scale farmers into the
financial system— for example, soft loans (i.e., lending that is more generous
than market lending) and the interest rate caps also discourage bank lending.
More supportive laws, policies, and public spending on infrastructure would
help build a favorable investment climate for agriculture.
The Indian government is aggressively pursuing a farmer-centric development
approach with bottom up planning to achieve the goal of doubling farmers’
income over the next five years. This will hopefully drive rural demand and give
industry and economy a boost.
Moreover, Global policy makers, businesses, and consumers must put the global
food balance at the top of the agenda. International business leaders need to
better communicate the need for policy changes and for developed countries to
incentivize investment in regions where there is the best potential for growth.
Our food security is ought to be dependent on it.
Agriculture Industries:
A Sustainable Key
Driver of the Nation
Poulami Das

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Business Development Executives
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Co-Editors
January, 2018
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6. yrotSrevo
C
Articles
Fraternization of
Technology and Agriculture
Tech Powerded
32
Let’s Do Something
Environment Friendly
Go Green
Entrepreneurial
Ecosystem
Editorial Desk
ZUARI AGRO
CHEMICALS
Innovation and
Tech-Infusion to
Cultivate Indian
Farmer’s Life
The Developing Era
The 4 Disruptive
Trends to watch
8
18
22
40
C O N T E

7. 30
EDGE INDIA AGROTECH:
Providing High Quality Turnkey
Agro Economic Solutions
for High Margin Crops
Under Shelter Farming
20
42
26
C X O S T A N D P O I N T
KISANRAJA:
Delivering the IoT Hi-Tech
Solutions in the Arena
of Agriculture
VIVAM AGROTECH
Anticipating a Cleaner
Tomorrow with the
Art of Waste Management
36
Signicant Elements of Innovation
and Trends in Agro Business
Expert’s view
Managing User Expectations in
Rapidly Changing Technology Market
Tech Revolution
N T S

8. griculture is the backbone of Indian economy as the economic development of this country is very much
Arelied upon the agricultural activities. Agriculture provides not only food for the nation’s population but
also provides opportunities for employment generation, saving, contribution to industrial goods market
and earning foreign exchange. Marketing of agricultural products means a series of activities involved in the
movement of agricultural produces from the point of production to the point of consumption. Agriculture
production system in India is characterized by small-scale production and seasonality of production and demand
and many more. After the tech revolution in the agro sector, it becomes a talk of the town. Not only Indian
investors but also this sector drags the attention of foreign investors. The current scenario of Agro-industries it
reveals the truth that India is expected to achieve the ambitious goal of doubling farm income by 2022.
In the issue of “The 10 Most Valuable Agro Solution Provider Companies”, we have presented the pioneer
Agro solutions providers, who have accomplished trademark by providing best-in-class agro solutions and are
well equipped for continuing the Agro-industries future. These organizations sponsored the diverse industries in
changing their approach to business work with excellent strategy execution and customer satisfaction as the best
priority. Doubtlessly, all organizations are continuously playing a vital role in Agro modernization.
The journey of our magazine begins with Cover story Zuari Agro Chemicals, which is a single-window
agricultural solution provider, which believes in progress and prosperity of Indian farmers.
We have enlisted; EDGE INDIAAGROTECH is a leading solution provider for protected cultivation and Agro
consultancy. KisanRaja is a GSM-based controller that allows the farmer to control the agricultural motor using
his mobile or landline from the comforts of his own. Vivam Agrotech thrives in the field of solid waste
processing such as Composting, Vermicomposting, Mechanical Compost and Biogas since a decade and in City
Solid Waste Management for last five years. Eltee Fertilizers is highly appreciated in the national and
international market for its premium quality fertilizers. The company has set up a benchmark in the market with
its fertilizers of International standard. Krishna Grain System, they have been able to cater many rice mills,
sugar mills, granaries and refineries, food processing industries, grain processing & handling industries etc. Our
robust R&D structure enables us to design and develop precision and metallurgical stable fabrication equipment.
Dhanuka Agritech, manufactures a wide range of agro-chemicals like herbicides, insecticides, fungicides,
miticides, plant growth regulators in various forms – liquid, dust, powder and granules. Excel Crop Care, started
manufacture of crop protection products using indigenously developed processes. Asian Fertilizers has a
focused, innovative corporation having core competency in the area of sulphuric acid and fertilizers. Our growth
has been empowered with steadfast and distinctive adherence to business ethics, transparent governance and
commitment to highest standards of social responsibility. Rallis India enhances their value for customers by
providing Agri-Solutions and Chemistry led Businesses.
We have also covered expert view on, “Significant Elements of Innovation and Trends in Agro Business” by
Mr. Sat Narain Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Group of Companies.
So flip through our magazine and explore interesting insights into the world of Agro revelation!
Synthesizing the Sustainable
Development in Agro Industries
Most Valuable
1
THE
AGRO
SOLUTIONProvider Companies

10. Saroj Kumar Poddar
Chairman

11. Cover Story
Innovation and Tech-Infusion to
Cultivate Indian Farmer’s Life
We are a single-window
agricultural solution provider
“ “
ZUARI AGRO
CHEMICALS

12. It was the late Sixties. India was recovering from a severe food shortage and the government’s single-point agenda was
to overcome poor productivity and reduce the burden of grain imports on the Indian exchequer. A call for a Green
Revolution went out, a desperate need for novel methods of farming was felt and a completely new perspective was
emerging in the sector.
It was in these trying times that Zuari Agro Chemicals Ltd (ZACL) led the way, actively participating in fulfilling the
needs of the Revolution. Set up in 1967, Zuari Agro Chemicals Ltd went about producing high-quality agri-inputs, helping
new India take the first steps towards self-sufficiency in food grain production.
Much water has flown under the bridge since then, and Zuari Agro Chemical Ltd has emerged as one such fertilizer
conglomerate in India, not just producing high-quality complex fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, micro nutrients, and specialty
fertilizers, but also as a key importer of fertilizers and farm nutrients that have greatly helped in making the country self-
sufficient in foodgrains.
For the past 50 years, Zuari Agro Chemical Ltd has been firm on the path to not just help Indian farmers in their toil but also
ensure that they, in spite of being the single largest community in the country, don’t remain underserved. With the guiding
principle of ‘Farmers First’, the flagship company of the Adventz Group led by its Chairman, Mr. Saroj Kumar Poddar,
has been endeavoring to support and nurture the Indian farming community.
From the onset of Green Revolution in the 1960s to the change over to the new Millennium, Jai Kisaan – the brand name
under which ZACL sells its products – is a name readily recognized within the Indian farming community and trusted for its
quality. What pulls the Indian farmers to Jai Kisaan is that more than being a provider of agri-inputs, the brand betters their
lives with customer-centric services, sustainable solutions and assistance in their daily life.
Today, the brand Jai Kisaan that has completed 50 glorious years of its inception, has spread its wings to proffering
technology-enabled solutions to the farming community in India. Recently launched Jai Kisaan App, for example, is a digital
platform. At the core of such free-of-cost services to farmers is the Farmers First approach of Zuari Agro Chemicals Ltd,
providing information that is singularly useful to the community. The system of technology dissemination is further backed
by access to advanced labs and training facilities.
Chairman Saroj Kumar Poddar is the
Trailblazer of Adventz
One of those few entrepreneurs in the Indian
business landscape who can mark his career with
the growth pace of the country, Mr. Poddar has
steered Adventz to what it is now – a
conglomerate with a turnover in excess of US$3
billion. Apart from agriculture, Adventz
comprises other businesses, including heavy
engineering, real estate and lifestyle, sectors that
drive the Indian economy. Under Mr. Poddar, Adventz has also emerged as a custodian of companies that together leverage
the Group’s exemplary equity in knowledge, best practices, and technical expertise.
Mr. Poddar exhibited his entrepreneurial bent of mind early in his youth and his acumen in forging joint ventures made
numerous global brands accessible to the Indian masses. After Gillette formally entered India in 1984, came the
revolutionary Singer India JV, ushering the new-age technology in the home appliance market. In the dynamic 1990s, thanks
to the Adventz Group Chairman, US-based Duracell made an entry in the growing Indian FMCG market. He was also
instrumental in the success of the clincher of a dream deal (50:50 JV) with Hettich of Germany in 2000.
A man known for his straightforwardness and respect for mutual growth, Mr. Poddar’s ideals of Total Transparency gives
Adventz an edge in forging business relationships in the new Millennium. A gold medalist from Calcutta University, the
Adventz Group Chairman is an aficionado of art, culture, and sports and is also involved in their promotion and
development.
1
THE
AGRO
SOLUTION
Most Valuable
Provider Companies
Our Jaikisaan Junction enhances
the ability of farmers to take right
decisions to secure quality and
productivity
“ “

13. The laurels and positions Mr. Poddar has been honored with include Rashtriya Samman
Award from the Central Board of Direct Taxes, and, presidentship of FICCI and
International Chamber of Commerce in India. He also serves on India’s Board of Trade --
the highest trade body in the country – as well as on the court of the Indian Institute of
Science, Bangalore. Mr. Poddar has been a member of the IIT-Kharagpur Board of
Governors and on the local board of the Reserve Bank of India for over a decade.
Creating Technology Awareness and knowledge Diffusion
Mr. Poddar says: “At Zuari, we understand every Indian farmer’s need for effective,
affordable and easily available fertilisers.”
Thus, the Farmers First approach has been so cemented in the psyche of Zuari Agro
Chemicals Ltd that the Company goes beyond providing agri-inputs and closely works with
farmers in not just bettering their yield but also their lives. Be it educating them on
scientific techniques, skilling them in new-age farming techniques, agricultural
development laboratories, toll-free help lines, farmer training schools and demonstration
farms, Zuari Agro Chemicals Limited – the Adventz Group flagship company – has had a
leading role to play. Moreover, the company regularly organizes farmer meetings, farmer
training programmers, crop seminars and field days at farmers’ fields to showcase use of
new technology to the community. The company also understands its responsibility to give
back to the society by way of undertaking projects that improve the lives of not just the
farmers but also their families.
Adventz Agri Innovation Centre (AAIC): With a vision to create technology awareness
and knowledge diffusion, the Center facilitates the adoption of best agricultural
technologies at the farmers’ level and help increase income from the farm. The only way to
counter shrinking arable land is to enhance yields per unit of land. The AAIC – a 106-acre
facility near Solapur in Maharashtra – not only facilities integrated diagnostics, skill
enhancement and demonstration of innovative technologies to benefit the farmer but also
functions as an advisory centre for him.
Hello Jai Kisaan: Toll-free lines, available 24x7 between 10:00 pm and 5:00 pm are
operated by agri-experts well equipped to advise farmers on scientific agriculture. This
initiative was started with an aim to help farmers across India resolve their queries within
We play
a signicant
role in the
betterment
of farmers
and the
agricultural
sector across
India
““
““

14. 24 hours of a call. An added value of the service is the availability of Jai
Kisaan Krishi Salahkars, advisors who can be called to fields/sites in select
regions to provide expert help.
Scientist-Farmer Interface: Given that agriculture is a knowledge-driven
arena where technology and innovation work together for best results, Adventz
provides the platforms for farmer to interact with scientists and learn the latest
scientific techniques and methodology available in their profession. Swift
transfer of knowhow from the laboratory to the field can be accomplished by
facilitating direct interaction between the scientists and farmers. To meet this
objective, the Scientist-Farmers Interface was launched by Zuari Agro
Chemicals Ltd which gives the
beneficiaries an opportunity to
interact directly with subject matter
experts.
Zuari Agro Chemicals also initiates
special situation-based projects –
Goa Agriculture Initiative (GAIN)
has been implemented in Goa to
address the problems of the
stressed mining dependent
population.
Manufacturing Strategies of
Adventz
The Adventz agri-business has
three manufacturing companies that
have strategically located plants to
meet the requirement of Indian
fertilizer market. Zuari Agro
Chemicals supplies quality
fertilizers (Urea, DAP and NPK
fertilizers) to Western and part of
peninsular India. Similarly,
Mangalore Chemicals and
Fertilizers supplies Urea and
Phosphatic fertilizers to Karnataka,
Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. Paradeep
Phosphates produces Phosphatic
(NP and NPK) fertilizers for
Northern and Eastern India.
Additionally, ZACL’s SSP plant at
Mahad in Maharashtra produces
granulated and powdered single
super phosphate and its specialty
fertiliser plant at Baramati
produces high-quality Water
Soluble Fertilizers. The Adventz
agri-business is one of the largest
We focus on generating world-class,
cutting-edge technologies for the
benet of our farmers and consumers
while maintaining global competitiveness
“ “

15. private sector fertilizer producers in the country, where the emphasis is given to the highest degree of safety and energy
consumption norms.
Jai Kisaan Junction: One-Stop Agri-Solution
The Jai Kisaan Junction chain of retail stores function as agri-solution hubs for fulfilling all cultivation needs of the farmer.
Additionally, these stores provide free agri-consultancy services ranging from sowing to harvesting of crops. The objective
of such stores is to empower farmers to make right decisions, thereby ensuring high income and productivity. Every store is
equipped with audio-visual aids to exhibit scientific crop management practices. Besides selling fertilizers and wide array of
agri-inputs, these multi-utility outlets provide other value-added services such as soil testing, market information, crop
insurance, and agronomic expertise.
Innovation and Initiative for the Future Expansion
By 2050, the world’s population will reach 9.1 billion, 34 percent higher than today. Nearly all of this population increase
will occur in developing countries. Urbanization will continue at an accelerated pace, and about 70 percent of the world’s
population will be urban (compared to 49 percent today). Income levels will be many multiples of what they are now. In
order to feed this larger, more urban, and richer population, food production (net of food used for biofuels) must increase by
70 percent. Annual cereal production will need to rise to about 3 billion tonnes from 2.1 billion today and annual meat
production will need to rise by over 200 million tonnes to reach 470 million tonnes.
According to a UN Food and Agriculture Organization report, by 2030, most developing countries will be dependent on
imports from developed countries for their food requirements. India is the second largest consumer of fertilizers after China.
Understandably, conglomerates such as Adventz Group and their companies hold the key. The Group, via Zuari Agro
Chemicals Ltd, has shown the way that it’s the Farmer First approach that makes the priorities clear. Mr. Poddar says: “As a
responsible corporate citizen, Zuari Agro Chemicals and Jai Kisaan, under the aegis of Adventz Group, is partnering with
Indian farmers in the quest to ensure Vision 2022 of Government of India.”
The Vision 2020 in agriculture is focused on enabling the India farmer to prosper through timely supply of reliable, high
quality agricultural inputs and services in an empowering environment. It is also focused on generating world-class, cutting-
edge technologies for the benefit of their farmers and consumers, while maintaining global competitiveness.
Adventz – led by Zuari Agro Chemicals Limited – can claim that it is working in that direction.

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For Subcription: www.insightssuccess.in

17. Management BriefCompany Name
EDGE INDIA
AGROTECH
edgeindiaagrotech.com
Edge India Agrotech is a leading solution provider for protected
cultivation and Agro consultancy.
Saroj Kumar Poddar
Chairman
Zuari is a single-window agricultural solution provider, which
believes in progress and prosperity of Indian farmers.
Zuari Agro Chemicals
Ltd
zuari.in
Rallis India Limited
rallis.co.in
Rallis India enhances their value for customers by providing
Agri-Solutions and Chemistry led Businesses.
Mr. V Shankar
Managing Director
& CEO
Asian Fertilizers
asianfertilizers.com
Asian Fertilizers has a focused, innovative corporation having
core competency in the area of sulphuric acid and fertilizers. Our
growth has been empowered with steadfast and distinctive
adherence to business ethics, transparent governance and
commitment to highest standards of social responsibility.
Dhanuka Agritech
Limited
dhanuka.com
Dhanuka Agritech, manufactures a wide range of agro-chemicals
like herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, miticides, plant growth
regulators in various forms – liquid, dust, powder and granules.
Mr. C. M. Gupta
President
KisanRaja
kisanraja.com
Vijay Bhaskar Reddy
Dinnepu
CEO
KisanRaja is a GSM-based controller that allows the farmer to
control the agricultural motor using his mobile or landline from
the comforts of his own.
Krishna Grain System, they have been able to cater many rice mills,
sugar mills, granaries and refineries, food processing industries, grain
processing & handling industries etc. Our robust R&D structure enables
us to design and develop precision and metallurgical stable fabrication
equipment.
Krishna Grain
System
krishnagrainsystems.co.in
Mr.Jayesh Shah
Director
Mr. A. K. Matanhelia
Managing Director
Excel Crop Care Limited
excelcropcare.com
Excel Crop Care, started manufacture of crop protection
products using indigenously developed processes.
Mr.Chetan Shah
Managing Director
1
THE
AGRO
SOLUTION
Most Valuable
Provider Companies
Eltee Fertilizers
elteefertilizers.com
Eltee Fertilizers is highly appreciated in the national and
international market for its premium quality fertilizers. The
company has setup a benchmark in the market with its fertilizers
of International standard.
Mr. Lalit K Periwal
CEO
Nirmala
Kandalgaonkar
Founder
Vivam Agrotech, thrives in the field of solid waste processing
such as Composting, Vermicomposting, Mechanical Compost
and Biogas since a decade and in City Solid Waste Management
for last five years.
Vivam Agrotech
vivamgroup.co.in
Mahesh Sood
Planning & Operations Expert
Nalin Sood
Marketing & Business
Development
Vivek Sharma
Technical and Production
Management

20. 18 | January 2018|

21. 01|January 2018 | 19
he use of plastic has been increasing at a
Ttremendous rate for the last few decades, which
plays a major role in all facets of modern lifestyle.
Plastics are used in the manufacture of a great number of
products such as mobile phones, domestic appliances,
furniture items, medical devices, protective packaging,
lightweight and safety components in cars, and insulation
materials in buildings, etc. Plastics are used because they
are effortless and saving costs to make it and can be
durable. Destruction of plastic waste has come out as a
major environmental challenge and its recycling is facing
obstacles due to its non-degradable characteristic. The
amount of plastic waste in our surroundings is continuously
growing because plastic does not decompose biologically.
However, so many articles showed the situation on the ‘sea
beaches contain plastic’. Plastic waste is often the most
objectionable type of litter and could be viewable for
months in landfill sites without degrading.
Reuse of plastics and recycling is obtaining as major as a
sustainable method for plastic waste disposal. Unluckily,
plastic is one of the difficult kinds of material to recycle
than aluminum, glass or paper. What is the common
problem with recycling plastics? it is that plastics which are
often made up of more than one type of polymer or there
may be some kind of fibre added to the plastic, can be a
composite. Plastic polymers need a sustainable amount of
processing to be recycled as a different type melts at
different temperatures and has different properties, so be
alert separation is very necessary. Moreover, most plastics
are not greatly compatible with one another. Except for
familiar applications such as industrial packaging film and
recycling bottles, there are also new developments, e.g. The
Recovinyl initiative of the PVC industry.
Lots of construction firms are using plastic materials. The
components used involve everything from plastic screws
and hinges to enlarge plastic parts that are used in electric
wiring, decoration, flooring, water proofing, wall covering,
etc.
Humans create 660 billion pounds of plastic in a year, and
the manufacturing process produces three times as much
carbon dioxide by weight as actual plastic. “That’s an
insane amount of material,” states Newlight Technologies
CEO Mark Herrema. “Wouldn’t we be better off using
plastic as a conveyor belt for capturing and sequestering
carbon emissions instead?” That’s exactly what his
company does.
Typically, plastic is made by exposing hydrocarbons from
fossil fuels to tremendous pressure and energy. Newlight’s
first commercial plant, in California, captures methane
generated by a dairy farm’s waste lagoon and transports it
to a bioreactor. There, enzymes combine the gas with air to
form a polymer. The resulting plastic, called AirCarbon,
performs identically to most oil-based plastics, but costs
less—creating a market-driven solution to global warming.
Companies have already signed on to use AirCarbon in
their products, including KI desk chairs (pictured), Dell
computer packaging, and Sprint smartphone cases.

22. EDGE INDIAAGROTECH, a leading solution
provider for protected cultivation and Agro
consultancy has executed a large number of
greenhouse projects in North India and is involved in crop
management for self and clients. It further plans to extend
its footprint across key regions of India by bringing back
focus to farming and farm life by using sustainable and
modern farming techniques, which improves commercial
yield for the farmers, thereby contributing to both humanity
and the environment.
EDGE INDIAAGROTECH’s Unique approach to serve
their Clients
The organization is proffering some ground-breaking
services which help their clients to stay ahead in the area of
Agro-tech. EDGE INDIAAGROTECH provides some
innovative solutions that attract their treasured clients.
These solutions include Construction of Net Houses, Poly
Houses, Poly Tunnels, Natural shade houses, Irrigation
solutions, Climate control solutions and Crop management
(including production and selling) through its sister concern
Himalayan Eco Farms. They also offer Consultancy
including Govt. Liaising, Project report preparation for
Bank funding and for obtaining subsidies from concerned
Govt. departments.
Protuberant Leaders of the Organization
With the diverse expertise, EDGE INDIAAGROTECH, the
company is directed by three intellectual leaders.
Mahesh Sood, Planning & Operations Expert, is a
Dreamer & Visionary with ground experience of more than
25 years in different streams, like Poultry, Inverter systems,
RO water, and Agro sector. He has focused on creating a
sustainable generation of next agro modules in diverse
climatic zones, challenging status quo and designing
methodologies to shape future growth in the agro sector.
Nalin Sood, Strategy, Marketing & Business
Development, is a seasoned-FMCG Professional with
diverse experience across the globe. He completed his
B.tech and MBA from Delhi University. He has more than
20 years of rich international experience in marketing,
strategy, and operations across developed and developing
markets and across multiple consumer categories. Nalin has
held senior level position including Global Brand
‘‘
20 | January 2018|
Mahesh Sood
Planning and Operations Expert
‘‘
Nalin Sood
Strategy, Marketing,
Business Development
Vivek Sharma
Technical & Production
Management

23. Marketing Director (Reckitt & Benckiser U.K), Executive
Vice President - Foods (PepsiCo India), and CMO for South
Asia (S.C.Johnson). His deep desire to do something more
“purposeful” and “fulfilling” has led him back to
agriculture.
Vivek Sharma, Technical and Production Management,
is a young idealist and a hardcore workaholic. Vivek has a
degree in B.Tech and has ventured a few years in the
unorganized agro sector with zeal to understand and
challenge the wave of change towards secure sectors and
urban migration. Vivek, a national level cyclist, worked
with Firefox and discovery before venturing into the agro
sector.
Analysis of Existing Agro Scenario
The agro-industry is still underdeveloped, undervalued and
largely fragmented. India is far behind than many other
countries in terms of productivity per unit resources. EDGE
INDIA understands that creating a larger scale
commercially viable agro modules and growing residue free
food is the future potential that can develop rural terrains
and generate rural employment. According to the company,
following structural changes are required.
Financing:
• Bank funding for sheltered farming projects is unfriendly.
Despite Agro being a govt. of India priority sector, bank
funding for such projects still attract huge interest to the
tune of 12-14 % under the category of term loan and with
huge collaterals. Instead it should be treated as agro loan
with reasonable interest rates and easier collateral norms.
• No support from Financials institutions like SIDBI and
no coverage under programs like “Stand up India” or
“Start-up India”
Taxes and Subsidies
• Setting up of Green Houses involves 18% GST, which is
a big deterrent. This adds up to the already high cost of
protected cultivation.
• Process for getting State or NHB (National Horticulture
Board) subsidies is cumbersome and time consuming.
Moreover, even after getting approvals / LOI (Letter of
Intent) the subsidies are credited after long delays
sometimes as much as 2 years. The interest cost for
already burdened farmers keeps escalating.
Some Innovative Steps which helped the Company to
Stay Ahead
The first foray by the team was in 2008 with the biggest
Polyhouse project in Himachal covering nearly 25,000 sq.
meters. It failed due to misguidance on project execution
and commercial viability. The team was dependent on 4
different partners (infrastructure / irrigation / planting
material/ consulting) each having different interests. Agro
economics and ROI made by Edge India was least priority
for any entity. This failure pushed the team to go deep into
the subject and manage this first hand with the aim of
developing a future concept of one window solution with
accountability.
Initially, the team faced many problems mainly 1) funding,
2) unreliable crop economic data, irrigation & pesticide
schedules and 3) lack of Govt. support. Thanks to the
following initiatives, the team revived their projects from
failure to the biggest success story in Himachal Pradesh:
• Inputs from the best global consultants from Israel,
Holland, Italy, Japan, and California.
• Created more than 60 acres of protected cultivation
projects for in different states.
• Educated farmers, using different private and government
forums.
• Organized educative seminars, workshops and
Participation in agro fairs
• Partnered with Govt. agriculture and horticulture boards
to work out ways to advance and support protected
cultivation and agro economics.
Diverse Strategic Approaches
Edge India offers end-to-end agro solutions including
consultancy, project execution, and crop management. The
organization manages its own playhouses and cultivated
land and thereby has an extensive experience in farming
(including floriculture and horticulture) and therefore, relies
on ground experience and not just academic knowledge.
Future Aspects
Given lack of government support, dwindling farm holdings
and lack of viable financing, farmers in India continue to
struggle as modern farming techniques are still being
adopted at a very slow rate. By understanding these core
issues, EDGE INDIAAGROTECH will focus on using a
highly innovative approach that includes: Import
Substitution of Key Agro Inputs, Commercially viable &
sustainable high end modern farming techniques, Focus on
high margin crops, Diversification into more agro services
& products (including e-commerce), Processed food, Cold
chains solutions and Agro-tourism. This will allow EDGE
INDIAAGROTECH to develop the agro solutions industry
holistically.
01|January 2018 | 21

24. he craft of entrepreneurship is observing creative avenues for success. People are finding their path
Ttowards entrepreneurship in new ways. Entrepreneurs put their “art” into the startup. There is no
right way formulated to succeed as a startup, and that is why the people who start startups are
characterized by flexibility, adaptability, and the ingenuity to do business out of an idea. Entrepreneurship
does not occur in isolation or silos, but by collaboration and community and may require more than that.
Entrepreneurs throughout the world seek supportive environments that through contiguity provide
collaboration, culture, and resources that encourage entrepreneurial pursuit and reward innovative mindsets.
The administration of new ventures gets strongly influenced by something much higher than the business
itself: the surrounding ecosystem. Essential constituents which are fundamental for a start-up success
encompass appropriate talent, solid marketing strategy, funding of startup and the most important is the
supportive government ecosystem with better policies, laws, and regulations. Without them, it's uncannily
difficult to start a business. To thrive, entrepreneurship needs a supportive ecosystem of compromising factors
ranging from infrastructure to financial access to supportive government policies. A government is the single
biggest enabler for the entrepreneurial ecosystem, play a vital role in ease of doing business and supporting
companies to start and expand.
The big question is, what exactly is an entrepreneurship ‘ecosystem’, a perfect blend of attitude, resources,
and infrastructure? An article published in 2010 by Professor Daniel Isenberg from Babson College helped to
boost the awareness of the concept. Isenberg outlined various constituents for the totality of an
entrepreneurial ecosystem. According to Professor Daniel, ecosystem should be built on regional conditions.
Expand existing industries and build on their foundations, capabilities, and skills instead of trying to launch
high-tech industries from scratch.
Entrepreneurial
CCOS STEMOS STEM
22 | January 2018|
Editorial Desk

25. Beginning a new company is the easy part, and
successfully expanding it is the challenge. The
primary focus should be on encouraging
sustainable, growth-oriented and innovative
firms not just cultivating more start-ups.
At the center of an entrepreneurial ecosystem
typically there is at least one, and usually
many,’large established businesses,’ with
important management functions as well as
undertaking R&D and production activities.
These firms will also be rich in technology.
They play important roles in strengthening the
ecosystem. They are ‘talent magnets,’ hiring
large numbers of skilled employees, and
many of them are recent graduates,
irrespective of their field. They
provide necessary training to
their workers and allow them to
advance up the corporate
hierarchy. It is through this
procedure that staffs who were
initially hired for their
technological know-how
acquire management skills to
become technology managers.
This exemplifies a propitious
resource for small firms. They
are also a source of new businesses
as few of their staff will leave to start
their own company.
Government plays a decisive role in
cultivating enterprise and innovation.
Their role is to direct the public
departments and agencies to focus on the
problem and develop effective policies. It makes
a good economic reason for governments to
implement policies that encourage business
growth since most of the business being
conducted by new entrepreneurs. The major five
ways in which government can have the highest
positive effect are by making capital more
accessible, promoting entrepreneurship,
facilitating business education, protecting
intellectual property, and reducing regulatory
burdens.
01|January 2018 | 23

26. Banks never directly engage or interact with entrepreneurs, and they help financial markets mature and indirectly
impact the entire value chain of investing which makes them relevant for the entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Bankers make a lot of money investing in somewhat later stage technology companies, which in turn increases
the confidence of early stage investors that if their investments grow, they would obtain the capital to fuel their
expansion.
Most of the leaders are unsure about exactly how to start creating the programs, policies, and culture to draw out
the entrepreneurial spirit that almost always is lurking beneath the surface. Leadership programs like BEEP are
must in every region. The Babson Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Project is directed by Professor of
Entrepreneurship Practice Daniel Isenberg, a renowned authority on entrepreneurship around the globe, and a
former Harvard and Columbia Business School professor, entrepreneur, and venture capitalist. It stimulates and
supports entrepreneurship, fostering an entrepreneurship ecosystem in which development oriented
entrepreneurial businesses can thrive.
Today, it’s crucial to understand the best practices in fostering entrepreneurial ecosystems, which helps inform
the participatory and democratizing potential of technology. In turn, that can lead to widespread adoption of
digital technologies and services accompanied by a global surge in economic development.
24 | January 2018|

28. The irony of Indian Agriculture
is evident from the fact that
59% of the population is
engaged in Agriculture and its allied
industry and contribution of
Agriculture and Allied sector to GDP is
only 16%. Low yield, quality of output
and profitability are the biggest
challenge among farmers in India.
Despite having the highest cropped
area in the world, our productivity in
key crops continue to be far behind
average global productivity.
The green revolution increased the
productivity considerably but the yield
have become stagnant in recent years,
resulting in a significant decline in the
income of farmers. Most farmers have
poor Crop production knowledge due
to non-access to dependable sources of
information. Resource Constraints are
also increasing - Land is becoming
more fragmented & Water is becoming
scarce. Out of 190 Mio Ha cropped
area, only 89.3 Mio ha area is having
irrigation facility, remaining 100.7 Mio
Ha area is still dependant on rains.
Availability of Finance is another
issue. A Large chunk of farmers are
still dependent on unorganized finance
sector leading to high interest rate on
credit. This reduces farmer's
profitability to large extent.
Usage of Crop protection chemicals is
low in India. Average consumption of
pesticides in India is only 0.6 Kg/ ha
which is far below average
consumption of pesticides in various
countries like UK & France -5 kg/ Ha,
Korea & USA - 7 Kg/ Ha, Japan,
China and Taiwan 12, 13 and 17 Kg /
Ha. This leads to huge amount of
losses to pests. Another issue is post
harvest losses. Upto 16% of Fruits and
Vegetable production gets perished
after harvest during transportation,
storage, handling and never gets
consumed.
The Govt. has taken up the initiative of
doubling the farmers’ income by 2022.
If we want to boost stagnated
agricultural growth a shift has to be
made, as finance minister Mr Arun
Jaitley said in parliament, from food
security of the nation to income
security of the farmers.
A transition is happening in India
from a production-led agriculture to
demand-driven agriculture. Agriculture
in the past primarily catered to
shortages because there was not
enough food, but now we are moving
to a multi-consumer segment based,
demand-driven agriculture. To cater to
this type of agriculture, number of
innovations are happening in
Agriculture which will give boost to
production, quality and also to farmers’
income. These are also providing
opportunity to Agro-businesses.
Custom hiring
It addresses the issue of farm
mechanization for the small scale
farmers at an affordable cost thus
contributing to high yield, low labor
cost, timely cultivation and higher
income. Instead of buying the
equipment, the farmer can rent it as per
his need and convenience. Huge costs
are incurred by small farmers to buy
farm equipment, which put them in
huge debt. Most of the equipment are
not used regularly, hence purchasing
those blocks the cash flow of the
farmers. Zamindara farm solutions
Expert’s view
26 | January 2018|

29. S.N. Gupta is the Chairman of “BHARAT GROUP” comprising of Companies viz. Bharat Rasayan
Limited, Bharat Insecticides Limited and BR Agrotech Limited. The Turnover of group Companies is
more than Rs. 1400 crores.
He completed his post-graduation in the field of Economics and his areas of specialization are
International Business, Overall Marketing Strategy and Corporate Planning.
He is well known for his in-depth knowledge of agriculture, agri-business and agricultural-input
markets in India. He is armed with an extensive experience of four decades in the field of
manufacturing of pesticides and led the group to achieve unprecedented growth and profits. He is
one of the pioneers in this arena in India.
Moreover, Mr. Gupta is a Trustee and an active member of Managing Committee of various
Institutions run by Maharaja Agarsen Society. He is also on Board of Crop Care Federation of India
(CCFI) and Member of Managing Committee of Pesticide Manufacturer and Formulators Association
of India (PMFAI). He is also actively participating and contributing a lot to several other social
activities.
About the Author
Mr. Sat Narain Gupta
Chairman & Managing Director
0127| January 2018 |

30. operates a large equipment bank which
brings together the equipment suppliers
and farmers. It operates on a Radio taxi
model - an expert is sent with the
equipment to get the farm work done
as per the requirement.
Mobile platforms
A revolution is going on in Rural India
with ownership of Smart phones going
up exponentially. This has provided
opportunity to companies and Govt. to
use digital platform to start host of
initiatives. Combination of technology
and advanced analytics create timely
and useful information. Cropin’s cloud
and mobile applications equip agri-
business & farmers with tools for data-
driven farm management. This
includes 100% farm visibility and
forecast on Production, monitoring &
managing crops pest & disease issue in
real time, ensure quality production,
procurement, compliance &
traceability.
TCS has developed mKRISHI®
platform to help farmers benefit from
technology interventions in agriculture
and allied sectors 99mKRISHI®
mobile agro advisory system is a
patented mobile based personalized
service delivery platform. Currently,
mKRISHI offers a bouquet of
agricultural services such as agro
advisory, best practices, alert services,
weather forecasts, agricultural input
aggregation, agri supply chain
management services etc.
Bharat Insecticides Ltd has also
launched an App called ‘Bharat Kisan
App’. Farmers can get information on
Safe Use of pesticide and solution to
pest problems in this App. They can
also contact Crop Advisor for solution
to their queries.
Per drop more crop
Only 47% of cultivable area is irrigated
Cold Chain include broadening focus
not just on storage but on end-to-end
cold chain process, modernization of
existing stores, better and more
sophisticated machinery and
equipment, setting up of multipurpose
cold storages, modern pack houses and
ripening facilities, energy efficient and
sustainable new storage technologies.
The Ministry of Food Processing
Industries and the Ministry of
Agriculture & Farmers Welfare have
been actively involved in incentivizing
setting up of new cold chain
infrastructure across the country. The
pan-India focus across perishable
segments will ensure actualization of
the Government’s commitment of
doubling of farmers’ incomes and also
addressing the demand-supply gaps in
markets.
Made in India Agrochemicals
Many Agro-Chemicals used by farmers
are imported. Inspired by ‘Make in
India’ initiative many Indian
companies are getting into production
of Technical (active ingredients) in
India. More Agro-Chemicals
manufactured in India will help Indian
farmers get good quality Agro
Chemicals at reasonable price. Bharat
Rasayan Ltd (BRL) is one of the
leading Technical manufacturing
company in India and has a vision to
provide high quality Agrochemicals at
affordable price. It is adding capacity
gradually.
in India. Significant amount of water
used in conventional irrigation practice
is wasted as it is not utilized by plants.
Drip irrigation leads to judicious use of
water resources as it is applied close to
root zone of plant. It also helps in
placing the nutrients at the right time in
right place which leads to better
utilization and significantly increasing
productivity. Govt has realized the
potential of drip irrigation and is
encouraging farmers by providing
subsidy to farmers under Pradhan
Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana.
Linking the Markets
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
launched National Agriculture Market
portal (eNAM) to connect mandis at
pan India level. eNAM is an online
inter-connectivity of e-mandis and
provides farmers an electronic medium
to sell their produce anywhere in India.
It is aimed at ushering in much needed
agriculture marketing reforms to
enable farmers to get better price of
their produce.
Bhavanter
At times Govt is not able to procure the
produce at Minimum Support Price
(MSP) and Market prices fall below
MSP. To avoid financial loss to
farmers, Madhya Pradesh Govt has
come up with Bhavanter scheme
wherein farmers get the difference
between their selling price and MSP on
producing the receipt. This scheme is
expected to protect farmers earning
and reduce uncertainty.
Post-harvest
India is the 2nd largest producer of
fruits and vegetables in the world.
Upto 16% of produce is wasted across
various commodity value chains on
account of inefficient storage,
inadequate logistics and poor post-
harvest management. Some emerging
trends and areas of innovations in the
28 | January 2018|

32. Our vision is to make
agriculture a farmer-friendly
occupation with an ultimate
objective of bringing
food security
KisanRaja is a growing Agri-Tech Company,
delivering innovative solutions based on Smart
Farming and Automation Solutions. It helps us in
energy and water conservation also provides environmental
benefits in farming through their innovative solutions.
KisanRaja is India’s first and the only Company that offers
Climate Smart Agri Solutions, by IoT technologies under
the one roof. They are working to mitigate issues like
erratic power supply, reducing water table, unpredictable
weather through their intelligent solutions. They are also
helping farming community to reduce costs by automating
irrigation, drip, fertilization and enabling the clients to
access all digitalization through their mobile phones.
The Protagonist of KisanRaja
Vijay Bhaskar Reddy Dinnepu is the CEO of KisanRaja.
He is transforming the Internet of Things (IoT) for
Agriculture industry through KisanRaja brand. He
completed his Master’s Degree from IIT in Computers
Science and Engineering. Further, he entered into this
career through top MNCs like Intel and Cisco. Vijay has a
passion to contribute his bit to India, especially for
Agriculture and Education with his technical experience.
He is a true leader with clear vision and a risk taking
attitude.
Vijay belongs to a remote agricultural family and has
closely observed the challenges involved in framing. He
envisions the benefits of taking global technology solutions
to the farmers. His dream is to get the best use of his
technical experience to bring in a change in the lives of
farmers.
Unique Services Provided by KisanRaja
All advanced products and solutions of KisanRaja helps to
monitor and control pumps, sensors in the farms, sensors
below the ground by forming an IoT network. This network
‘‘‘
‘‘
30 | January 2018 |
Vijay Bhaskar Reddy Dinnepu
CEO

33. helps Agri-ecosystem to take well-informed and intelligent
decisions to conserve energy, water, and environment and to
show a direct impact by reducing their operational as well
as the labor costs.
“Our competitive advantage is our strength”, says Vijay
Vijay says, “We were amongst the first few to enter into the
agri-tech industry when mobile adoption in rural areas was
not as deep as it is today. But during last 6 years of our
existence, it has seen increased adoption of technology in
the Agri-sector.”
• Product Leadership
The team of KisanRaja has a strong product background
with a wide variety of industrial experience, which helps
them to build, deploy, and scale their operations much
faster. The vision of the organization is to digitize Agri
industry through advanced support of mobile motor
controller. Their IoT solutions provide an end-to-end cloud-
based solution, which is a true IoT for Agriculture.
• Channel Leadership
The organization is already reaching multiple states and
looking at expanding in the overseas market. They have
built a network of partners through whom KisanRaja is
distributing their groundbreaking products and solutions.
The company believes their solutions are unique and they
provide competitive benefit for several years towards their
clients. In addition to developing a distribution channel,
KisanRaja is in talks with TELCO and with Government
towards developing more innovative means to reach out to
Farmers.
• Organizational Process and People
KisanRaja is emphasizing on feeding the knowledge and
understanding from channel partner network back into
Product development; thereby continuously improving
upon their offerings, driven by business objectives and
vision. Their experts are striving to bring world-class
technology and process excellence.
• Excellent Customer Support
They have focused strongly on supporting and retaining
their treasured customers, and have slowly conquered new
territories, by hiring local talent and tie-up with local
partners to influence the larger audience.
An Inspiring Journey
In India, farmers are not aware of the facility of internet so
it was a big challenge for the organization to introduce the
IoT solution in front of the farmers. KisanRaja has designed
their products to enable minimal human interaction so that
it’s easy for end users to operate. Collection issues from
farmers are one of the other main challenges for the
organization. KisanRaja is introducing a model such as pre-
paid approach, tying up with other local business operators
to overcome this challenge.
Vijay added, “Agriculture outputs are seasonal based and
with service & solution based models that we are coming
with seasonal output for farmers will impact our business
model as well. On the other hand, IP protection is very
critical to any business. Though, Agri-tech is the fastest
evolving model, protecting IP and parallel investing in new
IP creation is one of the key challenges.” Considering all
challenges KisanRaja is still handling all circumstances
with innovation and novelty.
The Way Ahead
Vijay expresses, “Providing smart-agro solutions across
various phases, such as soil nutrient, irrigation and
fertilization automation, water quality monitoring and
automating the complete irrigation schedule by capturing
important data helps to make intelligent decisions to
improve productivity, yield, and profitability through our
affordable solutions.”
0131| January 2018 |

34. Agriculture
I
th st
n the second half of the 20 century and at the beginning of the 21 century, a technological revolution in farming led by
advances in sensing and robotics technologies looks set to disrupt traditional farming. This technology changes forever
the way farmers work. Performance of agriculture and modern farms technics work far differently than those a few
decades ago, because of advancements in technology, including sensors, devices, machines and information technology.
Today’s agriculture prefers to use advanced technologies such as robots, temperature indicators and moisture sensors and
GPS technology. These advanced technologies and robotic systems allow businesses to be more profitable, effective, and
secure and environmentally friendly.
Background of the Agriculture Sector
The first twin-rotor system combine was introduced in the year 1975. This system allowed to cut crop and separate in one
side over the field. In 1994, a widely known scientist introduced satellite; it helped farmers to use this technology to see their
farms from overhead and allowing them for better tracking and planning. Year 2000 was a technology revolution year; when
people got to know about the use of mobile phone. Likely many people and farmers started using mobile phone which helps
them to maintain communication and on the other hand it facilitated farmers to place orders for seeds, fertilizer and it
provided information towards new techniques. The data revolution is helping people to take the right decision, and farmers
are no exemption. New mobile applications are providing information about the variety of fertilizers, firming process and
other resources which help farmers to get knowledge about farming. 2015 was the year when masses introduced with the
digital platform that conveys info about data collection, agronomic modeling and local weather monitoring, which gives the
idea to farmers about their fields. These tools allow farmers to plan for healthier crops and make firming strategy that is
beneficial for the planet. Therefore in the current year, the major breakthrough happened in farming technology which breaks
the all previous technics of farming.
Some Breakthrough Technologies are -
Use of Global Positioning System
Mainly GPS technology pinpoints location through satellites. Just like previously tractors replaced draft horse on the farm,
GPS technology also replaced eyeballing and guessing process in the farm. GPS can give farmers valuable information about
Fraternization
Tech Powerded
32 | January 2018|
Of
Technology &

35. Harvesting with WIFI
In the modern agriculture system, technology helping
farmer’s to use the electronic sensor distributed process
which helps them to find out different conditions;
sometimes the gadgets send data to the farm server about
the farm condition. This data gets analyzed automatically.
Then instruction gets passed on to the farmer which
includes an appropriate dose of fertilizer, delivering the
right amount of water and finding the hole punched in crop
rows. These data’s are easily accessible by the farmer in
tablet or smart phones, giving real time information. These
advanced technologies can also monitor soil conditions i.e.
nitrogen level in the soil and when to add fertilizer.
Robotic Formation in Agriculture
The self-driving cars one of the latest innovation in car
manufacturing industry and impact of this innovation could
also be witnessed in farming. Robots and self-driving
tractors are becoming very common in farming. Which
helping farmer to cut cost and time by automating time-
consuming tasks done by humans.
which areas need fertilizer and which don't. This
information can save money and ensure that only the areas
that need to nutrients are getting it. GPS guided drones are
performing tasks from crop spraying to livestock
monitoring and creating 3D maps.
The other technology is Sensor technology;
Sensor technology is basically monitoring everything like
soil water content, temperature, humidity in grain silos and
information about plant health.
Advantages of Smart Phone
Now a day’s farmers are using advantages of the internet
through their mobile phone. For the purpose to check
current marker scenario, Firming related videos, agriculture
news, new technologies, and invention. In the other hand,
they can easily find out those applications which are
specifically developed to help farmers. Not only this but
also some mobile applications allow them to ask their
quires to the experts and get an appropriate response.
“Agriculture looks different today - our farmers are using GPS and
you can monitor your irrigation systems over the Internet,”
– Debbie Stabenow
01|January 2018 | 33

36. There are farming robots for picking strawberries and lettuce, harvesting oranges and pruning grapevines, for mowing hay
etc. Many farmers still prefer using human-driven tractors while others are using highly customized and automated tractors
attached to sensors and robots. That can perform highly specific tasks, such as detecting where cows have peed and treated
the affected grass to stimulate regrowth. Usually, these robots are guided by highly precise GPS tracking that allows them to
nimbly navigate through the narrow spaces between crop rows.
Indoor Farming
According to research, Vertical farming or indoor farming is gaining popularity because the farms optimize land use in land-
scarce and it can operate on minimal manpower. This technic helps growers of to produce year-round including specialty
crops regardless of outdoor weather conditions. But this is not as easy as indoor farming since it is very challenging to
produce an ideal sunlight that optimizes growth in cramped indoor spaces. Full-spectrum fluorescent and energy-intensive
technologies provide required lights in indoor farming which is very expensive. But innovations of light-emitting diodes
(LEDs) in recent years have provided a cheaper and better alternative.
LED has also reduced the growing time compare to the traditional lighting technology because farmers can use different
configurations to maximize the wavelengths of light certain plants prefer. Hooking LEDs to timers allows indoor farmers to
maximize the ratio of light to dark that can speed up the growing process. For example, certain combinations of red and blue
LEDs can reduce the amount of time it takes to grow a head of lettuce indoors by up to 17 days.
The Agriculture sector is the essential sector for any countries, as a stable agricultural sector can ensure food security of a
nation. It can generate employment and also contributes on countries economic growth. Technology is a magic touch in
farming which can help a country to makes drastic changes in this growing sector. In the past, farmers worked hard for
farming seeds but now scientist and developers introduced new technology which can reduce farmer work and make them
smart and contribute to country’s economic growth.
34 | January 2018|

38. R. Gurumurthy
Founder
36 | January 2018|
Tech Revolution

39. Managing User
Expectations
in Rapidly Changing
Technology Market
R. Gurumurthy is the Founder of Processware Systems and serves as its Chief Executive
Ofcer. He has over 20 years of expertise in managing technology projects for complex
business applications. He has successfully managed the 'customer' expectations for clients
large and small and applications ranging from advanced avionic simulators and aircraft 'in-
dash' applications to helping traditional 'brick and mortar' companies develop a
competitive edge by adopting the effectiveness led e-business models. Gurumurthy has
extensive experiences in helping big companies and several start-up software products
companies has helped to develop an application delivery model that can deliver
predictable and high quality results consistently. He has Masters Degree in Engineering
Mechanics and a Masters Degree in Computer Science from University of Missouri- Rolla.
About the Author
01|January 2018 | 37

40. Today, Information Technology Market is changing
at a rapid pace. The market has seen too many new
entrants without a compelling offering. In addition,
user expectations have been rapidly evolving due to
extensive use of social media.
The younger generation (Gen Y or the Millennial
Generation) has set the acceptability bar very high for all
information technology products – be it the hardware or the
software. This has resulted in many failed launches of
products by leading IT companies world-wide. This
generation is extremely fast in adopting to various form
factors of the devices and the nuances in using mobile apps
or web based subscription services (SaaS). Deeper
understanding of the millennial generation is one of the
critical success factors.
In this article, we will explore some of the factors which
will drive the industry forward in meeting increased
expectations from end users.
Customer Centric Design
Many companies would develop products in isolation,
without really understanding the needs of the customer.
This is more relevant in B2B market, where Enterprise
Segment is always difficult to penetrate compared to B2C
market. In India, it is difficult to get a true feedback from
initial sample set of enterprises. Hence, it is always prudent
to get the end customer involved during the development
phase of the product. Software products, today are far more
complex and needs to interface with a variety of other
existing systems in an Enterprise.
Hence, involve the user early in the product development
process. Technology, many a times may not be a good
indicator of what the user wants. Deeper understanding of
customer behavior and their needs are key to a successful
product.
Collaborative Approach
In the current market environment, no one company can
address all the problems faced by the user. Hence, it is
critical for enterprises to collaborate with each other,
leveraging mutual strengths and complementing their
offerings. This approach has been extremely successful in
western markets, where even large technology companies
collaborate with smaller companies and establish a viable
eco system in the market.
Given the pace of technology changes occurring in the
market in the form of IoT, Cloud and Mobile devices, every
enterprise will be looking for radically new solutions based
on these platforms. No one vendor will be able to offer
products in each of these areas. Hence, a collaboration
amongst technology vendors in interfacing their products
with each other and providing a comprehensive integrated
solution will be the key to success.
Market Changes
The cloud has been disruptive in many ways. Software
companies who enjoyed large license fee for their products
are today looking for subscription based revenue.
Subscription revenues dwarf the license revenue. This is
evident by looking at the constant decrease in total revenue
for Software Product companies.
It takes a lot of effort in terms of time and money to keep
the cloud going. Round the clock availability of
infrastructure comes at a price. With the increased expense
on a recurring basis and reduced revenue, Software product
companies have entered a new era of reduced income.
Going forward, this will be the norm rather than the
exception, since most of the end users are looking at
Subscription based access to software. Gone are the good
old days of fat license revenue at the time of installation of
the product.
The cloud computing era is here to stay and will dictate the
future innovations in information technology. The sad truth
to this is very few companies in each sector can survive,
since it does require a critical mass of customers to support
the costs involved in making applications available round
the clock. The Cloud also increases the responsibilities for
the vendor to manage the data in a secured manner and
archive them as per regulatory norms. All these increased
activities results in additional expenses.
Challenges Ahead
There are many challenges ahead for Information
Technology companies. The future solutions will all
invariably consists of both hardware and software. The
dawn of IoT devices will result in increased interaction
between the hardware and software. This will force many
new relationships in the market place between traditional
hardware players and software vendors.
The increased use of IoT in all aspects of business and life
will need a completely new set of solutions which are all
real time making it attractive for the millennial population,
who loves instant results. The amount of data being
collected by IoT devices will run into petabytes. Companies
who develop deep skills in mining these vast packets of
data and transforming them into intelligence, will see huge
success in the market place.
38 | January 2018|

42. The 4
to
watch
Government found it necessary to improve
their digital platforms and to enable the people
to access resources even from their doorsteps.
The term: E-Governance initiatives are taking
a better shape as the leading body believes in
continuous growth through the accessibility of
the Government provisions.
The Government of India intends to make her
services available to the citizens electronically
by providing an improved online infrastructure
and ensuring that the Internet connectivity
attains a greater height. The Government in a
shorter note wants an India that is digitally
empowered and technically motivated to help
the system grow across all industries. The
more digital India is becoming, the more
economically independent her people will be.
A highly connected ecosystem can be highly
innovative and India will set the example
right for the world to see in 2018.
Make in India – Make it in India to
Make it Better
If every organ of the nation grows
economically her people and even the
government will be motivated to try
new things. To ensure that every part
and people of India are growing uniformly,
especially across the global industry and also
to attract foreign investments, the Government
of India took the initiative to motivate her
people to develop their products from scratch
within the nation. This development is
believed to gear the growth of India's
nationhood and to improve her economy to a
high percentage and especially in 2018.
Smart Cities – The Friendly Society for
Sustainable Growth
Continuous growth is a factor that dignifies
innovation. The strategic step to redevelop
India, with components such as retrofitting,
Greenfield development and large area
beautification will make the Indian cities the
envy of their neighbours. Smart Cities
Mission is going to make India a very citizen
friendly and sustainable place to live.
ndia is a dynamic ecosystem, where every organ of the
Isociety is doing one thing or the other to grow the
nationhood. The Government is taking bold steps to change
how things are done to better the lives of the citizens. The
masses are taking up the task to contribute their values either as
an already established business or even as a start-up. This makes
the nationhood a fertile land for investment. The below-
highlighted are the key areas through which the Government of
India has devoted specifically to help her citizens grow in
industry values and morals.
Digital India – A Highly Inter-Connected Ecosystem Equals
Seamless Growth
The leadership of India and her people are always seeking ways
to uplift their society by improving their knowledge of
economic strategies. To achieve this and make it a reality, the
Disruptive
Trends
40 | January 2018|
The Developing Era

43. When an environment is pollution-free, oxygen abundant and feasible with
transportation amenities, the nationhood will be proud. This will boost the
health-state of the citizens with emotional balance and in turn give people
reason to work for the better development of their homeland. With such spirit
in the people, there is no limit to their abilities and the growth of the nation
with fewer burdens on the Government.
Startup India – Working Towards Innovation and
Development
If you have something new to offer to the industry, the Indian
Government is ready to help you. Startup India has been in
the market since 2015, as announced by the Indian Prime
Minister, Narendra Modi during his 15 August 2015
address from the Red Fort, in New Delhi.
A Government whose plan of action is to help and
motivate her citizens to be creative is capable of
growing the next world best economy. Since
the inception of this initiative, it is obvious
that the industry is experiencing a
tremendous growth. The most interesting
thing about this development is that it is
not going to leave the system anytime
soon; rather the Government and
her citizens are bringing more
creativity to the industry. The
benefits of this initiative are
going to not just innovate
highly in 2018, but it wills revolute how
the people offshore see the big picture of
India now and in the near future.
The growth of Startup India in 2018 is
based on these three principles:
Simplification, Handholding and Funding
Support, which has the potential to change
India far into the future. The Indian
Government and her people are working
towards development geared by
commendable innovation. It is worth the
watch after in 2018.
01|January 2018 | 41

44. Converting waste into Energy
In recent times, the society has been more concerned
about the environment and is much more aware about
its activities and the impact resulting from these
activities on the environment. The issue of Solid Waste
Management (SWM) is a challenge throughout the world,
in both developed and developing countries. The world’s
urban population reached 2.9 billion in 2000 and is
expected to rise to 4.2billion by 2020, which will lead to a
faster generation of solid waste. The managing of this huge
volume of waste effectively is a challenging problem. These
wastes needs to be properly managed which means proper
storage, collection, transportation, treatment and disposal in
a way that minimizes risk to the environment and human
health.
For the purpose of city waste management and sustainable
development, Vivam Agrotech is a proprietary firm in the
field of solid waste processing developing several
innovative technologies aid Solid Waste Management.
VIVAM is into the business of converting waste to energy,
by leveraging processes of Composting, Vermicomposting,
Mechanical Compost and Biogas and in Municipal Solid
Waste Management for last ten years. The company
specializes in Municipal solid waste treatment plants for
power generation and has deployed Biogas plants from 4
Kg to 40 tons waste per day. It is also an authorized
technology holder of Bhabha Atomic Research Center,
Mumbai for Biogas Generation Plants. VIVAM is now
expanding the technologies in abroad as well, including
Kenya and South Africa.
The Fate of the Waste
The overall rural set-up was more use of pesticides and
chemicals and a total apathy to the Mother Earth. Vivam
changed the traditional method of making ‘khad’, modified
the whole process and made it user-friendly. The company
now deploys solutions for waste management in both the
fields – Biogas and Compost. Vivam is capable of
manufacturing and providing all capacity waste-
‘‘
42 | January 2018 |
Nirmala Kandalgaonkar
Founder
‘‘

45. management plants ranging from 500gms to 500tons of
wastes per day.
VIVAM has developed a scientific method, “Swarup
Vermicomposting System”,for manufacturing
vermicompost. It is a very simple and scientific instrument
for manufacturing vermicompost from any organic waste
such as farm waste, Municipal organic Solid Waste etc.
VIVAM has also developed automatic machines for
composting which requires very small place and are most
suitable for metropolitan cities for waste processing up to
1000 kg per day. The Biogas Plants are the first portable
and ready-to-use plants in the world; molded in tough piece
by state-of-the-art process manufactured from LLDP non-
toxic material, free from any adulteration, chemically
resistant, blended with stabilizers, anti-corrosive and anti-
acidic, absolutely smooth and sanitary, chemical resistant,
blended with stabilizers, designed especially for semi-urban
and rural areas to produce Gas from organic wastes.
The Visionary Eco-Feminist
In the wake of economic liberalization and globalization,
businesswomen in India are proving themselves in every
niche of entrepreneurship. Here we talk about the woman,
who works endlessly to implement policies and enact
change to preserve and protect our environment – Nirmala
Kandalgaonkar. Mrs. Nirmala is the
Proprietress/Chairperson of Vivam Agrotech founded in
2001. Under her leadership, the company has now become
a full-fledged solid waste management company renamed
as VIVAM Solid Waste Management Pvt. Ltd., and
provides consultancy along with technology solutions such
as vermicompost, biogas and mechanical & bacterial
composting, and power generation from biodegradable
waste.
It was difficult for the housewife-turned-entrepreneur to
change the existing ideas and come up with new ones.
Initially she conceptualized a simple combination for the
business, which needed less capital and less technology, no
education and age limit, less cost raw-material and the
nearby market. Today, Mrs.Nirmala has extended her realm
and the business is expanding with projects being initiated
in six states of India. With a capital investment of Rs.
50,000/- Vivam has today reached the turnover of 5 crores
with her able guidance.
Mrs.Nirmala is actively associated with various industrial
and academic associations. Being an active social worker
since young age, it’s been her policy to give jobs to social
help groups (SHGs), whenever possible and well suited, in
Vivam Agrotech’s scope of work.
Mrs. Nirmala’s work has been appreciated by many social
institutes as well as corporates by giving her various
awards. Most prestigious among them are ‘TATA TiE
STREE SHAKTI Award as National Woman Entrepreneur
2009’, ‘Punya Ratna’2013, ‘Avani Mitra’2010, by
Talvalkar Trust, Pune, ‘Chankya Award 2014’PRCI,
Mumbai, ‘Emerging Excellence 2014’Maxell Foundation,
Mumbai, and ‘Women Super Achiever Award 2015’by
World Women Leadership Congress.
Celebrated Capabilities & Accomplishments
Vivam’s core competency is in the area of products &
processes for environment mitigation measures from MSW,
bio-solid wastes, animal poultry & slaughtering activities
and contaminated water bodies. The company comes-up
with new innovative processes for handling, treatment and
processing of MSW through composting, fuel pellets,
biomethanation and bio thermal route. It also prepares
DPRs on integrated SWM, Tendering process and PMC and
executes the detoxification processes of contaminated soils,
bioremediation of old MSW dumpsites. Another strong-
point is its alliances for user ship of MSW derived products.
Vivam has also worked with All India Institute of Local Self
Government for preparation of project report of city waste
management system. The company individually prepared
detailed project reports for more than 120 MUNICIPAL
COUNCILS and for 3 Municipal Corporations in
Maharashtra as per MSW RULES 2000.
Vivam’s approach is focused on project execution and its
O&M on sustainable basis, hence pose no extra financial
burden on ULBs. Most important thrust area is manpower
resourcing, training and development that ensures
successful O&M of projects.
0143| January 2018 |