This Ministry has launched a component called “Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development” under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY-RAFTAAR) in 2018-19 with objective to promote innovation and agri-entrepreneurship by providing financial support and nurturing the incubation ecosystem. This Ministry has appointed five Knowledge Partners (KPs) as Centre of Excellence and twenty four RKVY-RAFTAAR Agribusiness Incubators (R-ABIs) from across the country for implementation of this programme.
Anand Agricultural University, Anand, Gujarat is one of the R-ABIs under “Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development” to promote agriculture startups in Gujarat.
Number of startups selected during the last two years in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan and financial assistance provided to them under “Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development” programme is given below.
( amount in Rs. lakh )
State/Year | Number of agro-startups selected
|
Financial assistance given | ||
2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | |
Uttar Pradesh | 13 | 19 | 69.00 | 85.80 |
Rajasthan | 3 | 18 | 18.00 | 97.00 |
“Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development” programme of this Ministry is basically meant for promotion of agri-startups. Various provisions regarding startups are governed by norms laid down by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
Start-ups of agriculture and allied sectors in areas such as agricultural logistics, value & supply chain management, online/virtual platform, organic farming & services etc. are supported under “Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development” programme of this Ministry.
646 start-ups in the agriculture and allied sectors have been selected under “Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development” for funding of a sum of Rs. 69.92 crore in installments and Rs. 33.94 crore has been released to respective KPs and RABIs for funding these start-ups.
This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in Lok Sabha today.