App by Pune entrepreneurs aims to support small-scale farmers with crop advisories

From land preparation to harvesting, KhetiGuru aims to empower farmers at various stages of crop cycle

At a time when small farmers are harried by the increasing costs of agriculture inputs and fuel prices, two agri-entrepreneurs, both sons of farmers from western Maharashtra, have developed a free knowledge-based advisory platform aimed at boosting farm produce while maintaining soil health at the same time. 

Pravin Shinde and Vishnu Dhas, co-founders and directors of the ‘KhetiGuru’ platform, aim to empower small-scale farmers with the right knowledge and technology - right from land preparation to the harvesting stages - to boost crop production.

The platform, which was launched earlier this month, focuses on crop nutrition and is intended as a ‘preventive’ rather than ‘curative’ resource by staving-off crop damage from pests and diseases to help the farmer achieve higher yields. 

“KhetiGuru has an expert team of 50 agronomists to seamlessly provide advisory services. They will support needy farmers, right from land preparation to the various stages of the crop life cycle, be it sowing, flowering, fruiting, or harvesting, in addition to recommending various unique products developed by KhetiGuru,” says Mr. Shinde, who hails from an agricultural family in Satara district.

Since KhetiGuru is focused on crop nutrition and health, there will be reduced use of chemical-based pesticides aiming to increase soil health.

The idea for this platform has not come out of the blue: In 2016, the duo had launched ‘KhetiGaadi’ - an agricultural version of OLX - which for the first time, created an online eco-system for farm mechanization in India.

The platform, which gives farmers various product options with detailed specifications to buy, sell and rent agricultural equipment, is changing the face of farm mechanization in India. It has already registered a gross merchandise value (GMV) of ₹1,200 crore in 2019 in 2021-22.