Ninjacart, one of the country's largest tech-driven supply chain platforms connecting fresh vegetable and fruit growers with grocery stores and retail chains, has announced plans to build the largest agri supply chain platform that will benefit all players in the agriculture sector.
We aim to be the digital network for global agri-commerce that solves structural problems such as information asymmetry, payment hassles, distribution inefficiency, and discovering new buyers with tech-first solutions.
The company has signed an agreement with the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare to strengthen market links and promote best practices in the farming sector. The establishment of the Agri Marketplace platform is in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Agriculture Ministry.
Nagarajan shared Ninjacart's plans for growth this year, saying his company has formed a partnership with Kilofarms, an Agritech start-up, to promote residue-free farming methods.
Ninjacart also intends to invest in cutting-edge technology to accelerate its ecosystem. "This will help us strengthen our position as a one-stop-shop for all of the needs of farmers, retailers, small businesses, and kirana (grocery) stores," he explained.
Agri Seed Fund
The startup has launched the "Agri seed Fund," a two-year seed investment initiative to strengthen innovation and accelerate disruption in the agriculture sector. "The investment is intended to boost the agri-ecosystem by supporting innovative ideas and enabling enterprising teams to launch," Nagarajan explained.
It has also partnered with Avanti Finance to digitize the entire agri-ecosystem and become a single point of contact for all Agri needs. Ninjacart intends to co-create and make available relevant credit products to the farming community at a reasonable cost through this partnership, he said.
Ninjacart has acquired Tecxprt, which has extensive experience in integrating SaaS-based end-to-end solutions and enabling the creation of powerful networks. Ninjacart began implementing an employee stock ownership plan for its employees this year.
Ninjacart employs artificial intelligence (AI) applications, data science, and an integrated logistics network to enable farmers to use infrastructure and sell their produce. It has created a "Farmer Harvest Calendar" that informs growers about what is expected of them in the coming days, resulting in a reduction in farmers' travel time to markets.
"By doing so, we can eliminate unwanted demand and unfair market practices while also providing better returns to farmers." "It is a well-organized process in which they are given price and demand confirmation before harvesting begins by setting both purchasing and selling prices using an average of national prices to avoid price risk," he explained.
Ninjacart, which delivers fresh produce within 12 hours of harvesting, uses RFID tagging before storing, app-monitored loading and unloading, and GPS tracking to optimise routes. On the changes it has brought to the lives of farmers who use it, Nagarajan stated that Ninjacart provides "proper market value, prompt payments, and better market linkage."
