Grus & Grade (G&G), a technology company operating in the Agri-tech/ Fintech market, started by alumni of IIM Indore, IIT Delhi and the University of Delhi will launch its first product ‘UPAJGURU’, an Agri FinTech Platform. It will be launched on 12th March, Saturday in a function to be held at ASPIRE, BioNest, Department of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad.
G&G is incubated at Aspire BioNest, University of Hyderabad, and Centre of Excellence in blockchain through APIARY, (STPI Gurgaon under Ministry of Electronics and Telecommunications, Government of India).
ASPIRE – Association for Scientific Pursuits in Innovative Research Enterprises is a section-8, not-for-profit organization that manages the innovation and entrepreneurial activities at the University of Hyderabad through the incubation of start-up companies in various disciplines of science and technology.
The new futuristic platform with a future full of promises will be launched in the presence of Chief Guests Dr Chandrasekhar, Secretary of Dept. of Science & Technology, Govt of India; Dr Krishna Ella- Chairman & Managing Director of Bharat Biotech International Limited and Dr Chintan Vaishnav Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission, Delhi.
Ravi Soni, Co-founder & CEO – “Our motto has been to change the perception of agriculture and endure the absence of pride to the farming community. Upajguru bridges the gap of digital technology in the agri-value chain, so as to make it agriculture-sustainable and profitable”
Nitya Nand Deepak, Cofounder and COO, adds “UPAJGURU, a product of Grus and Grade, is a futuristic crop management system set to make agriculture and agribusiness more efficient, profitable and traceable. In particular, it will also strengthen Farmers Producers Organizations (FPOs) and agribusiness consortiums”
UPAJGURU connects farmers with farmer collectives (FPOs), input suppliers, transporters, warehouses, marketplaces, insurance companies, and banks at a single point of contact. It integrates game-changing features at each step to reduce inefficiencies and leakages along the value chain.
Collectivization, negotiation, and transactions with input suppliers and at the farm gate become seamless and transparent. The IoT-powered farm advisory system helps generate farm advice to mitigate environmental risks. AI-enabled integrated data predicts farm outputs and predictive market prices; Blockchain-backed traceability from farm to fork promotes export and commercialization of nutritionally enhanced biofortified and organic foods and non-food crops.
Automation and smart contracts ease transactions, provide a complete audit trail, thereby reducing credit risk for banks and insurance companies. With lending getting smoother, lending terms become easier and collateral-free. The company has won India Startup 500 award in the year 2021 and Best Agritech Start-up 2021 by CEO magazine.