With roots in farming, education in biotechnology, global cultural exposure, and a rich work experience, Anand has been determined to change the way farming is done in India. Leveraging his business acumen and years of experience in data analytics, he wanted to create a massive impact in agriculture.
Hailing from a farming family, Anand had to take up a corporate job owing to economic constraints. He was, however, always driven towards transforming agriculture and helping farmers. His experience with ICT revealed a gamut of interventions beneficial to farming in India. He spoke with several organisations in the ICT space, but failed to ignite interest. He decided to take the onus upon himself. Giving up a high-paying corporate job, he returned to his village, Bellary, located in North Karnataka. His cousin, L. Sivaprakash, who shared his vision, joined him and the duo founded Jayalaxmi AgroTech in 2014.
A startup in agriculture-based out of a remote village in Karnataka was quite unconventional. Investors were wary because of this. However, Anand did not let this deter him. Instead, he worked hard to understand the nuances of farming and identify potential gaps that could be filled by technological interventions.
His research revealed that every household had at least one smartphone (though, ironically, most of them did not have a toilet) and that the information they required varied by region. The type and the frequency of information was a major difference. While certain regions and associated crops require more frequent information on weather, others need information on pest control and market prices. Anand came up with an elegant solution and decided to bridge the information gap in agriculture by using mobile apps to guide farmers towards achieving higher efficiencies by improving all processes from sowing to harvesting to the sale of crops.
“Don’t start up for funding.
Do it for passion.
Make a difference!”
Anand’s relentless pursuits have now borne fruit. He has gained recognition on multiple platforms. He was recently invited by NITI Aayog to participate in a dialogue on policymaking for the agriculture sector. Jayalaxmi AgroTech apps too have become hyper-popular and see a new download once every three minutes, on an average.
Anand Babu is now working on building a pan-India presence. Having weathered immensely difficult times, this humble and gritty entrepreneur is determined to impact farming. And we are sure that he will.