12 Startups Win Startup India Animal Husbandry Grand Challenge

Startup India and the Department of Animal Husbandry have named winners of the Animal Husbandry Startup Grand Challenge and awarded 12 startups for finding innovative solutions to address problems faced by the animal husbandry and dairy sector.

The challenge was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a national animal disease control programme held at Mathura in September 2019.

Modi had called for applicants for the challenge and said various startups can be launched on the themes of the challenge. “The solution for India’s problem will come from Indian soil itself,” he said.

The applications were open for six problem statements that are affecting the dairy and animal husbandry sector:

• Single-use plastic alternatives: using environment-friendly alternatives for replacing single-use polythene in the dairy sector
• Eliminating milk adulteration: tackling milk adulteration
• Breed improvement and animal nutrition: use of innovative technologies for quick genetic gain among Indian breeds of cattle and buffalos. new varieties of green fodder and enriched animal feed
• Value-added products: introduce value-added dairy products viz. cheese, smoothies, flavoured milk, custard, yoghurt and other ethnic Indian products using innovative techniques for smaller domestic as well as export markets
• Ecommerce solutions: encouraging innovations to provide modern digital infrastructure and advisory services across the country
• Product traceability: using technologies to track the journey of dairy products from farm to fork

The ministry has now said that they received 157 applications, of which selected 12 startups have received INR 1.02 Cr. The winners will be provided incubation offers. The incubator would be responsible for physical incubation of these startups for up to 3 months, mentor matchmaking, lab facility and testing facilities. The activities of the startups will be tracked for up to nine months after the completion of the programme.

“Two winners under each problem awarded with cash grants worth INR 10 lakh (Winner) and INR 7 lakh (Runner-up),” the statement said adding that minister for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairy Giriraj Singh announced the winners.

The selected winners are:

1. Value-added products category: 

Winner: Krushak Mitra Agro Services Pvt Ltd, Mumbai

Runner up: Studio Carbon, Ahmedabad

2. Eliminating milk adulteration:

Winner: White Gold Technologies LLP, Mumbai

Runner-up: Micro Life Innovations, Chennai

3. Breed improvement:

Winner: Adis Technologies, Belagavi, Karnataka

Runner-up: CisGEN Biotech Discoveries Pvt Ltd, Chennai

4. Animal nutrition:

Winner:  Krimanshi Technologies Pvt Ltd, Jodhpur

Runner-up: Cornext Agri Products Pvt Ltd, Hyderabad

5. Finding ecommerce solutions:

Winner: MoooFarm, Gurugram, Haryana

Runner-up: Grozip, AKM Technologies Pvt Ltd, Cuttack

6. Product traceability:

Winner: EmerTech Solutions Pvt Ltd, Mumbai

Runner-up: NebulARC Technologies Pvt Ltd, Delhi

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