Ideas can come from anything around you, be it a taxicab, retail stores or even farm tractors. Drawing inspiration from farm machinery and tractors, Pravin Shinde and Vishnu Dhas founded Khetigaadi.com; the world’s pioneer website for buying, selling, renting, comparing and reviewing tractors and farm machinery. Established in 2016, KhetiGaadi is headquartered in Pune and aims to induce the use of technology and hi-tech products in agriculture to maximise yield with less labour and more farm mechanization.
How does KhetiGaadi work?
Being an agritech company, KhetiGaadi is built on high-tech angular technology with high safety measures to ensure trust within farmers who are often doubtful of engaging with such online platforms. As most farmers are usually well versed in their local languages, KhetiGaadi has made their app available in 10 different languages and their website in 3 different languages which include English, Hindi and Marathi. This leads to more belief in the company and results in more traction as the farmers feel more connected and secure with the company making the platform user friendly. The concept is compatible with iOS as well as Android. The ag-tech start-up has created a one-stop platform for farmers, tractor manufacturers, contractors, dealers, brokers, service providers and agricultural experts to connect and trade in an agricultural e-commerce marketplace.
Through the app, farmers can compare and review different types of farm machinery, especially different tractors. Farmers can read reviews by other farmers and experts on various brands and make an informed decision. Farmers and producers can also sell old and new tractors and rent out tractors and machinery. The platform also helps in terms of loans and insurances by matching farmers with agri-lenders and farm insurance providers. Their mobile app has recorded 3.5 lakh installs across platforms. The app and website both provide information related to dealerships, service centres, agricultural universities and farm mechanisation centres near them. Via their KhetiGuru app, they keep farmers up-to-date with agricultural news, methods of farming including land preparation and crop protection. They also provide updates on weather changes that affect harvest season, etc. The website also publishes useful blogs in 3 different languages that supply farmers with an abundance of information primarily related to new technologies and fresh methods of farming.
What can one learn from KhetiGaadi?
KhetiGaadi provides a unique one-stop solution for farmers across India when it comes to farm mechanisation from creating awareness about farming technology, creating a market for tractors and a platform for agricultural financial aid and insurance. Instead of going for a large client base, they focused on the farming community as their target audience and optimised on the same. The founders understood the lack of access to technology experienced by their clients and thus provided a niche platform where they could review and compare and understand from fellow farmers and experts. The multilingual app and website provide an added advantage of reaching out to a larger audience. Knowing your audience and their problems and needs is very important when it comes to starting a venture. Research deeper into the area you wish to set your business in, comprehend your clientele’s issues and come up with unique solutions to tackle the obstacles in an easy yet sustainable manner.
