Business
Empowering farmers with easy to consume tech need of the hour: Khetibuddy CEO
Fuelled by new-age technologies like drone surveillance, remote sensing and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven solutions, India’s agritech market has the potential to reach $30-$35 billion by 2025.
One of the key challenges faced by the agri-businesses is that there are very few software platforms available which have an agri-first approach, and can help them improve the farming process, increase yield and reduce cost or achieve sustainability.
Vinay Nair, Co-founder and CEO, Khetibuddy which is a Unified Agtech platform that strengthens digital infrastructure of agribusinesses, tells IANS that remote sensing, internet of things (IoT) and use of AI/ML have huge applications in agriculture and the need of the hour is make the technology agri-specific and easy to use.
Here are the excerpts from his interview:
Q: Tell us more about your Unified Agtech platform and how it empowers agri-businesses across India?
A: Industries have flourished once they have access to data related to their business. Agricultural data possesses the power to transform agribusinesses. Agri-domain experts have now realized this and are embracing the future with digitization.
One of the key challenges faced by agri-businesses today in doing so, is that there are very few software platforms which are available which have an agri-first approach. Major agribusinesses either rely on customizing large ERP or rely on available farm management applications which have the challenges and limitations in customizing to suit their requirement.
It is this gap which we are trying to address through our Unified agtech platform. Khetibuddy’s Agtech platform which is a SaaS (software-as-a-service) offering, allows agri-businesses to monitor, measure and manage their farms, farmers and the entire agri value chain. It’s a suite of modules from farm management, remote sensing, pest management, m-commerce to mention a few.
Any organisation who is in the business of serving farmers can use the platform based on their goals. However, unlike other players, Khetibuddy is unique by providing the science behind the tech as well. We provide ready-to-use crop schedules and advisory, which can be customized based on the local conditions with integration to weather, soil and satellite data sources.
If the goal of an agri-business is improving farming process, increasing yield, reducing cost or achieving sustainability then all of these goals can be facilitated through our SAAS platform.
Q: How are you leveraging AI/ML to help farmers make better informed decisions?
A: We use computer vision for pest and disease detection. What we have done differently is enable agribusinesses to take over on the model’s learning curve for pests and diseases relevant to their geography with minimal efforts. Our models are easier to train even by non-technical teams from agribusinesses. We developed models for specific crops for early pest and disease detection.
Importantly, we took a hybrid approach for developing continuous model learning mode with support from experienced entomologists in our team with a clear goal of avoiding crop loss.
We are also using ML for statistical modelling methods through which we estimate yields and currently working on detecting crop grown at a cluster/district or state level through remote sensing. These insights help private and public organizations to plan their services accordingly. We have already started working on some of these areas with some government units like Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK).
Q: What are some of the emerging technologies that you are most excited about over the medium term (3-5 years) in the agritech space?
A: Covid taught us to use technology to continue business as usual. If you are not able to visit the farms how do we ensure we serve the farmers, which include remote farm management through remote sensing, audio/video calls , have automated advisory services, build data models which help in predicting patterns. Remote sensing, IOTand use of AI/ML have huge applications in agriculture. The need of the hour is to make the technology agri specific and easy to use and consume at the ground level.
Q: You recently announced the launch of a dedicated premium gardening app for your home platform. What is your vision behind this and how has the user response been to this feature?
Did you know that by spending only 15 minutes a day you can grow 60 per cent of the food you consume daily right in your balcony or terrace? That’s what the app under the brand name ‘Khetibuddy Home’ helps you do.
Right from selection of places and inputs to what care you need to take every day to grow food at home, this app can be your gardening guide. Our mission here was to encourage urban people to take up growing some food at home and contribute towards self-sustainability.
We also have curated training courses dedicated only for passionate gardeners through a learning portal which also helps first time gardeners to take up gardening. Since last year, we have on�boarded more than 50,000 home growers on our platform. Now, we have added premium services for a fun and personalized gardening experience. While we work on the larger cause with farmers this allows people in urban cities to also be partially self-sustainable by growing food from food.
Q: You were born in a cloud organisation. What does cloud technology allow you to do better?
A: With the increase of broadband and 4G across rural India, Cloud helps in the reach. We no longer have to worry about local infrastructure as long as you have the internet, the technology is accessible which was not the case earlier. Today, B2B has to follow the B2C experience, I call it the ‘touch generation’. Every consumer needs all services at their fingertip. This is only possible with technologies like cloud and mobile, so businesses also should be provided such services and not use old technology.
AWS has been a great strategic partner. We grew from 0-1 lakh users and we could plan to scale the platform whenever needed which kept our costs in control with our multi-tenant architecture on AWS. AWS helps us to give a promise of uptime to our customers with their always on services.
Customers have the comfort when they know we are on AWS which is a great help. Today, we have a number of servers on production, development, which we use and a variety of technology stack, if this infrastructure had to be maintained by us, our time to be market ready would have increased at least by 2 times. We can focus on our development and not worry about infrastructure needs.
Business
CTI to launch poster campaign in 20 markets around Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan; urges INDIA Bloc to cancel rally

With Diwali approaching, some Delhi traders have expressed concern over the proposed rally at Ramlila Maidan, with the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) on Saturday launching a massive poster campaign urging that business activities in major markets should not be disrupted during the peak festive season and urging the INDIA Bloc to cancel its ‘Chalo Delhi’ rally.
The CTI, an apex body representing traders and entrepreneurs in Delhi, appealed to Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, saying that traders’ businesses also run on mutual trust, love and affection with their customers.
“You often say that you run shops of love in the market of hatred. Our shops also run on the basis of mutual trust, love and affection with our customers. Therefore, we humbly request you not to sacrifice our shops of love and business for a rally during the peak season of India’s biggest festival, Diwali,” the CTI said.
CTI has announced that starting on Saturday, these posters will be put up in 20 major wholesale markets within a 5-km radius of Ramlila Maidan.
CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal said the poster campaign was intended to highlight the concerns of traders whose businesses could be affected by traffic restrictions and congestion around the rally venue.
“You talked about opening ‘shops of love’ during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, but in Delhi, our 300-year-old shops of love are being closed because of the rally,” Goyal said.
He cited businesses ranging from the famous parantha shops of Chandni Chowk and spice traders of Khari Baoli to bangle and bindi sellers in Sadar Bazaar, lehenga shops in Chandni Chowk and other traditional establishments.
“Each shop supports the families of 10 to 20 people,” he added.
The CTI said it would put up posters in major wholesale markets located within a five-km radius of Ramlila Maidan.
These include Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazaar, Khari Baoli, Bhagirath Palace, Naya Bazaar, Chawri Bazaar, Kashmiri Gate, Daryaganj, Connaught Place, Karol Bagh, Nabi Karim, Paharganj, Ajmeri Gate, Lahori Gate, Janpath, Palika Bazaar, Ballimaran and Kinari Bazaar.
According to the traders’ body, a large gathering at Ramlila Maidan could lead to traffic congestion and restrictions in the surrounding markets.
Goyal said the proposed rally, scheduled just days before Dhanteras, could affect festive business activities.
He expressed concern that the arrival of a large number of people and around 20,000 vehicles could result in traffic jams across central Delhi and disrupt commercial activity.
The CTI claimed that the festive business of 2 million traders and the livelihoods of 7.5 million people dependent on these markets could be affected if restrictions were imposed during the peak Diwali shopping period.
Business
Axis Trustee warns contempt proceeding against Yes Bank over AT1 bonds

Axis Trustee Services Limited, the trustee for the Additional Tier 1 (AT1) bonds issued by Yes Bank, called upon the private sector lender to reinstate the bonds and take necessary corporate actions within three days, failing which the former would initiate contempt proceedings in Supreme Court against the bank.
The trustee said in a filing that non-compliance will constitute “wilful disobedience by the lender of the Supreme Court’s October 15 judgment”.
Yes Bank said it had responded to the trustee, acknowledging the Supreme Court judgment and reiterating that it was fully committed to acting in accordance with the ruling and applicable law, according to an exchange filing.
The Bank replied to the Trustee that it is cognisant of the matters and is examining the SC Judgment and its implications in detail.
“The Bank will take all such steps and measures as are necessary and permissible under applicable law,” Yes Bank said.
“Should the Bank fail to comply with the said judgment as called upon above within the stipulated period, we shall be constrained to initiate proceedings for contempt before the SC, against the Bank and its directors and officers responsible for compliance with the said judgment, without any further notice, entirely at the Bank’s risk as to costs and consequences,” Axis Trustee said in its letter to Yes Bank.
Bank has merely stated that it is “examining the judgment in detail, including evaluating all available options and suitable actions or steps going forward,” the trustee said, adding that under the guise of evaluating its options, the bank should not withhold compliance with the said judgment.
Yes Bank rejected the allegation in its response letter, clarifying that it had not wilfully disobeyed the court.
“The Bank does not accept the characterisation in your Letter of its conduct as wilful disobedience and the assertions in your Letter are baseless and without merit,” it said.
The Supreme Court had, on October 15, upheld the Bombay High Court’s decision to set aside Yes Bank’s Rs 8,415 crore AT1 bond write-off carried out in March 2020. It ruled that the bank’s administrator had acted outside its authority and the applicable regulatory framework.
Axis Trustee challenged the decision of the then administrator of Yes Bank to write down the AT1 bonds in March 2020 before the Bombay High Court.
Business
Tesla rolls out Halloween Mode for ‘Model Y’ in India

Tesla India on Friday said it launched a new software update for Model Y and Model Y L vehicles that adds a range of Halloween-themed features, highlighting the company’s over-the-air (OTA) software update capabilities.
According to the Elon Musk-backed firm, the update allows Tesla vehicles to receive new features and improvements remotely without requiring a visit to a service centre.
Halloween Mode includes a ghost-themed vehicle avatar, Halloween sound effects, special lighting sequences, seasonal vehicle wraps and a themed lock sound, it said.
The update also introduces a ‘Trick or Treat Mode’ which activates sound and lighting effects when visitors approach the vehicle.
Other features include a photobooth function and a voice messaging feature that allows users to speak through the Tesla app and have the vehicle relay messages, the company said.
Tesla said customers can experience the new features at its Experience Centres across India.
The company currently operates those centres in Noida, Delhi, Gurugram, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai and has approved collision centres in Pune and Ahmedabad.
Earlier in October, Tesla CEO Elon Musk showcased a new version of the Roadster sports car with a prototype briefly lifting off the ground during a demonstration at a SpaceX facility in Texas.
A post on X shared by Musk showed the vehicle navigating an elevated curved track before becoming airborne for a short distance and landing safely, drawing comparisons to a flying car.
The showcase highlighted a specialised propulsion system that combines the electric vehicle platform with high-pressure air tanks and thruster technology.
According to Tesla, the system can generate lift and improve vehicle dynamics through strategically placed thrusters that help control movement while off the ground.
The test prompted enthusiastic reactions from company executives, who described it as evidence that flying-car technology is moving closer to reality. Tesla, however, did not provide a timeline for commercial deployment.
Musk said the vehicle would remain practical for everyday use, although he acknowledged that road legality could depend on local regulations.
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