India’s agricultural value chain is undergoing a seismic transformation. Fuelled by cutting-edge technology, forward-thinking policy reforms, and a surge in consumer consciousness, the sector is shifting from traditional practices to data-driven, market-oriented models. Precision farming, AI-enabled crop monitoring, and blockchain-based traceability are no longer buzzwords—they are reshaping the agri-landscape by boosting productivity, enhancing transparency, and ensuring long-term sustainability.
Meanwhile, agritech startups are rewriting the rules. By connecting farmers directly with markets and consumers, they are eliminating middlemen, streamlining supply chains, and improving farmer incomes. Simultaneously, government-led initiatives such as the Electronic National Agriculture Market (eNAM) and the promotion of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) are facilitating aggregation, ensuring fair pricing, and expanding market reach.
In parallel, cold chain infrastructure, food processing, and agri-logistics are witnessing unprecedented investment. These upgrades are extending shelf life, preserving quality, and unlocking new export opportunities. Moreover, a growing appetite for organic, traceable, and ethically sourced produce is redefining consumer behaviour and transforming retail and global trade dynamics.
Yet, formidable challenges persist. Fragmented landholdings, erratic climate patterns, and a pressing need to equip farmers with digital skills continue to pose barriers. Addressing these requires a unified approach—where government bodies, private enterprises, and farming communities co-create scalable, inclusive solutions.
Against this backdrop, The Interview World engaged in a thought-provoking dialogue with Morup Namgail, Head of AgriTech at IFFCO Kisan, during the PRAGATI Founders Forum 2025 hosted by iHub-AWaDH at IIT Ropar. In this exclusive interaction, Namgail outlines strategic interventions to scale India’s agricultural value chain, emphasizes the integration of farmers into the evolving ecosystem, and explains how emerging technologies are pivotal in driving systemic change. He also illustrates how agritech startups are playing a catalytic role by connecting critical nodes across the value chain—delivering real, measurable impact at the grassroots.
Here are the most compelling insights from his conversation.
Q: What strategic interventions are needed to scale and expand India’s agricultural value chain?
A: The core idea is to ensure that every technology and practice we introduce delivers added value—not just in yield, but in the intrinsic quality of the produce. This means enhancing the active ingredient that determines the true worth of the crop.
For example, with chili, the focus should be on increasing its capsaicin content. For ashwagandha, the goal is to enhance its withanolide concentration—the compound that drives its commercial and therapeutic value. From the perspective of buyers or extraction companies, this is what truly matters.
Once we identify these critical value drivers, we must align our agricultural practices and technologies accordingly. Customization becomes key. If we can tailor solutions to amplify these end-use benefits, we secure a decisive advantage. This approach transforms the produce’s transaction value across the entire value chain—not just incrementally, but substantially.
When we succeed in this, the next step is to redistribute or realign the additional value we’ve created. At present, this value is largely untapped. We must shift from a quantity-based value chain—which focuses on per-kilogram pricing—to a qualification-based model that rewards quality, potency, and utility. That’s the real game-changer.
Moreover, consumers are increasingly aware and discerning. They demand transparency. They want to know not just what they’re consuming, but how it was grown, processed, and enhanced. Meeting this demand isn’t just good practice—it’s what drives meaningful transformation across the ecosystem.
Q: How can we effectively integrate farmers into the agricultural value chain ecosystem to ensure they benefit from improved practices, technologies, and market opportunities?
A: I see promising work emerging across many consortiums and group companies engaged in these initiatives. While most of these programs currently operate at a limited scale, even small-scale participation offers a valuable opportunity. Stakeholders can engage, gain firsthand insight into the requirements, adapt their practices, and begin to realize tangible benefits.
That said, I fully agree—these pilot efforts must scale exponentially. We need to take them from 1x to 10x, even 100x. Only then can a broader base of farmers truly benefit. Fortunately, this shift is already underway. As consumer awareness continues to rise, so too will the pressure on the value chain to evolve.
With growing demand comes an inevitable response. Producers and suppliers will have no choice but to meet higher standards. However, this transformation cannot happen in isolation. It will require a coalition of large companies, researchers, startups, innovators, and every other stakeholder in the ecosystem.
Together, they must collaborate—educating, aligning, and sensitizing each other—to drive this systemic change. When that happens, the industry will not only respond to market demand but also reshape it, creating a more transparent, value-driven, and inclusive future for agriculture.
Q: What role do emerging technologies play in strengthening and scaling India’s agricultural value chain, particularly in enhancing farmer inclusion, efficiency, and market access?
A: Emerging technologies hold immense potential in transforming agriculture. Given India’s vast scale, we are only beginning to scratch the surface. Despite the buzz around the agritech wave, the reality is that we’re still navigating foundational challenges. Operational hurdles persist, and the supporting infrastructure for innovation and new business models remains largely underdeveloped.
At this stage, most advancements are occurring in silos—isolated and fragmented. As a result, their impact across the broader value chain remains limited. The promise of technology is clear, but we have yet to unlock its full potential at scale.
However, this is a transitional phase. Once the necessary operational infrastructure is firmly in place, the groundwork will be set. Stakeholders—companies, innovators, and ecosystem players—will be better equipped to adopt and scale transformative models.
When that alignment occurs, true transformation will follow. Technology will no longer operate on the margins. Instead, it will become a core enabler of value creation across the entire agricultural value chain.
Q: How can agritech startups effectively connect the dots across the agricultural value chain to drive on-ground impact for farmers and stakeholders?
A: It all begins with a deep understanding of the end buyer’s requirements. When you design a product or innovation with the buyer in mind, you create something that enables them to extract greater value—whether through enhanced quality or improved quantity of produce.
This could be as straightforward as a spectroscopy-based tool that accurately determines the quality of the final output. If your innovation targets farmers, the question becomes: how effectively can your technology be adopted on the ground? It must not only boost yield but also elevate the market value of the produce.
The missing link today is the connection between the buyer and the seller. That bridge—between what the buyer values and what the farmer produces—remains largely underdeveloped. Once we establish that connection, value will flow naturally across the chain. Buyers will get what they need, and farmers will receive fair returns for producing it. That alignment is the key to unlocking true impact.
