From Innovation to Impact: How Krishi Mangal is Supporting India’s Smallholder Farmers

Across rural landscape, smallholder farmers sustain the country’s agricultural economy while confronting persistent challenges, across India. Climate variability, fragmented landholdings, rising cultivation costs, and limited access to reliable markets have made farming increasingly uncertain for millions of families.

In the desert region of Bajju in Rajasthan, farmers like Jetharam cultivate legumes, oilseeds, and millets across arid interdunal plains. Sandy soils and extreme weather—from sub-zero winters to summers touching 45°C—make agriculture difficult. High input costs and uncertain yields often keep families caught in cycles of intergenerational debt.

Livestock remains a critical lifeline. Indigenous breeds such as Rathi, Tharparker, and Kankrej endure the harsh climate far better than high-yielding breeds like Holstein Friesian or Jersey. Even so, milk production often serves more as a nutritional safety net than a dependable source of income.


A different but equally fragile reality unfolds in Bankura district of West Bengal. Basanto Maity tends nearly 250 papaya plants on his 0.3-acre plot, keeping a careful watch after a recent pest scare nearby. This small farm supports his entire family. Crop choices often rely on advice from traders and middlemen, yet repeated losses in tomatoes, watermelon, and ridge gourd have made farming uncertain. At times, Basanto wonders if migrating to cities like Kolkata or Kharagpur might offer a steadier future—one where his family does not have to worry about going to bed hungry.

Stories like these capture the broader reality of Indian agriculture. Within this context the Krishi Mangal initiative has emerged as a platform to bring deep-tech agricultural innovations directly to rural communities.

When Technology Meets Smallholder Farming

Since 2022, Krishi Mangal has partnered with startups and farming communities to conduct field deployments and generate early evidence on how technology can improve farm profitability and productivity. These pilots help innovators refine their solutions while ensuring that technologies remain practical and accessible for farmers.

Through these collaborations, farming communities are beginning to see tangible benefits - including lower input usage, reduced labour costs, improved access to markets, and less food wastage. Over time, these improvements contribute to stronger livelihoods and a better quality of life for farming families.

The third edition of Krishi Mangal brings seven promising startups to the forefront, each addressing a critical challenge across the agricultural value chain.

Innovations Transforming Farming Practices

Reducing Post-Harvest Losses https://www.rudrasolar.in/
Rudra Solar Energy has developed high-efficiency solar dryers that help farmers convert perishable crops into high-value dried products. Equipped with IoT and AI-enabled monitoring, the dryers ensure consistent drying while protecting produce from dust and moisture. Through Krishi Mangal, the technology is now being adopted by farmer organisations such as Jhinukagri FPO in West Bengal, producing nearly a tonne of dried products each month.

Mechanising Millet Cultivation https://www.terracroft.com/
Terracroft Agritech’s KrishiBOT is a battery-powered robot that enables mechanised line sowing for millets and other crops. Designed for small and fragmented landholdings, the system improves germination, reduces seed wastage, and lowers labour dependency. Krishi Mangal 3.0 is supporting its expansion across millet-growing regions of Odisha and Karnataka.

Soil Science at the Village Level https://ekosight.com/
Ekosight Technologies is decentralising soil testing through portable diagnostic devices and community entrepreneurs. Its Soil Doctor and Soil Didi models provide instant analysis of multiple soil parameters along with fertilizer recommendations. Women entrepreneurs operate villagelevel Soil Doctor Clinics, bringing scientific soil management directly to farmers while generating local livelihoods.

Transforming the Milk Supply Chain https://desigomilk.com/
Desigo Milk is rethinking dairy distribution through an IoT-enabled system that delivers traceable milk directly from farmers to consumers. Smart dispensing barrels reduce energy use, eliminate intermediaries, and remove the need for cold storage. Women farmers in Rajasthan now earn 20–30 percent higher farmgate prices for surplus milk.

Precision Spraying with Drones https://cropxplore.com/
CropXplore offers indigenous agricultural drones through a Drones-as-a-Service model that allows farmers to access precision spraying without major capital investment. The technology reduces pesticide use by about 30 percent and cuts water consumption by over 80 percent. With support from Krishi Mangal, the company is building a drone-enabled agriculture ecosystem in Karnataka while training local youth as drone operators.

Rapid Soil Nutrient Diagnostics https://www.arkashine-innovations.com/
Arkashine Innovations has developed portable systems that provide quick soil nutrient diagnostics directly at the farm gate. By enabling precise fertilizer application, the technology helps farmers reduce input costs while improving soil health. Krishi Mangal is supporting its expansion across Odisha, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh.

Sustainable Crop Nutrition and Advisory https://farmologyindia.com/
Farmology combines organic crop inputs with AI-powered agronomy advisory services. Farmers such as Nijamuddin in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, have seen tangible gains. His sweet potato harvest rose from 1,250 kg to 1,600 kg while reducing input costs by nearly 10 percent. Through local Farmology Centers run by grassroots entrepreneurs, the model supports clusters of smallholder farmers.

Programs like Krishi Mangal show how collaboration between startups, communities, and ecosystem partners can bring meaningful agricultural innovations to farmers on the ground.

By supporting field pilots and helping startups refine their technologies, the program is turning promising ideas into scalable solutions. As these innovations reach more regions, they hold the potential to strengthen farm resilience, improve rural livelihoods, and build a more sustainable future for Indian agriculture.

Harish Krishnan, Managing Director and Chief Policy Officer, Cisco India & SouthEast Asia shares, “At Cisco, we believe technology can play a transformative role in building resilient and inclusive agricultural ecosystems. Through the Cisco Krishi Mangal initiative, we are working to empower farming communities by integrating digital innovations that improve access to knowledge, markets, and sustainable practices. By combining technology with strong partnerships and community engagement, Krishi Mangal aims to enhance productivity, strengthen climate resilience, and improve rural livelihoods while creating a scalable, sustainable model for digital agriculture.”

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