Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is supporting startups and agripreneurs in agriculture and allied sectors through various schemes. These initiatives include financial assistance, technical support, and access to credit. Key programs are the Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development programme under PMRKVY, the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), and the AgriSURE Fund, launched on September 3, 2024.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development Programme (PMRKVY):**
* Provides financial support up to Rs. 5 lakhs at the idea-pre-seed stage and up to Rs. 25 lakh at the seed stage.
* Rs. 146.38 crore has been released to 1943 agri startups to date.
* **National Agriculture Innovation Fund (ICAR):**
* Promotes startup ecosystem through 50 Agri-Business Incubation Centres (ABICs).
* ABICs provide technical support to startups and agripreneurs.
* **Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF):**
* Launched in July 2020 with a financial outlay of Rs. 1 lakh crore.
* Offers loans at a capped interest rate of 9% with a 3% interest subvention on loans up to Rs. 2 crore for a maximum of 7 years.
* As of June 30, 2025, Rs. 48,330 crore in loans extended to 47,962 agripreneurs, and Rs. 2,182 crore to 2,303 startups.
* **AgriSURE Fund:**
* SEBI registered Category-II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) launched on September 3, 2024.
* Total corpus of Rs. 750 crore, jointly established by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and NABARD, managed by NABVENTURE.
* Aims to support early-stage agri startups and rural enterprises through equity and debt.
Impact Analysis:
* **Startups and Agripreneurs:**
* *Impact:* Access to funding, technical support, and infrastructure for launching and scaling their businesses in the agriculture sector.
* *Action Required:* Apply for available grants, loans, and incubation programs.
* **Farmers:**
* *Impact:* Improved market access, adoption of innovative technologies, and creation of rural job opportunities.
* *Action Required:* Engage with startups and agripreneurs to adopt new technologies and solutions.
* **Lending Institutions (Banks, Financial Institutions):**
* *Impact:* Opportunity to provide loans under the AIF scheme and contribute to the growth of the agriculture sector.
* *Action Required:* Facilitate loan disbursal to agripreneurs and startups under the AIF scheme.
* **NABARD and NABVENTURE:**
* *Impact:* Role in establishing, contributing to, and managing the AgriSURE Fund.
* *Action Required:* Manage the AgriSURE Fund effectively and raise additional funds from other financial institutions.
Key Entities Referenced
Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana PMRKVY: A program under which Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development programme is implemented to support startups and agripreneurs.
Agriculture Infrastructure Fund AIF: A fund launched in July 2020 under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative with a financial outlay of Rs. 1 lakh crore, aimed at facilitating credit for post-harvest management infrastructure and farming assets.
Atmanirbhar Bharat: An initiative under which the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund AIF was launched.
Indian Council of Agricultural Research ICAR: An organization that promotes startup ecosystem through its 50 AgriBusiness Incubation Centres ABICs in ICAR network institutes.
National Agriculture Innovation Fund: A fund under ICAR that promotes startup ecosystem through AgriBusiness Incubation Centres.
Alternative Investment Funds AIFs: Financial instruments that the Government proposes to support startups and agripreneurs.
Agriculture Funds for startups and Rural Enterprises AgriSURE: A SEBI registered Category-II Alternative Investment Fund AIF launched on 3rd September 2024, to support early-stage agri-startups and rural enterprises.
National Bank For Agriculture And Rural Development NABARD: An organization which jointly established the AgriSURE fund with the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, contributing Rs. 250 crore and whose subsidiary, NABVENTURE, manages the fund.
O.I.H
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2754
TO BE ANSWERED ON 05th AUGUST, 2025
SUPPORT TO AGRI STARTS AND AGRI-PRENEURS
2754. Shri Gopal Jee Thakur:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण मं(cid:361)ी
be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has taken steps to support starts-ups and agri-preneurs
engaging in the field of agriculture and allied sectors;
(b) whether the Government proposes to support through providing special debt and
Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) by giving direct sharing support to them; and
(c) if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण रा(cid:475) मं(cid:361)ी (SHRI RAM NATH THAKUR)
(a) to (c): Yes, Department of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare is implementing
“Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development” programme under Pradhan Mantri
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY) from 2018-19 to support starts-ups and agri-
preneurs engaging in the field of agriculture and allied sectors . 5 Knowledge Partners
(KPs) and 24 RKVY Agribusiness Incubators (R-ABIs) provide training & incubate startups
for implementation of this programme. Under the programme, financial support upto Rs. 5
lakhs is provided at the idea/pre seed stage and upto Rs. 25 lakh at the seed stage to
entrepreneurs/ startups in agriculture & allied sector to launch their products, services,
business platforms, etc in the market and to facilitate them in scaling up. Till date ,
financial assistance of Rs. 146.38 crore have been released to 1943 agri startups.
Besides this, National Agriculture Innovation Fund under Indian Council of Agricultural
Research (ICAR) promotes startup ecosystem through its 50 Agri-Business Incubation
Centres (ABICs) in ICAR network institutes. These ABICs provide technical support to
start-ups and agri-preneurs engaging in the field of agriculture and allied sectors.
The Government has taken concrete steps to support start-ups and agri-preneurs
engaged in agriculture and allied sectors through the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
launched in July 2020 under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. The AIF Scheme entails a
financial outlay of Rs. 1 lakh crore, aimed at facilitating medium to long-term affordable
credit through various lending institutions for setting up post-harvest management
infrastructure and viable farming assets in a decentralized manner across the country.
Scheme specifically envisions promoting innovation and technology-driven solutions inagriculture. AIF offers loans at a capped interest rate of 9% along with an interest
subvention of 3% per annum on loans up to Rs. 2 crore, available for a maximum period of
7 years. As on 30th June 2025, a total of 47,962 agri-preneurs have been extended loans
amounting to Rs. 48,330 crore, while 2,303 start-ups have received loans worth Rs. 2,182
crore through various banks and other lending institutions.
The Government has created a SEBI- registered Category-II Alternative
Investment Fund (AIF) namely Agriculture Funds for startups and Rural Enterprises
(AgriSURE). This was launched on 3rd September, 2024, aims to support early-stage agri-
startups and rural enterprises by providing capital assistance in equity and debt. Its
specific objectives include fostering innovation, promoting high-risk and high-impact
activities, and advancing technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, precision farming,
climate – friendly solution and digital agriculture. The fund also seeks to improve farmers
market access and create rural job opportunities. With a total corpus of Rs. 750 crore, the
AgriSURE Fund is blended in nature and has been jointly established by the Ministry of
Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and National Bank For Agriculture And Rural Development
(NABARD), with each contributing Rs. 250 crore. An additional Rs. 250 crore will be raised
from other financial institutions, including private entities. The fund is being managed by
NABARD’s wholly-owned subsidiary, NABVENTURE.
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