Impact of agritech start ups on the indian agricultural sector a study on south and central karnataka

Abstract

In line with the wider adoption of technology and digitization wave that is rapidly spreading across India, the agricultural sector is presently seeing outstanding developments driven by cutting-edge technical solutions provided by emerging AgriTech start-ups. Karnataka has been rapidly establishing itself as the leading state in the AgriTech sector. In recent years, venture newlinecapital investors have shown a greater interest in the state. In Bangalore, Karnataka, there are approximately 242 AgriTech start-ups out of 700 in India as of 2022. This study examines the socio-economic factors that influence the adoption of AgriTech start-ups services among farmers in South and Central districts of Karnataka (Chikkabalapura, Davanegre, Haveri, Mandya, and Rural Bengaluru). The research also analyses the impact of AgriTech in improving newlinethe economic condition of farmers in South and Central Karnataka. The study identifies the problems faced by farmers who availed and who did not avail the AgriTech start-ups services in the sample region. The study also analyses the perceived effectiveness of AgriTech in solving the challenges faced by farmers in south and central Karnataka. This research used a mixedmethod approach . In this study, closed-ended and open-ended questions were used for data collection. Further, an in-depth conversational interview was also conducted to do in-depth thematic analysis. After identifying the study area using a multi-stage sample technique, newlinerespondents were chosen by convenient sampling. The study was conducted on farmers in South and Central Karnataka from mid of 2021 to end of 2022 on 384 farmers in South and Central Karnataka. Analysis of the socio-economic factors that determine the acceptance of AgriTech by farmers in South and central Karnataka indicated that there is a significant relationship between age, educational background, farming experience, economic status, and land under cultivation of the farmer and adoption of AgriTech services.