Kshitij

Building smart machines for agri supply chains

[Kshitij @ksthrx]

Pimpalgao is one of the largest onion markets in India and houses some of the country's leading onion exporters. Despite being one of the largest onion hubs, most of the primary processing still happens manually. Indian onions have a very delicate, paper-like outer skin that peels off extremely easily. This unwanted peeling results in a loss of shelf life and marketable value. One reason this sector never adopted technology for such a critical activity is the fear that automation would add to handling losses rather than reduce them.

Our GradePlus series changes this completely. Its proprietary WaveMotion technology handles onions so gently that it delivers the best results seen in any grading machine. Onions are unloaded directly from a trolley, graded by our WaveMotion graders, and packed into bags, eliminating three major sources of handling loss in the manual process. The result is 10 MT per hour of grading sorting & packing, almost 80% manpower savings, & 99% grading accuracy. It has also brought transparency between sellers and buyers, removing one of the root causes of trade disputes.

#Agritech #Onions #PostHarvest #Nashik #OnionExport

[Kshitij @ksthrx]

@veddaang What is the most expensive/critical software you are replacing?

[Kshitij @ksthrx]

Discovered a new scam!

A scammer poses as a potential client and requests a meeting at the target's office for the very next day, mentioning that it's a 6-7 hour drive. The next day, he sends a photo of a crashed vehicle and claims he is getting the vehicle repaired, which is costing him approximately ₹2 lakh. He states he forgot his ATM cards, exhausted his UPI limit, and is falling short of just ₹5-10k to pay the mechanic. He promises to repay once he reaches the office.

This has happened to us a few times. Thankfully, we didn’t fall for it. Stay alert!

[CHITKARA UNIVERSITY @ChitkaraU]

Agrograde, an agri-tech startup incubated at the Chitkara Innovation Incubator Foundation (CIIF), Chitkara University, is redefining the way fruits and vegetables are graded and traded.

The startup has also received seed funding support of ₹1,11,000 from Chitkara University.

[Kshitij @ksthrx]

Honoured to have @agrograde's story covered by one of my favourite pages on the internet.

[The Better India @thebetterindia]

“I saw my parents pour their lives into the farm, and still, the system let them down. I always knew there had to be a better way,” recalls Kshitij, who took this experience to build Agograde.

The startup's AI-powered machines bring efficiency, precision, and fairness to post-harvest processes, reducing losses and empowering thousands of farmers across India with technology designed for their needs.

In partnership with @NITIAayog 's Frontier Tech Hub (NITI-FTH).

[Kshitij @ksthrx]

@nikunj @amypretzel @Vtrivedy10 @oliverhamrin @jakubkrehel @deredleritt3r @kevg1412 @jessegenet The OG @LukeW for design

[Kshitij @ksthrx]

@aviralbhat Yet they are the most active in voicing opinions which also creates echo chambers at times. People who have no nuance about what the challenges majority of the middle/lower classes go through, project their opinions and solutions on them.

[Kshitij @ksthrx]

@NASAEarth Thank you for giving us a new photo to use this Diwali 🥳

[Kshitij @ksthrx]

This applies to farm labour too. The prices and the supply chain is still trying to function on 200-250₹/day. Labour is moving away from these low pay jobs. And it's not going to be a 10-20% increase rather almost 80% increase in expected pay. The food supply chain is getting hit hard.

[Kshitij @ksthrx]

@vinodchendhil This is also because it's easier to spot spongy tissue and other defects in ripened mangoes. Convenience too. Spongy tissue identification is a huge problem in mangoes.

[Kshitij @ksthrx]

@ruchitgarg @prakdadlani

[Kshitij @ksthrx]

People have asked us itemised quotes for indigenous machines. The mentality of "cost plus" tractic for purchase & negotiation usually gets the buyer a vendor offering 2x power consuming motors, more metal than necessary, BUT nothing on the design and performance as they can't be evaluated on paper. Usually the purchase ends up in regret for the buyer in cases where design and software is of critical importance.

[Kshitij @ksthrx]

@Abhindas1 Exactly, functionality first over features and aesthetics!

[Kshitij @ksthrx]

You can't buy @AmazonKindle books from @amazonIN app so you go to their website and it redirects you to the amazon app! How is one supposed to purchase kindle books on their mobile device?

[Kshitij @ksthrx]

Conflict resolution skills are extremely important in a startup. I am grateful for having multiple people with this skill on our team.

[Kshitij @ksthrx]

Refurbished European machines and reverse engineered Indian machines, both have been lucrative markets for Indian manufacturers. But this fails when the usecase and nuances don't match what the original machine was designed for. There's a reason why only a select few SPM players are sought after for critical jobs.

Reverse engineering may get you orders from aspirational buyers but this usually damages the design DNA of the company. The company gets limited to a cost plus model.

- NPD gets limited to customisation
- Can't foresee challenges/product failure points
- No long term plan
- Overselling based on what the original manufacturer claims

[Kshitij @ksthrx]

Lead time misrepresentation is very common. This results in someone from the client's team getting anxious and clicking the panic button everyday. Corners get cut, team gets overworked, attention to details becomes secondary, testing is skipped, almost a perfect recipe for issues to arise post shipping. The costs of consequences are not worth it for both the manufacturer and the client.

Good communication wins this game and retails the clients long-term.

[Kshitij @ksthrx]

Honored to see @agrograde's journey featured by @betterindia. Our goal has always been to bring accessible tech to the post harvest supply chains. This recognition belongs to the entire team working behind the scenes.
@CibaMumbai @IGKV_RABI @SocialAlphaIN @Villgro @nasscomstartups @IIMAVentures

[The Better India @thebetterindia]

Technology meets farming – Agrograde is changing the game for Indian farmers. #AIInFarming #PostHarvestLosses #AgroGradeInnovation #TechForFarmers #SustainableFarming

[AI Farming Solutions, Post Harvest Loss Reduction, AgroGrade Technology, Farming Innovations in India, Sustainable Agriculture Practices]

https://t.co/1Vytfwtw4L

[Kshitij @ksthrx]

@priteshlakhani @kushgrwl If you do, count me in to be one of the earliest users. We too have had similar experiences.

[Kshitij @ksthrx]

@imDhananjay In new markets, adjacent opportunities can often seem lucrative. It is tough to not give in to the FOMO and resisting the shiny objects at the initial stages.