This tiered approach underscores APEDA’s commitment to baseline outreach – casting a wide net to capture diverse innovation – and then funnelling support to ventures with the greatest capacity for export success.
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has launched an ambitious new programme aimed at identifying and nurturing 25 high-potential agricultural startups across India. The goal: to transform them into “export-ready” ventures through a structured, multi-phase approach – beginning with an evaluation of some 500 firms.
APEDA Chairman Abhishek Dev elaborated on the initiative’s rationale, design, and expected impact in an interview published in the AgroSpectrum magazine’s September issue.
From Hundreds to Twenty-Five: A Structured Journey
“We will first evaluate approximately 500 startups to shortlist an initial cohort of 50 promising ventures,” Dev said. “From these, we will narrow down to 25 high-potential agri-startups that will receive targeted support to become investment-ready and export-ready”.
This tiered approach underscores APEDA’s commitment to baseline outreach – casting a wide net to capture diverse innovation – and then funnelling support to ventures with the greatest capacity for export success.
According to Chairman Dev, “export-ready” implies more than just meeting international quality standards. APEDA plans to offer a comprehensive ecosystem of support: access to market intelligence, assistance with certification (including organic and GLOBALGAP standards), branding, packaging improvements, sea-shipping protocols, and investment matchmaking.
The aim is for these startups to not only tap into new markets but also leverage opportunities in established destinations such as the EU, USA, UK, Oceania, Japan, and South Korea, aligning with APEDA’s broader drive toward market diversification and export growth.
Strategic Alignment with APEDA’s $55-Billion Vision
This startup initiative dovetails with APEDA’s wider strategy to elevate India’s agricultural and processed food exports to USD 55 billion by 2030, as part of the national target of USD 100 billion in agri-exports.
With last year’s exports of scheduled products reaching a record USD 27.9 billion – led by non-Basmati rice (USD 6.5 b), Basmati rice (USD 5.9 b), and buffalo meat (USD 4.0 b) – APEDA sees agri-startups as vital drivers of the next growth phase.
Filling Gaps: Infrastructure, Traceability, and Logistics
The interview highlights key obstacles to India’s export ambitions. Dev candidly noted that infrastructure deficits – particularly cold-chain weaknesses and limited on-farm processing – disproportionately inflate costs and reduce shelf life, hindering competitiveness.
Furthermore, APEDA’s collaboration with ICRIER is helping shape end-to-end value-chain analyses for 20 key products, enabling region- and country-specific action plans.
Innovations such as sea-shipping protocols for perishables are aimed at lowering logistics costs for items like bananas, mangoes, and pomegranates. APEDA has also launched a Market Intelligence Cell with CRISIL to provide stakeholders with timely data on global trends.
Quality assurance remains central. APEDA promotes adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), GLOBALGAP certification, and traceability systems – such as ANARNET – to boost confidence in Indian produce abroad.
The Chairman highlighted strong momentum in organic and GI-tagged exports. India’s organic exports have grown steadily, and APEDA targets a four-fold increase within five years, he said. Current GI exports include Basmati rice, renowned mango varieties, Sangli grapes, Joha and Black rice, and Mithila makhana – heading to markets like the USA, UK, UAE, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and Iran.
Broader Impact: Farmers, FPOs, Cooperatives, Innovation
Dev emphasised that the focus on startups complements broader efforts to empower Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and cooperatives. Cluster-based export plans and technology-led innovation are part of APEDA’s inclusive growth pathway.
The startup programme, therefore, is not just about nurturing businesses – it’s about strengthening the entire agri-export ecosystem and elevating rural livelihoods, he said.
APEDA’s initiative reflects a strategic shift: from broad-brush export promotion to precision support for scalable, high-impact enterprises. By shepherding 25 well-chosen startups into the global arena, APEDA expects to seed innovation, generate export value, and pave sustainable pathways for the agri-sector at large.
As Dev notes, “By investing in tomorrow’s agri-leaders today, we are seeding India’s future in global trade.”
Image: ChatGPT
