In order to study the dynamics of the agricultural value chain and develop sustainable solutions for all stakeholders in agriculture, Leads Connect Services signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) at an event jointly organised by both organisations for sensitising marketing strategies for farmer producer organisations (FPO) in Hyderabad on April 28, 2023.
The partnership aims to bridge the gaps in the agri-value chain and provide farmer-centric solutions like optimal markets for produce and fintech support.
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Navneet Ravikar, Chairman & Managing Director of Leads Connect Services, signed the MoU with Victor Afari Sefa, a citizen of Ghana who joined ICRISAT in March 2022 as Director, of the Global Research Program Enabling Systems Transformation, ICRISAT. Leads Connect, an agritech data, risk management, and financial services company, is already working on chilli, pulses and turmeric value chain. This MoU will further open new avenues for Cluster-Based Business Organisations (CBBOs) and FPOs pan India to collaborate with Leads Connect Services to close chasms in the agri-value chain, prioritise the needs of farmers, providing better prices for their produce thus empowering communities and stimulating economic growth. This collaboration with ICRISAT unlocks the potential to work in Africa as well for the upliftment of the farming community.
The knowledge-based event provided an opportunity for stakeholders to enhance their professional development and establish connections. During the event, several experts spoke on salient innovations in agribusiness and marketing topics.
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Besides Dr Victor Afari-Sefa and Navneet Ravikar, the speakers included Aravazhi Selvaraj, CEO of Agribusiness and Innovation Platform at ICRISAT; Dr Sangappa from IIMR (ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research); and Purushotham Rudraraju, Manager Agribusiness, AIP ICRISAT. Tamil Selvi, Senior Officer of Partnership Development at AIP, delivered the vote of thanks.
Also present for the event were ICRISAT startups and representatives from Flipkart to shed light on linking FPOs and retailing through e-commerce, respectively.
The agritech company also launched its AGRANI app. The app is an end-to-end SaaS-based platform developed for all stakeholders in agriculture. It aims to connect all dots from farm-to-fork in the agricultural spectrum and provide farmer-first solutions using Space Tech Analytics and Artificial Intelligence. This is a part of the agritech’s initiative ‘Khet Se Kitchen Tak’, an agri value chain solution to support the farmers’ community, agribusinesses, and FPOs.
