EKKI Invests in Indian Ag-Tech Start-Up Kissan Pro

Founded in 2020 by IIT and IIM Alumni, Kissan Pro provides an all-in-one platform with an aim to empower farmers through technology, design, and data science. Kissan pro works on a phygital model , while it develops and promotes the effective use of the most advanced technology, it also has help centres in every cluster where farmers can visit and get all necessary support.

Some of the services offered by Kissan Pro platform include yield prediction, plant health monitoring, soil moisture monitoring, irrigation equipment automation, irrigation scheduling, crop advisory, 3D soil moisture reporting, water & energy usage reports, canopy & anomaly monitoring, frost prediction and in-field weather monitoring. The platform can bring in increased profitability, increased precision in irrigation and fertigation, decreased water, power usage and work.

Other investors in Kissan Pro includes UAE based Manu Midha of Innovacer , White Hill Ventures and Amit Tripathy of OYO.

According to Ravindra Dasoundhi Co-Founder and CEO of Kissan Pro
“ We are very excited to partner with EKKI Group , which is a firm making huge impact on farmers life with their innovative water solutions for the last 40 Years. With their expertise and collaboration we can create a massive impact at the grass root level. We are happy to have them as an investor , advisor and a partner in progress”.

“Currently Kissan Pro provides crop advisory to over 25,000 farmers and also supplies inputs and marketing services to around 7,000 farmers in Ranchi, Hazaribagh and Bokaro districts, its co-founder and CEO Ravindra Dasoundhi said”.

According to Kanishka Arumugam Co-CEO of EKKI
“In order to stay competitive and successful in today’s environment, most organizations cannot rely on ‘business-as-usual’ anymore. Nowadays, everyone is speaking of the need for ‘business/corporate innovation’. Innovation is more than just a mix of process optimization and R&D investments. It is an ongoing and multi-level process that changes the way businesses are run. Even companies with a long and successful history, like the German Mittelstand, have to pivot and create completely new business models in order to ensure that they stay relevant in the future.

“The Roman god Janus had two sets of eyes—one pair focusing on what lay behind, the other on what lay ahead.  Similarly companies too, must constantly look backward, attending to the products and processes of the past, while also gazing forward, preparing for the innovations that will define the future”. “At EKKI we are looking to exploit the present and also explore the future this is what they call organizational ambidexterity. EKKI wants to be an Ambidextrous Organization.”

In this regard we have launched our Digital Innovation Unit as a division to pursue open innovation based on coordination with external partners. EKKI is  committed  to partnering with talented entrepreneurs and start-ups like Kissan Pro to bring innovative technologies and business models to market. One of the main focus areas for the Digital Unit is to partner with  “Water Tech , Ag Tech,  Clean tech  and Property Tech start-ups “. “There is tremendous mutual value of working closely together with early stage ventures" . “Start-ups are tackling the world’s challenges, and at EKKI we want to open even more paths to investing in them,”

This model provides flexibility for EKKI and start-ups to test innovative technologies with customers and dealers without a more formal business relationship. We will continue to invest and work with technology start-ups such as Kissan Pro whose technology could add value for EKKI’s customers in the future. Start-ups also gain affiliation with and mentoring from EKKI’s network of 500+ Dealers across India who serve the Agri , Buildings , Industries and Public Utility markets”