The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) held a prelaunch stakeholder meeting in Mumbai to announce the ‘Agri-SURE’ fund, aimed at supporting startups and rural enterprises in the agricultural sector. This fund, introduced by NABVENTURES, a subsidiary of NABARD, has an initial corpus of ₹750 crores, with contributions of ₹250 crores each from NABARD and the Ministry of Agriculture, and ₹250 crores from other institutions. The initiative seeks to promote investment in innovative, technology-driven, high-risk, and high-impact activities in agriculture and allied areas.

Managed by NABVENTURES, the Agri-SURE fund is designed to support approximately 85 agri-startups, offering investment sizes of up to ₹25 crore each by the end of its term. It will support companies using sector-specific, sector-agnostic, and debt Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), as well as direct equity funding.

Agri-SURE focuses on promoting innovation and technology in agriculture, enhancing the farm produce value chain, creating new rural ecosystem linkages and infrastructure, generating employment, and supporting farmer producer organisations (FPOs). In addition, the fund aims to foster entrepreneurship among farmers by providing IT-based solutions and machinery leasing services, thereby driving long-term growth and development in the agricultural sector.

AK Sahu, Joint Secretary of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, emphasized the need for innovation to bridge the credit gap and enhance the rural ecosystem. He stated, “The broader objective of this initiative is to address the challenges in the agricultural and rural sectors. We need innovation and technology to ensure the last-mile delivery of resources. Most of our farmers hold small pieces of land; in this ecosystem, we need to focus on enhancing productivity, where technology can play a crucial role. To attain our goals, we must create an ecosystem that encourages systematic mechanization. Agri-SURE represents a big step in that direction.With the help of this fund, we hope to promote entrepreneurs that will provide us with creative and sustainable solutions.”

Shaji KV, Chairman of NABARD, highlighted the importance of digitalization in agriculture, saying, “Digitalization of agriculture is essential to enhance the agri value chain, as the next wave of growth will come from innovation. Fintech innovation in agriculture is crucial for last-mile connectivity with minimal expenses.

Farmers are the foundation of the agri value chain and need to be closely supported with solutions. Credit alone will not solve the issues in the agriculture sector. The next level of growth will come from innovations co-partnered by public and private sector institutions. With this fund, we aim to support early-stage innovators and help farmers with viable, sustainable, and durable technological solutions.”

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