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Government to Launch ₹750 Cr Agri Fund for Startups and Rural Enterprises

The image shows a banner for AgriSURE, the Agri Fund for Start-Ups & Rural Enterprises. It features three farmers working in a lush green field. The farmers, two men and one woman, are depicted harvesting crops. The sky in the background is clear with a few clouds, giving a bright and optimistic feel. The AgriSURE logo and tagline are positioned on the left side of the image.
By
Anurag Trivedi
2 min read

The Government will soon launch the 'Agri Fund for Start-Ups & Rural Enterprises' (AgriSURE) to support startups and agripreneurs. This Rs 750 crore Category-II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) will provide equity and debt investments.

An equal contribution of Rs 250 crore each will come from the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and NABARD, with an additional Rs 250 crore raised through financial institutions. NABVENTURES, a fully owned subsidiary of NABARD, will manage the fund.

The announcement was made at the Pre-Launch Stakeholder meet in Mumbai, attended by key stakeholders, including Shri Ajeet Kumar Sahu, Joint Secretary, DA&FW; Shri Shaji K.V., Chairman, NABARD; Shri Govardhan Singh Rawat, DMD, NABARD; and Dr. Ajay Kumar Sood, DMD, NABARD.

The fund aims to enhance financing for the agriculture sector, benefiting small and marginal farmers through innovative approaches. It will support agribusiness startups, enhance the farm produce value chain, create rural infrastructure, generate employment, and support Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs).

NABARD also launched the AgriSURE Greenathon 2024 hackathon to address challenges in smart agriculture, agri-waste transformation, and regenerative agriculture practices.

The Government is set to launch the 'Agri Fund for StartUps & Rural Enterprises' (AgriSURE) to support agritech startups and agripreneurs. This fund, established by NABARD in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, will have an initial corpus of Rs 750 crore, with equal contributions of Rs 250 crore each from the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and NABARD, plus Rs 250 crore from financial institutions.

AgriSURE will support around 85 agribusiness startups with investments of up to Rs 25 crore each, focusing on high-risk, high-impact activities within the agriculture value chain. Managed by NABVENTURES, the fund will promote innovation, sustainability, IT-based solutions, and machinery rental services in agriculture, aiming to revitalize rural communities, create employment, and support Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs).

NABARD also launched AgriSURE Greenathon 2024 to address three key challenges: affordable smart agriculture, profitable agri-waste transformation, and remunerative regenerative agriculture practices.