A startup founder from Pune has built a venture around how agricultural families can earn money without leaving home.
Vishnu Dhas's family has faced several droughts in Maharashtra over the past few decades. They originally started off as farm labourers before a drought in the 1980s made them shift from their village to Pune.
Earlier this month, Dhas started a business venture called TractorNext, which aims to solve the issue of farmers buying equipment, such as a tractor or agricultural drone, due to marketing hardsell or just because someone else in the village owns these machines.
The high costs of purchasing equipment like drones can saddle the farmers with debt. Paying equated monthly instalments (EMIs) can become an additional financial year when rainfall is scarce.
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What TractorNext Does
The platform aims to simplify access to equipment information. The company promises to support better purchasing decisions among farmers and rural entrepreneurs. Local-language communication and market engagement are important pillars of the company.
TractorNext will guide farmers towards buying the right technology based on what they need and not what dealers are selling or recommending.
Farmers can talk to in-house experts on the platform and get recommendations for suitable purchases.
At the same time, TractorNext helps manufacturers connect more effectively with customers across regional markets.
The platform has been designed to be free for farmers. A part of its revenue comes from generating leads for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and dealers. TractorNext also acts as an advertising platform for different products and offers.
Dhas hopes that taking better-informed decisions and increased access to suitable technology can help rural families build more sustainable livelihoods and not migrate to the cities.
Why Dhas Launched His Company Now
The platform was launched as Maharashtra faces another drought.
“A drought year looks like a bad time to launch a company but I say that this is the right time. This is the time to guide farmers to buy the right product or right technology,” Dhas told The Indian Express.
He hopes to generate a revenue of Rs 2 crore from the second year.
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