One stop solution for all farm inputs
Gramophone built an intelligent technology driven farming platform that provides farmers crop advisory, agronomy advice, dynamic weather and price updates, information on crop diseases, and recommendations on agri inputs and machinery to help them plan their sowing and harvesting cycle better.
Despite India being one of the top cultivator of crops, Indian farmers have been the victim of poverty. To change the present situation of farmers, Gramophone was founded in 2016 for the betterment of farmers of the country. Gramophone is making a difference to the agriculture industry by providing farmers with timely information, technology and right kind of inputs to achieve better yields.
Challenge Gramophone is trying to solve
Gramophone aims to bring best farm supply inputs like High yield seeds (HYS), fertilizers, pesticides to the farmer’s doorstep. To bridge the information gap, it provides support and advisory functions. Gramophone has introduced soil testing to help farmers understand the nature of their land, so farmers are armed with a proper plan of action. Farmers are able to strategize better improving productivity and increasing their income.
The startup also provides guidance on what nutrients to add to a crop, what crop diseases to protect from, soil management techniques, best prices for agri inputs, etc. Gramophone’s Krishi Mitra app serves as the point of contact for farmers. A missed call system has been put in place for farmers who do not have access to the internet.
Gramophone strongly believes in the exchange of quality information. In a knowledge based economy farmers would be able to utilize information on crop advisory, weather conditions, soil quality to not only make healthier produce but earn a better livelihood from agriculture. Gramophone believes technology can act as an enabler in the agriculture domain, revolutionizing the way farmers operate.
Solutions from Gramophone
A major chunk of Gramophone’s business is Tech-based crop advisory. The farmers just have to key in basic information like crop type, date of sowing, and the size of farmland. The portal then churns data to shed light on actionable insights. Not only has Gramophone managed to streamline the agri value chain, but it has also increased farm yields.
The other is a mobile-led agri marketplace, which connects farmers with traders and distributors of agri inputs as well as with fellow farmers through a social network. The farmers get access to a wide range of inputs and implements, including seeds, fertilisers, nutrients, pesticides, and farming equipment. Gramophone assures them the best price as it eliminates the middlemen in the selling process. Farmers gain a 20-30 % cost benefit on its marketplace over traditional mandis. Through these platforms Gramophone has been able to tap into the market.
As per the founders, Soya bean farmers and Wheat farmers in Madhya Pradesh have seen yields go up by 20 percent and 40 percent respectively after they started using the Gramophone app.
Value Proposition of Gramophone
Unlike other agricultural portals, Gramophone believes in walking hand in hand with the farmers to increase the farm productivity, diagnosing crop diseases and minimizing input cost; instead of seeking profit for their own website. The portal is focused on the long term growth of the farmers. Farmer’s cost of production reduces as products bought from Gramophone are often claimed to be cheaper than the market price.
Farmers can place their enquiry for these agri input products through the mobile application. More than 3 lakh farmers use the mobile app which is a great way of mouth-to-mouth publicity. The platform also provides a toll free number for farmers who do not have access to smartphones or internet services.
Future ahead
Gramophone team hopes to expand to other states such as Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh, and launch the app in regional languages as well.
Agriculture Startup | Gramophone |
Founded In | 2016 |
Founders | Ashish Rajan (Co-founder) |
Solution Overview | A one stop destination for farm supplies and agri advisory. |
Investors | Naukri.com, Asha Impact, Better Capital, and Info Edge Limited, among others. |
Headquarters | Bangalore, Karnataka |
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