: IIT Grads Low-Cost Innovation Helps Farmers in Lockdown Earn 30% More! #IndiaNEWS #Agriculture Almost all agricultural products have one thing in common. They are perishable. The only way to increase

IIT Grads Low-Cost Innovation Helps Farmers in Lockdown Earn 30% More! #IndiaNEWS #Agriculture
Almost all agricultural products have one thing in common. They are perishable. The only way to increase the lifespan of these goods is to use cold storage solutions. But cold storage in India comes with its own set of problems — high initial investment, availability of space, interruptions in electricity supply being some of them.
This is where RuKart Technologies comes in. A Thane-based agri-tech startup, it was founded in 2019. RuKart focuses on giving farmers access to low-cost technology, which can improve the quality and quantity of their produce, thereby increasing their income.
On that note, the startup has developed a low-cost innovative machine called the Subjee Cooler to help marginalised farmers get access to cold storage facilities.
The Subjee Cooler a brick-and-mortar storage cold storage facility.
“Marginal farmers usually have landholdings of less than one hectare, and vegetable cultivation is the primary source of income for most of them. Due to its high moisture content, this commodity has a short life span and is easily perishable. While a cold storage facility can increase the shelf life of vegetables, marginalised farmers cannot afford that. With the Subjee Cooler, farmers can store their produce for up to seven days before selling them in the market, and it also helps them fetch better prices,??? says Vikas Jha, the founder of RuKart Technologies.
Inspiration Behind His Startup
Vikas is a graduate of IIT-Bombay, and after graduating in 2014, he started working on a three-year-long research project, which was funded by IIT-B, and headed by the institute’s own Centre for Technology Alternatives for Rural Areas (CTARA). The focus of the study was farmers in Maharashtra and Odisha, and aimed to understand the interaction between marginalised farmers and technology.
“Initially, I had no direction. I was unaware of the problems that farmers faced. But my professor, Satish Agnipathri, helped to sensitise me towards their plight. He had been involved in a previous research project on marginal farmers, and after detailed discussions with him, I had a better understanding of the issues they faced, and decided to work on finding solutions to improve their livelihoods,??? says Vikas.
The findings from his research showed that most of the agricultural-technology available in the market did not suit the needs of a marginalised farmer, nor was it affordable for them.
“In India, three out four farmers fall under the marginalised category. Meanwhile, the companies which are currently manufacturing agricultural-technologies like coolers, or planting machines, are producing them for ‘large farmers’ who have land holdings above two hectares,??? says Vikas.

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