Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan unveiled the AgriSURE Fund and the Krishi Nivesh Portal in New Delhi on Tuesday. The initiative is designed to support start-ups focused on agricultural innovation and development, aiming to boost the agriculture sector significantly.

Empowering Agripreneurs

Chouhan highlighted the challenges that young start-ups and agripreneurs face, particularly the lack of financial resources. The AgriSURE Fund will provide necessary funding to these start-ups, helping them bring innovative agricultural solutions to life. "Many brilliant ideas are emerging to enhance India's agriculture sector, but they often lack financial support. This fund will help energize these ideas, benefiting our farmers and the agriculture sector as a whole," Chouhan stated.

To date, the government has invested ₹7,000 crore in start-ups through the AgriSURE program. Chouhan mentioned that 8,000 start-ups have already received support under various agriculture-linked programs. The government is committed to supporting any initiative that positively impacts India's agricultural landscape.

PM Modi's Vision for AgriSURE

Chouhan credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the conception of the AgriSURE initiative, which emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Modi's vision helped stabilize the Indian economy when many other sectors were struggling. Agriculture, in particular, played a crucial role, achieving a growth rate of 4.6% during the pandemic.

Chouhan emphasized that the AgriSURE Fund aligns with India's goal of becoming a developed nation by 2050, with a strong focus on advancing the agriculture sector. The government has already invested Rs.78,000 crore in agriculture-based start-ups, underscoring its commitment to this goal. Chouhan also noted that bankers will play a vital role in implementing these agri-schemes and supporting young start-ups.

Key Details of the AgriSURE Fund

The AgriSURE Fund, officially known as the 'Agri Fund for Start-Ups & Rural Enterprises,' is a new initiative aimed at fostering innovation and sustainability within the agriculture sector. Here are the key details:

• Fund Type: Category-II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) with a total corpus of Rs.750 crore.
• Contributions: ₹250 crore each from NABARD and the Ministry of Agriculture, and ₹250 crore from other institutions.
• Focus Areas: The fund will support high-risk, high-impact activities across the agriculture value chain. It will assist start-ups and agripreneurs, enhance farm produce value chains, develop rural infrastructure, and support Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs).
• Objectives: To drive innovation in agriculture, improve the value chain of farm produce, create rural infrastructure, generate employment, and support IT-based solutions and machinery rental services for farmers.

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