Agritech sector to create 60-80K new jobs in next 5 years: TeamLease CSO

The agri-tech sector is expected to create 60,000-80,000 new employment opportunities over the next five years, a senior executive of TeamLease Services said.

Agritech addresses every aspect of farming, from water irrigation advancements for seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides to offering access to advanced farm machinery and market linkages for selling produce, TeamLease Services Chief Strategy Officer Subburathinam P told PTI.

The sector also empowers farmers with real-time advisory services, such as climatic forecasts, pest and disease predictions, and irrigation alerts, helping them make informed decisions in addition to bridging financial gaps by offering credit, insurance, and digital payment solutions as well, he noted.

"The agritech sector in India employs approximately 1 lakh people across various roles, including technical, operational, and managerial positions. In the five years, the sector is expected to generate 60-80K new job opportunities. These will span across roles like AI development, technology, supply chain management, and sustainable farming solutions," Subburathinam said.

He said, most agritech jobs are not seasonal, as the sector focuses on technological innovation, analytics, and continuous operational support.

For roles that may have seasonal peaks, such as crop monitoring or operations during sowing and harvesting, employees are often engaged in other activities like data analysis, equipment maintenance, or upskilling during the off-season, he said.

He further said agritech jobs are a mix of hybrid and on-ground roles.

While software development, data analytics, and management roles can often be done remotely, positions like machine operators, field technicians, and agronomists require employees to be on the ground to support farmers and monitor field operations directly, Subburathinam noted.

These job opportunities are more in agriculture-intensive states like Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh, he stated.

Additionally, cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, and Gurugram serve as hubs for agritech startups, offering a significant number of jobs in development and management roles, he added.

He said, while advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, data analytics, and IoT contribute to these improvements, the focus remains on delivering practical, user-friendly tools to farmers.

By connecting them to better resources and opportunities, agritech is revolutionising agriculture, particularly for smallholder farmers, ensuring higher yields, lower costs, and sustainable growth, he said.

According to an EY report, agritech firms in India present a USD 24 billion opportunity, although the market is still largely untapped with only 1.5 per cent penetration, he said.

India had around 450 agritech startups in 2022, growing at 25 per cent y-o-y, according to data by NASSCOM, he said.