Indian agri-tech startups must move beyond basic problem-solving: NITI

NITI Aayog's Himanshu Joshi said Indian agri- and water-tech startups should adopt technologies for new markets and move beyond basic problem-solving to tackle regulatory challenges

India’s agri and water-tech startups must move beyond basic problem-solving and adopt technologies for entering new markets to overcome regulatory challenges, Himanshu Joshi, Programme Director at NITI Aayog said today.

 

Speaking at Nasscom Deeptech Confluence 2026 on agri and water tech, Joshi said many startups in these sectors still focus on addressing fundamental problems, while facing challenges related to technological maturity and regulation.

 

Drawing on examples from NITI Aayog’s collaboration programmes with countries such as Denmark, Joshi said foreign startups often improvised and adapted their products to local conditions and discovered new market opportunities.

 

He cited the example of a global water-focused startup that came to India and subsequently extended its stay after finding opportunities to test its technology under local conditions and potentially serve markets across the Global South.

 

He described another agri-drone startup that initially focused on identifying quality coconuts ready for harvesting. “But, after a pilot in Lakshadweep, the company expanded its offering by using artificial intelligence to determine optimal harvesting times and identify disease risks,” Joshi said. “These are not Indian startups, but they knew what problem they were solving and even if they did not know, they improvised,” he added.

 

Joshi said he had urged officials in Tripura to consider procuring solutions emerging from innovation rather than limiting support to pilot projects.

The writers are 2026 batch Business Standard-Rahul Khullar interns