In
Partnership
with
GREENOVATION
Agri Mechanization Challenge
Calling all startups, SMEs, innovators, and FPCs building the future of Indian agriculture.
Seeking affordable, scalable, and climate-friendly solutions that can improve smallholder productivity, reduce drudgery, cut post-harvest losses, and strengthen resilient rural value chains.
An EarthON Initiative in Collaboration with Greenovation Hub
Challenge Overview
The Systemic Bottleneck Facing Indian Farmers
Behind 86% of Indian farms are families fighting a silent, uphill battle against a ticking clock. Fragmented plots, rising costs, and broken supply chains push smallholders to their limits every season, forcing survival to rely on bare hands alone.
The Greenovation Agri Mechanization Challenge, a Greenovation Hub and BAIF Cares initiative powered by EarthON, steps in to change this narrative. We back and scale the real-world technologies that ease field drudgery, protect hard-earned yields, and restore dignity to rural livelihoods.
The Reward
Upto 20 lakhs prize money | Upto ₹1 Crore in equity for startups | Upto ₹25 Lakh for FPCs.
Eligibility
FPCs are restricted strictly to Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh only.
Startups open Pan-India (registered under 10 years).
Our Five Critical Action Pillars
Farm Mechanization and Equipment
- Smallholder-friendly machinery including seeders, harvesters, sprayers, robotic tractors, and precision agriculture tools.
- Affordable, lightweight, modular, and locally repairable technologies.
- Shared-access and pay-per-use systems such as Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) and FPC-led machinery banks.
- Soil testing, farm-efficiency tools, and women-friendly equipment designed to reduce drudgery.
Post-Harvest and Value Chain Systems
- Storage, grading, and primary processing infrastructure.
- Aggregation platforms, rural logistics, supply chain innovations, and market linkage solutions.
- Farmer-led value-addition and market access models that reduce post-harvest losses and improve income realization.
Water Resource Management
- Borewell recharge, groundwater restoration solutions, and water table mapping or monitoring technologies..
- Rejuvenation of local water bodies and decentralized water systems
- Climate-resilient irrigation innovations built for drought-prone and water-stressed regions.
Natural Resource Management
- Agri-waste recycling and waste-to-value innovations.
- Biogas and circular agriculture solutions that reduce diesel dependency.
- Soil health improvement systems, sustainable input technologies, and resource optimization.
Dairy and Livestock Systems
- Livestock feed and nutrition innovations alongside cattle health monitoring solutions.
- Dairy productivity, efficient management, and yield-improvement technologies.
- Community-led livestock service delivery and decentralized dairy efficiency models.
- Advanced apiculture models.
Why You Should Join the Cohort
Catalytic Capital: A share of the ₹20 Lakh prize pool to support winners in implementing and scaling immediate field solutions.
Long-Term Funding Pipeline: High-potential cohort graduates unlock access to future investment pathways; up to ₹1 Crore in equity for startups via EarthON Gurukul and up to ₹25 Lakh in growth support for FPOs via the ONganic Accelerator.
The 3-Day Residential Bootcamp: Intensive, track-specific preparation delivered by seasoned entrepreneurs and experts.
The Shared Exhibition: A unique convergence space during the bootcamp enabling direct matchmaking and interaction.
Global Ecosystem Visibility: Show your work directly to policymakers, global climate finance networks, investors, and industry leaders.
Choose Your Track
The challenge operates through two parallel tracks- one for Start-Ups/ SMEs and one for FPCs.
Startup & SME Track | |
|---|---|
Target Audience | Early-stage innovators, tech developers, and social entrepreneurs. |
Eligibility | Registered within the last 10 years, full-time founders, with solutions applicable to rural/peri-urban contexts. |
Geographic Focus | Open Pan-India (Applications accepted nationwide; pilot focus in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Telangana)
|
FPC Track | |
|---|---|
Target Audience | Registered Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and farmer-owned institutions. |
Eligibility | Operational for at least 2 years with active farmer engagement, a membership base, and experience in aggregation or hiring. |
Geographic Focus | Strictly Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh
(Only FPOs from these two states will be eligible for consideration) |
Application Timeline
Key milestones for the Greenovation Agri Mechanization Challenge
Launch
Webinars
Screening and Shortlisting
Application Form Deadline
Evaluation of Detailed Applications
Announcement of Bootcamp Cohort
Virtual Accelerator
Bootcamp (3 days)
Finale
The Architecture is Ready.
Bring Your Breakthrough to the Field.
Apply now and turn your innovation into lasting impact.
Last Date: 24th May, 2026
Our Partners
Collaborating with leading organisations
Ecosystem Partners
Outreach Partner
Platform Partner
About Greenovation Hub
The Greenovation & ONganic Hub functions as SwitchON Foundation’s flagship accelerator network, nurturing eco-entrepreneurs and climate innovators who are actively reimagining India’s green economy through technical mentorship, bootcamps, and scaling support.
About BAIF Cares
BAIF Council for Advancement in Rural Entrepreneurship and Sustainability (BAIF CARES) is a Section-8 not-for-profit promoting rural enterprise, partnering to embed sustainable farming practices and regenerative agriculture at scale.
About EarthON Foundation
EarthON Foundation aims to empower 10,000 eco champions in the Global South and impact 1 billion lives. We support grassroots innovators through trust-based financial support, mentorship, and global network pipelines.
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