Digital Impact Square (DISQ), a TCS Foundation initiative, in collaboration with Startup India and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), has unveiled AgriDISQovery 2.0, a national level program designed to nurture innovative startups in the agriculture sector. The initiative is supported by Sahyadri Rural Development Foundation, Sahyadri Farms, and the Maharashtra State Innovation Society, aiming to identify and accelerate early stage solutions that can positively impact Indian agriculture.
AgriDISQovery 2.0 provides an opportunity for innovators and startups to transform their ideas into scalable agritech ventures that address real challenges faced by small and marginal farmers, farmer producer companies (FPOs), agriculture value chains, and farmer collectives. The AgriDISQovery 2.0 invites teams with validated ideas, working prototypes, or minimum viable products (MVPs) to participate, emphasizing both innovation and social impact.
Program Structure: Residential Bootcamp and Incubation Phase
The AgriDISQovery 2.0 is structured into two key phases. The first is a three month residential bootcamp at Sahyadri Farms, Nashik, designed for early stage, ideation stage, or validation stage startups. During this period, teams will work closely with mentors to refine their solutions, validate their ideas with beneficiaries, and prepare for pitching to a panel of domain experts. The bootcamp emphasizes building entrepreneurial mindsets among participants and focuses on solving real world agricultural problems.
At the end of the bootcamp, teams will pitch their enhanced MVPs to a panel of experts from DISQ and the partner ecosystem. Based on these presentations, selected teams will progress to the second phase: a structured incubation phase starting in December. This phase provides additional support to help startups build sustainable social enterprises and take their solutions to pilot and early market stages.
Eligibility and Stakeholder Focus
AgriDISQovery 2.0 is targeted at teams of two or more individuals, preferably in the pre revenue stage. Teams may have received grants, prizes, or seed funding previously, provided they submit relevant details during application. The program is particularly focused on startups and innovators operating at ideation, validation, early traction, or scaling stages, across agriculture technology, hardware, and robotics sectors.
The AgriDISQovery 2.0 emphasizes innovation in three thematic areas: agri mechanization solutions, AI and robotics for agriculture, and energy and biofuel solutions. Each theme encourages the development of practical solutions that can enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen sustainability across farming systems.
Incentives and Ecosystem Support
Selected teams will receive both fiscal and non fiscal support. Financial incentives include seed funding of up to INR 5 lakh for teams demonstrating strong progress during the bootcamp, which can be utilized to pilot solutions and enter early market stages.
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Non fiscal incentives include free residential accommodation at Sahyadri Farms for three months, dedicated mentorship with over 550 hours of one on one coaching, and regular interactions with industry and domain experts from DISQ, Sahyadri, and ecosystem partners. Participants will have access to pilot opportunities with a minimum of three ecosystem partners, R&D and pilot farms, over 25,000 farmers, and more than 70 FPOs.
Additional support is available through partnered grow stage incubators such as Social Alpha, UnLtd India and Villgro, as well as access to the TATA Group ecosystem, which includes corporates and allied trusts. Through these networks, startups can explore opportunities to scale and integrate their solutions into wider agricultural and industrial ecosystems.
Application Process and Timeline
The application process for AgriDISQovery 2.0 begins with the submission of the application form on Startup India. Following evaluation by the DISQ team, final shortlisting will be announced by the end of August. The residential bootcamp is scheduled to commence in the first week of September and lasts for 12 weeks, culminating in a demo day where teams present their refined MVPs to a panel of domain experts. Successful teams will then move to the incubation phase starting in December.
Objective and Vision
AgriDISQovery 2.0 aims to create a structured pathway for early stage startups to evolve into operational ventures capable of addressing pressing agricultural challenges in India. By combining financial incentives, residential mentorship, and access to an extensive ecosystem of stakeholders, the program seeks to enable innovators to develop practical solutions that can be piloted, scaled, and integrated into the broader Indian agricultural landscape.