Agritech platform Arya.ag has established 25 Smart Farm Centres near farmer-producer organisations (FPOs) in four Indian states. The centres aim to provide farmers with access to agricultural solutions, advisory support, and digital technologies free of cost.
Through this initiative, Arya.ag seeks to build a profitable agri ecosystem that empowers India’s smallholder farmers to make informed, data-driven decisions with technology at the core.
Over the years, Arya.ag has developed an agricultural network that links farmers and their organisations with storage facilities, financial services, and market access. The new Smart Farm Centres extend this framework to the pre-harvest stage, providing farmers with practical tools and information to support timely decisions and improve crop productivity.
By bringing technology directly to the farmgate and training local community members to manage these Centres, we shift the power back into the hands of the farmers.This is how resilience is built through information and access.
From Shenoy Mathew’s perspective, Arya.ag’s approach reflects a shift toward building trust and transparency within rural markets. He points to the use of AI-enabled security systems and in-house quality scanners as examples of how technology can make transactions more reliable for both farmers and financiers. The Smart Farm Centres, he notes, are part of this effort designed to give farmers the intelligence and network they need to navigate uncertainty while gradually integrating remote communities into the formal agricultural economy.
Each Smart Farm Centre functions as a local support hub that uses data and digital tools to address farmers’ day-to-day challenges. Managed by trained women from the community, the Centres provide services such as soil testing, local weather updates, drone-based crop monitoring, climate risk coverage, and farmer training. These resources help farmers make informed choices throughout the cropping cycle, from sowing and irrigation to harvest planning and access to finance.
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When Agrotech Space asked whether the warehouse-credit financing model could serve as a viable alternative to traditional bank or NBFC lending, Arya.ag co-founders Anand Chandra and Chattanathan D. Devarajan said the company’s experience indicates growing potential for the approach.
Arya.ag currently works with approved banks and non-banking financial institutions at interest rates averaging around 13–14 percent. They noted that as UPI-linked payment gateways and digital transaction systems continue to expand, the overall cost of financing is expected to decline, potentially making warehouse-backed credit a more accessible and efficient option.
Farmers’ Perspective
The Smart Farm Centres are integrated into Arya.ag’s broader ecosystem of storage, finance, and market linkages, creating a more transparent and connected value chain from farm to market. The model is designed to strengthen income stability, improve risk management, and support long-term growth for smallholders.
This year, the paddy harvest coincided with Diwali and Chhath, so many farmers had planned to delay harvesting. But through the Smart Farm Centre’s weather updates, we were alerted about an approaching cyclone and rain. We quickly informed farmers, who harvested on time — and that decision saved their entire crop.
The 25 Smart Farm Centres are spread across key agricultural regions of India, covering districts in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Each Centre focuses on regional crops such as paddy, soybean and other local staples, reflecting the diversity of India’s farming landscapes. The company aims to establish 100 such facilities in an effort to scale smart farm operations
With guidance from the Smart Farm Centre, I adopted a high-yield soybean variety and used the BBF technique for sowing. The tech based advisories helped me manage the crop better — my yield and grain quality both improved. Through crop quality testing support, I also received a premium price in the market.
Niti Ishal, a member of Nari Vandan FPC in Murtijapur, Maharashtra, oversees the operations of the Smart Farm Centre, which engages with around 100 farmers. The Centre supports them through digital tools, training, and agri-advisory updates to help manage crops more effectively. It serves as a local access point for technology and timely information that enable farmers to make informed decisions throughout the growing season.
Arya.ag Developing Partnerships for Measurable Impact
Developed in collaboration with Neoperk, BharatRohan, FarmBridge, Finhaat, Fyllo, and Arya.ag’s Community Value Chain Resource Persons (CVRPs), the Smart Farm Centres aim to demonstrate how partnerships in technology, data analytics, and community trust can drive measurable impact at the farm level.
Collaboration is the foundation of progress in agriculture. The Smart Farm Centres show what happens when technology innovators, data scientists, and local communities work together. These Centres are proof that practical, scalable solutions can emerge from partnerships grounded in the everyday realities of Indian farmers.
Each Smart Farm Centre acts as a local hub where farmers can access a range of tools and services designed to improve productivity and reduce risk. These include rapid soil analysis solutions using Neoperk sensors, which cut analysis times compared to traditional laboratory testing; and drone and satellite mapping technologies from BharatRohan, used to monitor crop health, plan spraying operations, and reduce labour exposure while enabling more targeted interventions.
Arya.ag represents one of the few agritech firms in India operating at scale with sustained profitability. The planned expansion of Arya.ag’s Smart Farm Centres signals a shift in how rural technology delivery models are evolving in India. By combining physical infrastructure with digital services, Arya.ag is working to address one of agritech’s biggest challenges, last-mile adoption.
These centres could act as an entry point for smallholders to access not just advisory tools but an integrated ecosystem of inputs, finance, and markets. If scaled effectively, the model may redefine how FPOs engage with technology, turning them into active data nodes within the agricultural value chain. Over time, this approach could help reduce fragmentation, build trust in digital platforms, and enable more predictable, climate-resilient farm incomes.