INI Farms

INI Farms, an agritech company headquartered in Mumbai, was established in 2009 by the husband-and-wife team Pankaj and Purnima Khandelwal, along with Shardul and Sitanshu Sheth. The founders' journey into horticulture began through their prior venture, a consulting firm, which exposed them to the fragmented and opportunity-rich fruit industry in India. This insight prompted the creation of INI Farms to build a global horticulture business originating from India.

The company operates an integrated farm-to-fork model, managing the entire value chain from farm-level operations to global distribution. It partners with a network of over 5,000 farmers across eight Indian states, providing technical guidance, access to inputs, and orchard management services. This model of contract farming and direct sourcing allows for better quality control and ensures farmers can achieve higher returns, often up to 30-40% more profit. In March 2022, INI Farms was fully acquired by AgroStar, an agri-inputs platform, in a cash and stock deal. This acquisition aims to provide INI Farms' farmers with better market linkage and access to a wider range of crops, while AgroStar gains a significant presence in the agri-output market.

INI Farms specializes in exporting fruits and vegetables, with a primary focus on pomegranates and bananas, marketed under the consumer brand 'Kimaye', which means "divine" in Sanskrit. The product line also includes Thai guava, coconut, grapes, melons, and onions. The company serves a global client base of retailers across 35 countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. A key feature of the Kimaye brand is its 'FruitRoute' technology, which uses a dynamic QR code on each fruit to provide consumers with farm-to-fork traceability, ensuring transparency about food safety and sourcing. The business generates revenue through direct sales to B2B clients like global retailers and has also expanded into a direct-to-consumer (D2C) channel through its own website.

Keywords: agritech, horticulture exports, farm-to-fork, fruit supply chain, pomegranate exporter, banana exporter, Kimaye brand, contract farming, global food safety, agricultural technology, farmer network, supply chain management, food traceability, AgroStar acquisition, Indian agriculture, fresh produce, sustainable farming, value chain integration, international trade, direct-to-consumer fruits