Krishitantra

Krishitantra, legally known as Klonec Automation Systems Pvt Ltd, is an agritech company established in 2017 to address soil health management. The company's genesis stems from co-founder Sandeep Kondaji's frustrating personal experience with the delays and high costs of traditional soil testing while working on his uncle's farm in 2016. A serial entrepreneur with a background in instrumentation engineering, Kondaji, alongside co-founders Dr. Vishnu Prasada Bhat (CTO) and Anand Bellan Raman (COO), set out to develop a more efficient solution. This endeavor was fueled by Kondaji's passion for agriculture, which led him to leave a career in the Middle East and return to his roots in India to tackle agricultural challenges.

The firm operates on a business-to-business model, providing its technology and services to farmer producer organizations (FPOs), agribusiness companies, government programs, and other soil testing labs. Its primary offering is a rapid, IoT-based soil analysis system that delivers comprehensive soil health reports. The company has developed two key products: "KrishiRASTAA" (Rapid Automated Soil Testing and Agronomy Advisory) and "Krishi Jivan Micro Biometer". KrishiRASTAA is a portable device that analyzes soil for a wide range of parameters, including macro and micronutrients, pH, electrical conductivity, and organic carbon, delivering results and agronomic advice via a cloud-based platform within minutes. This contrasts sharply with traditional lab testing, which can be time-consuming and inaccessible for many farmers. The Krishi Jivan Micro Biometer is an on-field, app-based system for analyzing microbial soil composition, providing data on the bacterial-fungal ratio and microbial carbon.

Krishitantra's solutions aim to promote balanced fertilizer application, which can lead to increased farmer income, improved soil health, and a reduction in cultivation costs. By providing immediate, actionable data, the company empowers its clients to make informed decisions that enhance crop productivity and promote sustainable agricultural practices. Since its inception, Krishitantra has secured approximately $1.18 million in funding over four rounds from investors including NABVENTURES, Omnivore, and SINE. The company has achieved significant milestones, including receiving a Digital India Award, filing multiple patents, and establishing over 250 installations across India.

Keywords: soil testing, agritech, soil health management, farm data acquisition, precision agriculture, fertilizer recommendation, IoT in agriculture, KrishiRASTAA, soil nutrient analysis, microbial soil testing, sustainable farming, farmer producer organizations, Sandeep Kondaji, Klonec Automation, agricultural technology, soil analysis, agronomy advisory, rapid soil testing, digital agriculture, soil rejuvenation, crop nutrition, agtech India, cloud-based agriculture