A Bengaluru man left a secure job to return to his hometown to start a farming business. AGRATE’s founder, Prince Shukla, who grew up in Bihar’s Purnea, decided to take a different path, a marked departure from the lust of metropolitan cities, turning to the countryside.
While many scoffed at his unconventional move, he was determined to do things differently and stand out by uplifting the exes around him. He founded Agri-tech in December 2021 at the age of 24.
In the early days, Prince was referred to as a “dehati”, faced skepticism, financial burdens and countless other obstacles, but believed in his ambitions that farming deserved dignity and innovation. Determined and undaunted by the talk of the town, he worked hard until his efforts bore fruit. Reflecting on his decisions, he said, “People called me a fool … when I chose farming,” the center said. APJ Abdul Kalam.
He earned BSc and MSc degrees in agriculture and returned to the field to work directly with farmers. AGRATE’s LinkedIn profile describes it as a company “committed to empowering smallholder farmers in India by providing them with accessible and affordable agricultural solutions. The company understands the challenges faced by smallholder farmers who often lack the resources and technology necessary to increase crop yields and profitability.”
According to the profile, Prince Shukla’s business addresses several farmer-centric issues and offers a range of products and services such as high-quality seeds, efficient irrigation systems, organic fertilizers and pesticides at affordable prices.
He started modestly ₹1 lakh he borrowed from his father. With a clear vision in mind, he started his business by providing quality seeds, organic fertilizers, irrigation tools and training in grafting and multi-cropping. Results took years, but when they did, his business grew to a level ₹Turnover of 2.5 million crowns.
The startup reported zero revenue in fiscal 2022. Despite limited communication skills, lack of business exposure, and other setbacks, Prince continued to work to carve out a niche in a domain that remained unexplored. The first breakthrough in his business came in FY23. With a slight turnaround ₹3 lakh in 2023, his business grew a record 49 times in the following two years. It was reduced to ₹1.5 million turnover by FY25 through FPO partnerships, diversified projects and outreach.
In an interview with Startup Pedia, Prince said, “Farmers didn’t trust me at first because I looked young. Instead of targeting individual farmers, I started targeting FPOs, farmer and producer organizations. I talked to their CEOs and directors.”
Currently generating AGRATE ₹2.5 million in annual revenue and works with over 10,000 farmers across 38 districts in Bihar and Odisha. From makhana cultivation and sorting to mushroom cultivation, this company of his is involved in crop diversification, infrastructure, processing and packaging.
