Supporting Women Agri-entrepreneurs in India

CRISP (2024) Digital Innovations Supporting Women Agri-entrepreneurs in India: Mapping Good Practices #53 pp.


This report is based on a collaborative project undertaken by the Centre for Research on Innovation and Science Policy (CRISP) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) as part of the activities of the Evidence module of the CGIAR GENDER Platform. 

• The study is primarily based on insights from in-depth interviews conducted with women agri-entrepreneurs across India. The study identified the enabling role played by digital tools in women’s entrepreneurship such as networking, self-learning, upskilling and educating, e-commerce and sales, and enterprise management. 
  
• The study also identified various challenges faced by women agri-entrepreneurs in the digital ecosystem. These include digital skill gap, lack of security in digital spaces, financial constraints, and lack of family support. 
• The findings of this study highlight the fact that women do face many challenges, but they can also seize several clear benefits by employing digital technologies. Although women agri-entrepreneurs acknowledged that digital technologies have created opportunities for them to advance in their careers, they also lack the capacity to fully realize the potential of several digital solutions.

Currently, there are more than 2500 agri-startups registered with Startup India. According to the Economic Survey 2021-22, India has become the third largest startup ecosystem in the world after the USA and China. But as the global startup revolution continues to grow, fundamental shifts are also occurring due to the fast-evolving digital landscape. There is a new wave that is taking over the startup revolution with a deeper integration of technology, such as AI, Blockchain, and advanced data analytics, with heightened focus on sustainability and social impact. (page 10)  

Gender disparities in access, coupled with factors such as unequal access to education and professional training, financing, asset ownership, etc., contribute to the gender digital divide and limit the transformative impact of digital innovations. (page 15) 

Despite the discourse on Industry 5.0, the agricultural sector’s progression into the 4.0 revolution remains confined to a select few pioneering companies. (page 16) 

 “A few YouTube channels had interviewed me and documented my work, and it was only then that I really became aware of the power of digital tools. A few of the videos got lakhs of views and I got calls from people around the world who had watched them. It astonished me when my products – from this small town in Kerala – got the attention of people from countries like Ghana.” (page 27) 

Presently, the use of digital tools among women agripreneurs is predominantly confined to social media platforms due to their cost effectiveness, flexibility, and minimal technical requirements. (page 32)