Innovation meets Community: Key Takeaways from the NAFPO–MIF Agritech Technology Showcase

Across India, farming is changing in real time. Smallholder farmers are adapting to tougher climates, rising costs, and uncertain markets—often without the technology or support they need. And yet, innovation is accelerating all around them. This is where Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) can become powerful anchors, helping farmers access climate-smart tools and stronger market pathways.

This sentiment came alive at Technology Showcase 4.0, a knowledge-and demonstration-led webinar hosted earlier this year by the National Association for Farmer Producer Organisations (NAFPO) in partnership with the Marico Innovation Foundation (MIF).

With over 150 participants, including FPO leaders, agritech entrepreneurs, soil scientists, climate specialists, rural development professionals, and ecosystem enablers, its purpose was clear: to drive greater visibility for high-impact agritech solutions and support smarter, more informed decision-making across the farming community.

FPOs as Engines of Transformation

As community-owned institutions, FPOs hold the potential to bring structure to fragmented value chains, aggregating production, improving market access, and strengthening farmers’ negotiating power. NAFPO opened with a compelling perspective on its mission to empower India’s growing FPO ecosystem. 

Speakers highlighted how FPOs, when equipped with the right tools, can significantly enhance farmer outcomes through climate-smart technologies, data-driven decision-making, improved productivity, and diversified revenue streams.

These insights closely mirror MIF’s long-standing belief that India’s agricultural transformation will be co-led by strong farmer institutions working with scalable agritech innovations.

Technology Demonstrations That Captured Attention

Two standout innovators from the MIF’s Scale-Up Program, Kheyti and Neoperk, delivered live technology showcases, demonstrating what breakthrough agritech looks like when applied to grassroots contexts.

Kheyti: Climate-Resilient Farming for Smallholders

Kheyti’s Greenhouse-in-a-Box (GIB) was a favourite. This modular, low-cost, climate-resilient greenhouse offers smallholders a shield against climate uncertainty, extreme heat, pests, and unpredictable rainfall.

The GIB’s standout features, up to 80% lower cost than conventional greenhouses and up to 90% water savings—captured immediate interest. The solution showcased a practical pathway for FPOs to support farmers through greenhouse clusters, protected cultivation models, and integrated advisory services.

For many FPO leaders facing the immediate realities of climate change, Kheyti demonstrated that protected cultivation is no longer a distant dream; it is achievable, scalable, and financially viable for smallholder farmers.

Neoperk: Rapid Soil Intelligence for Precision Farming

Neoperk’s rapid soil-testing device emerged as another highlight. Soil testing in India has traditionally been slow, expensive, and inaccessible to most smallholders. Neoperk’s innovation compresses the process from days to minutes while providing lab-grade accuracy.

Represented by Director Satyendra Gupta and Business Development Executive Vishal Bharti, Neoperk showcased how FPOs can establish community-level soil intelligence hubs, reduce farmers’ fertiliser expenses through precision input use, and strengthen sustainable farming practices at scale.

In a country where soil degradation poses one of the biggest threats to productivity, Neoperk’s innovation offers a timely and transformative solution.

MIF’s Role in Catalysing Scalable Solutions for FPOs

MIF has over a decade of work enabling disruptive, high-impact innovations across sectors, including agriculture. Recognising the pivotal role of FPOs in shaping the next chapter of Indian agriculture, MIF has increasingly focused on building pathways that connect agritech startups with farmer institutions.

Through its Scale-Up Program, MIF mentors high-potential agritech startups—supporting them in refining business models, strengthening operations, and expanding their solutions to more regions and farmers. This support goes beyond funding or acceleration. It emphasises strategic scaling, ecosystem linkages, and readiness for long-term impact.

In recent years, MIF has also invested in stronger startup-FPO connections by curating forums for collaboration, bridging knowledge gaps between on-ground realities and innovation capabilities, facilitating pilots, and publishing sector insights that highlight the value of these partnerships.

Technology Showcase 4.0 reflected this commitment. By partnering with NAFPO, MIF helped create a platform where grassroots challenges met high-potential innovation, enabling conversations on scale, adoption, and farmer impact.

As India’s agricultural landscape evolves, platforms like Technology Showcase 4.0 play a crucial role. They create spaces where innovation and community experience come together, and where farmers’ needs guide the technologies of tomorrow.

In bringing together startups like Kheyti and Neoperk with the collective strength of FPOs, the conversation underscored a powerful truth: the future of Indian agriculture lies at the intersection of innovation and community, where technology is not just accessible but truly transformative.