NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

BENGALURU: Impact investors are now turning their focus to agriculture and its allied fields, after a decade of attention to microfinance, financial inclusion and healthcare.

The farm sector is getting increasing attention from investors and accelerators who are keen on supporting early-stage entrepreneurs seeking to address sectoral gaps and problems with innovative solutions.

According to Amit Bhatia, CEO, Impact Investors Council, an industry body for the social sector, increasing consumer demand for branded agricultural products and mushrooming of food and beverage retail chains across the country requires the private sector to visualise and build large-scale enterprises from farm to retail. This is driving investor interest and emergence of profit-oriented models in the sector.