During his recent visit to the US as a guest speaker, Alakh Pandey, also known as Physics Wallah, inspired Indian students at Harvard University, Stanford University, and California University to contribute to India’s growth story directly or indirectly, encouraging them to reverse the brain drain. In his keynote address, he emphasized that while India may have its challenges, no country is without flaws, urging young Indians, both at home and abroad, to strive towards its improvement. Meanwhile, if you’re a student abroad planning to visit your home country this summer, you must grab cheap air tickets to India from USA through Tripbeam for a hassle-free travel experience.
A Journey Back to Roots
Ruchit Garg’s actions twelve years ago parallel what Physics Wallah currently advises Indian students abroad. Garg, a former Microsoft program manager, abandoned his pursuit of the American Dream in 2015, opting instead to focus on improving the economic prospects of farmers. Following his time in Hyderabad’s IT corridor, he secured an onsite position at Microsoft’s Redmond headquarters. However, after three years in 2011, he departed, with an impressive annual salary of INR 1 crore, to explore entrepreneurship in America’s vibrant startup scene.
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Harvesting Farmer Network (HFN)
He began to feel out of place as his pursuit of the American Dream lacked a meaningful objective for his homeland. With roots tracing back to his grandfather, a farmer in Uttar Pradesh, Garg felt a strong connection to agriculture and rural life, prompting him to return home and uplift the lives of smallholder farmers. Despite being integral to global crop production, these farmers often face underserved conditions. Garg’s empathy for them, combined with his expertise in technology, led to the establishment of Harvesting Farmer Network (HFN), a field-to-market startup.
HFN, known as the “Amul of the next generation,” aims to enhance the sales turnover of agricultural products by enabling farmers to secure better deals directly from buyers. By eliminating intermediaries who often claim significant portions of farmers’ earnings, HFN has positively impacted nearly 40 lakh smallholder farmers in India since its inception.
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Empowering Farmers through Technology
The Kisan app by Harvesting Farmer Network serves as a comprehensive guide for farmers, akin to a lighthouse guiding sailors at sea. It provides up-to-date information in multiple regional languages on government schemes, modern farming techniques, sourcing high-quality seeds and raw materials, among other topics. The app functions as a growing network connecting farmers with buyers and offers a platform for listing crops for sale. Ruchit Garg and his HFN team also extend support to farmers and agricultural stakeholders by providing scientific, financial, and legal advice.
Ruchit’s agri-tech startup had a modest origin, starting on WhatsApp a few years ago and evolving into a comprehensive solution for farmers. Recently, he expanded the scope of his startup to include commercial banks, enabling farmers to access finance at reasonable interest rates. He believes that financial services are an untapped market in the agricultural sector. Recognizing the limited access to technology in rural India, he established over 17,000 offline kisan centres nationwide. These centres serve as hubs where non-tech-savvy farmers can interact with buyers and access information, assistance, and expertise.
Giving Back
Similar to Sridhar Vembu, the billionaire entrepreneur who returned to India from the USA, Ruchit Garg believes in the importance of giving back to society. His compassion for grassroots-level farmers originates from the challenges he faced during his upbringing after his father’s untimely passing. Raised by a single mother working as a clerk at the Indian Railways library in Lucknow, Garg’s access to books and magazines was unrestricted despite financial constraints. Reading case studies in Harvard Business Review magazines, which he found enjoyable, sparked his interest in entrepreneurship. Last but not least, if you find this article engaging then remember to secure last minute flight deals to India from USA with Tripbeam for a memorable journey.

