July 2025 | Newsletter

ABF Project Update

Rural Livelihood Project in Maharashtra  

Driving Growth through AE Training, Market Linkages, and Climate-Smart Demos 

The Axis Bank Foundation supported Agri-Entrepreneur project continues to make impactful strides across Maharashtra, with a strong focus on Agri-Entrepreneur (AE) incubation, farmer engagement, digital finance integration, and Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) demonstrations. June 2025 was marked by robust outreach, with training sessions, exposure visits, business incubation, and strategic market linkages taking center stage. 

Key Highlights 

  • AE Onboarding & Training: 153 Agri-Entrepreneurs inducted under Batches 5 & 6. 
  • Farmer Engagement: 189 farmer meetings held, reaching over 3,200 farmers across Maharashtra through AEM and AE-led sessions. 
  • Business Correspondent (BC) Integration: 224 AE applications submitted to BOI; 42 approved; 1 AE successfully onboarded as BC. 
  • Market Linkage: 340 MT linkage achieved across Ahilyanagar & Nashik; ₹1 crore Syngenta E-commerce business routed via AEs. 
  • Demo Plots & CSA: 58 Kharif demo plots executed using CSA practices including Biochar++ application in cotton and soybean; 5 mega exposure visits conducted. 
  • Farmer Registration: 10,670 farmers have registered on AEDD platform so far.  

Exposure Visit at KVK Baramati – Igniting Agri-Entrepreneurial Aspirations! 

As part of the Ahmednagar ABF initiative, 57 newly trained Agri-Entrepreneurs and 9 AEMs from 9 blocks participated in an inspiring exposure visit to KVK Baramati on June 28, 2025. The visit offered a deep dive into innovative agricultural practices and enterprise models. 

Key Learnings Included: 

  • Demonstrations of AI-enabled monitoring in sugarcane crops 
  • Techniques in grafting, budding, protected cultivation, and nursery management 
  • Visits to poultry, goatery, vermicompost, and millet processing units 
  • Insights into sustainable agri-models such as fishery, apiary, and soil testing 

A moment of pride for the participants was the interactive session with Shri Sharadchandraji Pawar Saheb, who shared wisdom on scaling agri-startups, building market linkages, and fostering innovation. The visit not only expanded the AEs’ technical exposure but also infused fresh energy into their entrepreneurial journeys.