Refusing to Quit: A Startup’s Journey from Idea to Impact

Agrograd’s founding CEO said, “I didn’t start out thinking I would build a company. I just wanted to solve a problem that felt so personal that it couldn’t be ignored.”

That problem was the quality of agricultural produce. Kshitij was working in industrial automation, where they create systems that use computer vision to identify defects on a manufacturing or assembly line. One of his customers in the food processing sector told him about regular disputes between their procurement teams and suppliers over the quality of onions.

He said, “Quality standards for fresh produce are very subjective, and there were no tools or techniques to evaluate quality. I was under the impression that these challenges would have already been solved since we see so many advanced machine videos on YouTube.”

Kshitij’s family grew mangoes and rice in a small farm in Dighode, Uran, near Navi Mumbai. He left farming in 2009 as it had become economically unsustainable due to rising labor costs and regular losses due to low prices and weather conditions affecting yields. Then he realized that these problems were yet to be solved. That was in 2018.

“I then thought that the technologies we develop for manufacturing could be used in agriculture to create a huge impact in terms of adding transparency to the supply chain and enabling fair price discovery,” Kshitij said.

meeting the co-founder

Around the same time, he met Rakesh Barai, an electronics and instrumentation engineer at CIBA, a startup incubator in Navi Mumbai. Rakesh brought experience in building sophisticated automation systems for a startup. While conversing, the two realized their similarity: creating sophisticated machines for industries that already had plenty of solutions. However, agriculture was the sector that really needed this kind of technology and hardly anyone was building for it.

Kshitij said, “We wanted to work on 0-to-1 problem statements where the industry had no existing solution and we were looking for a suitable technological solution. So, we started asking a simple question: Can you really build a machine that grades quickly and accurately and at the same time handles the produce carefully enough not to damage it?

point of departure

That question was the starting point of Agrograd. Kshitij and Rakesh together founded it in Mumbai in October 2018.

“What followed was no straight path to success, but rather a series of experiments, failures, pivots and successes that gradually evolved into a full-fledged startup,” Kshitij said.

Both Kshitij and Rakesh knew that Indian crops had different challenges that might not be obvious to an outsider. “Our machines have to be deployed in challenging conditions to handle the high variation in input quality. This is why imported technologies fail miserably, as they were not designed for Indian crops and operating conditions,” Kshitij said.

The duo built six prototypes and tested four in the field before commercial launch. Their machines were deployed in packhouses and mandis of Nashik, receiving very encouraging inputs from FPOs and exporters.

Kshitij said, “What works in laboratory conditions often fails in real deployment situations. We get a very diverse quality of produce in the mandis, and hence, our machines have to be robust enough to deal with these challenges. The design of each product starts from the field – understanding the crop, challenges, expectations and feasibility.”

No funds, no roadmap

Like many founders, his journey began without funding, mentorship or a clear roadmap. What was in abundance was conviction.

“I remember working out of tight spaces, juggling multiple responsibilities, and constantly questioning whether this would work,” Kshitij said. “In the early days, progress was measured in small victories – acquiring the first user, refining the first prototype, and hearing the first bit of honest feedback. Every step forward feels like hard work.”

However, the idea evolved rapidly. What started as a raw concept soon became a structured solution, shaped by real-world testing and user input.

“We didn’t create in isolation. Each version of our product came from listening carefully to the people we wanted to serve,” Kshitij said.

against all odds

However, he had to face challenges one after the other. From financial constraints to technical hurdles, the team faced constant pressure. So much so that there came moments when quitting seemed like the logical option.

“There were days when we did not have clarity and confidence was also low,” Kshitij said. “But, what drove us forward was the belief that the ‘problem’ mattered more than anything else.”

Agrograd was operating in an environment where competition was increasing and expectations were high. Without the luxury of large capital reserves, the team had to be resourceful to succeed.

Kshitij said, “We learned to do more with less. Every mistake cost us dearly, but it taught us fast.”

Flexibility soon became a defining characteristic of the company culture. Every journey has a defining moment, the point where perseverance begins to pay off.

“I still remember when we first saw real traction. It wasn’t just numbers, it was validation. Users weren’t just trying the product; they were sticking to it, engaging and advocating for it. Word-of-mouth started to replace cold outreach. Growth, though still fragile, became organic,” Kshitij said. “That’s when we realized we weren’t just making ‘something.’ We were making ‘something’ that people really needed.”

first product

Their first product was a mobile-based quality assessment app that enabled digital quality assays remotely to solve the problems of subjective quality assessment and disputes between buyers and sellers. They deployed the app at several FPOs, collection centers and packhouses near Nashik, Narayangaon and Mumbai.

“Our first AI-powered onion grading and sorting machine was installed at Godadarna FPC, Nashik. It was the first AI-powered optical onion grading and sorting machine deployed in India,” Kshitij said.

Currently, their major challenge is to increase their manufacturing capacity. Their machines are designed and manufactured in-house, and hence, the lead time for any new product is 2 to 3 months.

“We are trying to reduce the time. We are also trying to develop technology in other crops and are looking for mechanical and robotics engineers to join our team to accelerate these developments,” Kshitij said.

correct scaling

With traction came new challenges: scaling operations, hiring the right people, and maintaining product quality.

“The hardest part was not starting over, moving forward without losing what made us unique,” ​​Kshitij said. “Everyone talks about moving fast, but we focused on moving the right way.”

This meant making tough decisions, prioritizing long-term value over short-term gain, and sometimes saying “no” to opportunities that didn’t align with the core mission.

According to Kshitij, what made the path easier was his supportive team. “I was fortunate to find people who not only worked for the company, but who also believed in what we were building.”

The company culture evolved organically, rooted in transparency, accountability and adaptability. Kshitij said, “We encouraged asking questions, experimenting, and even failure, as long as we learned from it. This approach helped the team stay agile in a constantly changing environment.”

lessons learned

Looking back, he now reflects on the lessons that defined the journey. Kshitij said, “First, clarity comes from action, not overthinking; second, flexibility matters more than talent; and third, your users will always teach you more than any strategy document.”

Today, Agrograd stands as a testament to the team’s tenacity and purpose. What started as a small idea has grown into a platform with significant impact. But, there are still miles to go for Kshitij and Rakesh.

Kshitij said, “We’re still learning, still growing… Whatever it is, this is just the beginning.” “It’s easy to get distracted by growth, but we always remind ourselves why we started.”

And, that’s why his story is compelling. A story that reflects not only the high points of entrepreneurship but also its uncomfortable side – the uncertainty amidst growth.

As Kshitij said, “I don’t think a startup is about having all the answers. It’s about being willing to keep moving, even when you don’t want to.”

raise money

Flexibility paid off. Agrograde has been recognized among the Top 9 Agritech Startups by Mahindra Startup Leap, included in NITI Aayog’s collection of 75 Agripreneurs and Innovators, and selected for the IGCC PHL Innovation Cohort.

It has also won BigLeap and Social Alpha Quest for Agritech Innovation, received the Government of India’s RKVY-RAFTAAR grant, and has been recognized among BSE’s Top 10 Impact Ventures and Maharashtra State Innovation Society’s Top 100 Startups.

Today, Agrograd is supported by leading incubators including IIMA Ventures, Villgro, Social Alpha, CIBA, IGKV and Chitkara Innovation.

It is part of initiatives like NVIDIA Inception Programme, Bosch DNA Accelerator, NASSCOM 10,000 Startups and IAIN initiative supported by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Tata Trusts and IIT Kanpur.

It has also filed a patent for its machine design.

As far as funding is concerned, Kshitij revealed that they raised money from angels and social impact investors for product development and pilot runs.

looking ahead

Looking to the future, Kshitij said they want to make the fresh produce packhouse completely autonomous and transparent.

Kshitij said, “Imagine turning collection centers into mini mandis, where everything – aggregation, quality checking, cleaning, grading, sorting, price discovery and market linkage – happens under one roof. Right now, we are focusing on crops like onion, potato and tomato. Soon, we will get into leafy vegetables and spices.”

After all, ‘building’ is their shared passion. This is what they thrive for.