India-Australia RISE Accelerator Invites Start-ups and MSMEs for Climate Smart Agritech Cohort

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 20th August. The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), in collaboration with Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), has announced an open call for start-ups and MSMEs from India and Australia to join the Climate Smart Agritech cohort of the India Australia Rapid Innovation and Start-up Expansion (RISE) Accelerator. This program aims to support businesses seeking international expansion while addressing critical agricultural challenges shared by both nations.

Scheduled to commence in October 2024, the Climate Smart Agritech cohort will focus on start-ups and MSMEs that develop technologies and solutions enhancing agricultural productivity and resilience amidst growing climate variability, resource scarcity, and food insecurity. The program is especially interested in solutions that prioritize farmers’ needs and on-farm practices.

Launched in 2023, the RISE Accelerator has been pivotal in helping start-ups and MSMEs validate and pilot their technologies in new markets. The Climate Smart Agritech cohort will further this mission by focusing on agritech innovations that respond to environmental challenges, aiming to boost productivity and optimize resource use.

Tamara Ogilvie, Program Director at CSIRO, emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, “India and Australia share common agricultural challenges, but the scale and diversity of our farming operations are unique. This cohort will enable participants to achieve product-market fit in diverse markets and rapidly scale their solutions to meet global demands.”

Over the course of the nine-month program, selected participants will benefit from a combination of self-paced online learning and in-person sessions, including immersion weeks in both India and Australia. These sessions will provide market insights, one-on-one coaching, and mentorship from industry professionals, facilitating connections with potential partners and customers. The latter half of the program will include field trials and technology pilots.

Pramit Dash, Program Lead at AIM, highlighted the program’s impact, noting, “By fostering innovation and providing a platform for start-ups to scale their solutions, the RISE Accelerator program not only addresses the immediate challenges in the agriculture sector but also ensures that farmers can access and adopt resilient practices tailored to their specific needs.”

Applications for the RISE Accelerator close on 15 September 2024. The program is free of charge for participating start-ups and MSMEs, with opportunities for travel between Australia and India. Selected participants may also be eligible for grants of up to INR 45 lakhs.

For more information and to apply, visit RISE Accelerator. An Info and Q&A session will be held on 28 August 2024.

About RISE Accelerator:
The India Australia Rapid Innovation and Start-up Expansion (RISE) Accelerator is a bilateral initiative led by CSIRO and AIM, NITI Aayog, focusing on environmental and climate issues by supporting the cross-border expansion of innovative agritech solutions.