Catalyse Tech 2025: Innovations in climate resilient agriculture and allied technologies is a program to spark innovation and create lasting change in India’s agriculture and allied sectors. Designed to address real-world challenges faced by grassroots communities, the program empowers innovators to develop practical, inclusive, and impactful solutions. By fostering collaboration, leveraging purposeful technology, and integrating hardware, this program aims to build solutions that not only solve immediate problems but also create long-term resilience for marginalized communities.
We are on a mission to co-create a thriving, equitable future where farmers, innovators, and communities rise together. The program offers onboarded partners a transformative journey, providing mentorship, financial support, design expertise, and access to critical resources for developing and refining Minimum Viable Products (MVPs). This program is more than just innovation—with a strong commitment to systemic change on inclusive hardware-based R&D for agri-allied sectors, it’s about building an ecosystem where meaningful connections and purposeful actions pave the way for a sustainable future.
The program seeks passionate innovators, startups, and enterprises ready to address pressing challenges in agriculture and allied sectors, provided they meet the following essential criteria:
Your solution must include a technological component that is original and/or addresses a gap in the sector, with the potential to create meaningful, real-world impact.
Innovations should incorporate hardware or phygital elements that deliver tangible, on-ground solutions for communities.
Your solution should demonstrate measurable and observable benefits for farmers, either directly or indirectly, contributing to their livelihoods and resilience.
Applicants must have a clearly defined problem within agriculture or allied sectors and a conceptualized solution that addresses it effectively.
Note: Applicants can apply regardless of their enterprise’s registration status. However, registration will be mandatory to move beyond the initial stages of the program.
The program seeks passionate innovators, startups, and enterprises ready to address pressing challenges in agriculture and allied sectors, provided they meet the following essential criteria:
Your solution must include a technological component that is original and/or addresses a gap in the sector, with the potential to create meaningful, real-world impact.
Innovations should incorporate hardware or phygital elements that deliver tangible, on-ground solutions for communities.
Your solution should demonstrate measurable and observable benefits for farmers, either directly or indirectly, contributing to their livelihoods and resilience.
Applicants must have a clearly defined problem within agriculture or allied sectors and a conceptualized solution that addresses it effectively.
Note: Applicants can apply regardless of their enterprise’s registration status. However, registration will be mandatory to move beyond the initial stages of the program.
The program empowers innovators with tailored categories, resources, and guidance—choose the one that aligns with your goals to drive impact.
If you have identified a pressing problem and conceptualized a solution but haven’t yet built or tested it, this category is for you. This program will help you move from idea to reality by supporting the creation of a Proof of Concept (POC), testing its feasibility, and developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) ready for early users. This category is perfect for those at the starting line of creating something tangible and impactful.
This category is for innovators who already have a working prototype or Proof of Concept (POC) that has been tested in controlled environments. If you’re ready to refine and validate your solution in real-world settings, this program provides the resources to improve your POC, test it effectively, and transition into creating a robust MVP for deployment and feedback from users like farmers or cooperatives.
If you’ve developed an MVP and are ready to test it in pilot projects, this category is for you. This program will support you in refining your MVP based on real-world feedback, testing it with users such as farmers and cooperatives, and preparing it for broader adoption. This category is ideal for those seeking to fine-tune their solution and ensure it meets user needs effectively
Want to know more about the categories and application? Download brochure for more details.
15th January 2025
15th February 2025
22nd February 2025
3rd-5th March 2025
7th March 2025
Selected innovators are notified and onboarded to begin their journey with Catalyse Tech 2025.
1st Apr 2025 - 30th March 2026
Our jury comprises experts from diverse fields, including technology, hardware, design, and agriculture, bringing together the knowledge and insights needed to identify impactful and innovative solutions.
The program provides support designed to empower innovators addressing critical challenges in India’s agriculture and allied sectors. The support focuses on enabling the creation of refined Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) and their testing, ensuring innovators have the additional resources needed to develop impactful, contextual solutions.
Not at all. If you have a strong idea and the ability to build and test a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) within 12 months, you’re eligible to apply.
Yes! As long as your project aligns with the goals of Catalyse Tech 2025 and fits within the program timeline, you’re welcome to join the program.
Absolutely. If all your products meet the eligibility criteria, you can submit multiple entries.
Onboarded partners will receive comprehensive support, including design expertise mentorship, financial support, assistance in creating MVPs, and access to valuable resources and other need based support.
Applications will go through a structured evaluation process. This includes screening based on predefined criteria, shortlisting, thorough due diligence, and final selection by a jury.
The program runs over 12 months, from application to final demonstration and impact evaluation. A detailed timeline will be shared to selected applicants.
Yes, we encourage collaborations! Working with other organizations can strengthen your solution and make it more impactful.
We’re looking for bold ideas. If you have a well-thought-out concept with a clear plan to develop an MVP within the program timeline, we’d love to hear from you.
No, there’s no financial commitment needed to participate in Catalyse Tech 2025.
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Their product range includes milking machines, chaff cutters, and sprayers. The customizable fixed milking machine system ensures safety and hygiene, making it an accessible option for small-scale farmers. SmartAgro Machineries aim to solve fundamental farming issues, contributing to the advancement of agricultural practices in Karnataka and beyond.
The SELCO Foundation Technology Incubation Program supported SmartAgro Machineries by providing mentorship and technical expertise for their milking machine. This support improved the machine’s efficiency and productivity. Additionally, a customized business plan developed during the incubation period helped establish SmartAgro Machineries as a prominent player in the field. SELCO Foundation also supported the solarization of the milking machine, making it sustainable and energy-efficient.
Ajay Sahoo, the founder of Maa Mangala, is a self-taught entrepreneur who has developed a groundbreaking Puffed Rice Making Machine. Based in Nayagarh, Odisha, Maa Mangala focuses on producing affordable, user-friendly machines designed to replace traditional, labor-intensive puffed rice production methods. Sahoo’s innovation addresses the challenges faced by small-scale producers by reducing manual labor and increasing productivity, thus improving working conditions and streamlining the production process.
Maa Mangala aims to modernize the puffed rice industry by offering a more efficient and comfortable alternative to the conventional methods that often involve demanding physical labor and exposure to harsh conditions. By providing a practical solution that enhances productivity and worker comfort, Ajay Sahoo’s enterprise is making a significant impact on small-scale production in rural and peri-urban areas.
SELCO Technology Incubation has played a crucial role in supporting Maa Mangala by facilitating site identification and organizing exhibitions in prominent locations like Puri, Bhubaneswar, and Kalahandi. Additionally, SELCO developed marketing materials such as brochures and catalogs in Odia and Hindi and provided tailored business plans, which have been essential in expanding the enterprise’s reach and fostering growth within the puffed rice industry.
Basudev Agritech, under the leadership of Satyanarayan Jena, has received significant recognition for its contributions to agriculture. The company has been honored at both district and state levels, including receiving the Chief Minister’s Innovative Agricultural Machinery Award for its in-house development and manufacturing of agricultural machinery. Basudev Agritech’s commitment to social service and farmer engagement has made it a trusted partner among the local farming community, consistently striving to improve farmers’ incomes and simplify farm machinery operations.
The SELCO Foundation’s Technology Incubation Program has provided crucial support to Basudev Agritech, aiding in product refinement and the creation of a plug-and-play model that utilizes ready-made components for streamlined production. Additionally, SELCO has developed soft collaterals to bolster marketing efforts and provided mentoring on design improvements and power reduction. Networking opportunities facilitated by SELCO have connected Basudev Agritech with key stakeholders in the agritech and agricultural sectors. This collaboration has enabled Basudev Agritech to enhance its products and operational efficiency, making machinery more accessible and easier to handle for farmers. As a result, adoption rates have increased, improving post-harvest processing outcomes and driving innovation and sustainability in agricultural practices.
Narayan Bathwal, an innovator from Odisha, is the driving force behind Aranya Paridhi Pvt Ltd, a company committed to developing cutting-edge solar PV-based power fences. These advanced fences offer enhanced security for agricultural and horticultural premises, as well as government utilities such as water reservoirs, food grain distribution facilities, transport depots, and pumping stations. By integrating the latest technology, Bathwal’s solutions provide reliable protection and contribute to the effective management of valuable resources.
In addition to power fences, Aranya Paridhi Pvt Ltd is also focused on creating solar dryers specifically designed for small-scale farmers. These solar dryers aim to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of crop drying, addressing a key challenge faced by farmers and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Bathwal’s dedication to combining renewable energy with practical agricultural solutions underscores his commitment to enhancing both security and productivity in the rural sector
SELCO Foundation’s Technology Incubation program has been instrumental in supporting Narayan Bathwal and his enterprise. Through mentorship, soft collateral support, and marketing assistance, SELCO Foundation has helped Aranya Paridhi Pvt Ltd advance its innovations and expand its reach. This collaboration has played a crucial role in the company’s development, reinforcing its impact on renewable energy and sustainable agriculture.
The Technology Incubation Program at SELCO Foundation has provided crucial support to Bhaskar Machinery in several key areas. This includes product refinement, where heating plates and springs have been redesigned to enhance efficiency and reliability. Additionally, the program offers mentoring for optimizing design and reducing power consumption, which lowers operational costs and makes the machines more accessible and sustainable. Marketing materials and networking opportunities are also provided, helping the enterprise reach a wider audience and secure necessary resources for growth.
These innovations have a significant impact, particularly on tribal communities. By mechanizing the labor-intensive processes of pressing leaves into plates and twisting grass fibers into ropes, Bhaskar Machinery enables these communities, especially women, to take up alternative livelihoods. This empowerment helps reduce distress migration and supports economic stability. Jogendra’s inclusive approach, prioritizing ease of operability for individuals with disabilities, further ensures the wide usability of these machines, promoting rural and tribal upliftment, a circular economy, and environmental sustainability.