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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Harvesting Dignity, Delivering Freshness: DailyGurus Builds a New Agri-Economy for India's Villages
PNN New Delhi [India], June 6: Introducing an agri-tech startup that is revolutionising the agriculture industry -- not just by delivering the farm to cities, but by sowing the seeds of economic dignity and rural empowerment. Meet DailyGurus -- an ambitious, farm-to-business platform reimagining how food moves across India while keeping women at the center of change. With support from SoilBox, a Rs60 lakh catalytic program by OmniActive Improving Lives Foundation, in partnership with Bioriidl, riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University, DailyGurus is proving that rural resilience and urban freshness can grow from the same root. In the villages outside Bangalore, DailyGurus has mobilized: - 50+ small farmers, now earning Rs15,000 more every day by cutting out middlemen. - 20+ local women, now trained and employed in sorting, cleaning, and tech-enabled packing operations -- unlocking stable incomes up to Rs90,000/year. - City-based cloud kitchens and stores, now sourcing verified, traceable produce with full transparency -- knowing where their food came from, when it was picked, and who packed it. DailyGurus, co-founded by Rajesh M and Gnanashekaran, received a Rs12.5 lakh grant under SoilBox. 20 local women are now handling the sorting, cleaning, and packing of vegetables. They've been trained to use simple tech tools and follow high standards. Earlier, they could only find short-term work. Now, they have steady income throughout the year, with a chance to earn up to Rs90,000 annually. DailyGurus also makes sure that every order is traceable -- meaning you can know where the food came from, when it was harvested, and who packed it. This helps keep quality high and builds trust with customers like cloud kitchens, restaurants, and shops across Bangalore. ""When a woman in a village earns her first steady income, or a farmer sees his crops reach the city without exploitation -- that's not just innovation, it's transformation," says Rushva Parihar, Head, OmniActive Improving Lives Foundation. "DailyGurus is growing more than food -- it's growing hope." Beyond funding, SoilBox offers selected startups access to field pilots, mentorship, and peer-learning, helping them refine and scale their solutions in real-world conditions. DailyGurus' success is rooted in this ecosystem. "At riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University, through our partnership with OmniActive Improving Lives Foundation under the SoilBox program, we are proud to support startups like DailyGurus that are working directly with farmers. By enabling farm-to-consumer supply chains, DailyGurus not only uplifts farmer incomes but also fosters a more resilient and transparent food system. This is exactly the kind of grassroots impact SoilBox is designed to nurture," adds Bhavna Pandya, Chief Incubation Officer at riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University, which has supported 268 startups and over 1,000 jobs and internships over the last 15 years. Across regions as diverse as West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, and the Nilgiris, SoilBox-supported startups are redefining what's possible in rural innovation. In Southern India, DailyGurus stands out -- showing how reimagining food supply chains can transform lives from village farms to urban kitchens. About SoilBox: SoilBox is a catalytic initiative by OmniActive Improving Lives Foundation, in partnership with Bioriidl - riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University and funded by OmniActive Health Technologies. With a vision to reimagine rural resilience, SoilBox supports startups building farmer-first solutions that are sustainable, scalable, and rooted in local realities. From productivity and market access to circular economy models, the program nurtures ideas that go beyond innovation--forging a future where science, soil, and community come together to transform how India grows, earns, and thrives. The goal: reach 200,000+ farmers and create a lasting ecosystem of rural prosperity. About OmniActive Improving Lives Foundation OmniActive Improving Lives Foundation is the social impact arm of OmniActive Health Technologies, committed to building healthier, more resilient communities across India. Through high-impact programs in health, education, agriculture, and sustainability, the foundation has touched over 230,000 lives across nine states. It partners with mission-driven startups, grassroots organizations, and local governments to co-create scalable solutions that drive long-term change. With a focus on innovation, inclusivity, and systems thinking, the foundation empowers underserved communities to thrive--unlocking new pathways to well-being, livelihood, and environmental stewardship for current and future generations. About riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University: riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University has been bestowed with the National Award for the year 2020 in the Emerging Technology Business Incubator category by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University supports the creation and incubation of early-stage companies from ideation to commercialization by providing them with resources, labs, facilitating government grants, investor connections, funding and mentorship. Business incubators of riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University are supported by the Department of Science & Technology; BIRAC, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India and Maharashtra State Innovation Society, Government of Maharashtra. It has incubated over 268 startups and facilitated in creating 1000+ jobs and internship opportunities while the total revenue generated by the startups is over INR 400 Cr. Among these, our bio-incubator has supported 74 life sciences startups with 3 successful exits and over 30 research projects.
Business Recorder
24-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Austerity for people, exceptions for state
EDITORIAL: In a country where every budget cycle tightens the noose on the ordinary citizen, the procurement of 179 vehicles — 15 of them fully bulletproof — by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) under the guise of reform is a stark reminder of how austerity in Pakistan has long been a one-way street. The Planning Commission's call for a review of the Rs2.2 billion vehicle expenditure under the FBR's World Bank-funded Revenue Raises Project should not only be heeded, but broadened into a wider inquiry into why austerity only ever applies to the governed, never the governors. The economic rationale of the Revenue Raises Project is hard to dispute on paper. A benefit-cost ratio ranging from 42 to 70, and an internal rate of return from 130 percent to 195 percent, are impressive metrics by any standard. But such numbers risk becoming academic if they come to justify unchecked spending cloaked in reformist language. The Planning Commission is right to question how these 179 vehicles — procured without clear specifications and at an average unit cost of Rs12.5 million — fit into the broader framework of the government's self-declared austerity drive. Even the Finance Division, usually content to toe the fiscal line, has signalled concern. The FBR has defended the procurement, citing the operational demands of varied terrains and the anti-smuggling mandate of its digital enforcement units. But here lies the problem: the state's definition of 'essential' is elastic — rarely subject to the same rigour or sacrifice demanded of the citizenry. Bulletproof vehicles and state-of-the-art tracking systems are evidently easier to justify than trimming allowances or merging redundant bureaucracies. This tone-deaf spending is all the more jarring when set against the backdrop of an economy in distress. Pakistan's tax-to-GDP ratio remains stuck at around 10 percent, far below the Asia-Pacific average. A staggering 64 percent of economic activity remains undocumented. Small businesses incur high compliance costs, while the cash-to-GDP ratio remains abnormally high at 28 percent, compared to India's 18 percent and Bangladesh's 17 percent. The structural tax reforms demanded by the IMF have already been extracted from the public through higher levies, indirect taxes, and repeated rounds of inflationary adjustment. Meanwhile, the state apparatus continues to grow in scale and insulate itself from shared sacrifice. The Planning Commission's observations go beyond procurement excesses. It has rightly flagged the need to rationalise tax procedures, simplify the levy structure, and accelerate digitisation. These are the reforms that can make tax collection more efficient and equitable. The irony, however, is that a project purportedly aimed at achieving precisely these goals now risks becoming a textbook example of bureaucratic overreach and resource misallocation. The FBR's vision is not without merit. Mobile tax facilitation units, ICT upgrades, and harmonisation efforts with provincial tax authorities are all welcome steps. But these goals do not require fleets of high-end vehicles and bulletproof assets as their delivery mechanism. Reform cannot be used as cover for profligacy. Nor should the promise of long-term efficiency gains grant a carte-blanche today. The government's credibility on austerity is already threadbare. Each new commitment to fiscal discipline is followed by exceptions for politically connected departments, elite bureaucracies, or strategic pet projects. Until this pattern is broken — until austerity is practised at the top as stringently as it is enforced at the bottom — public trust in reform efforts will continue to erode. The Planning Commission has done its job in raising a red flag. What remains to be seen is whether anyone in government has the political will to act on it. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
19-05-2025
- Express Tribune
Four held for killing woman for property
A man got his pregnant sister-in-law killed with the help of shooters over a financial dispute of Rs12.5 million. The Crime Control Department (CCD) has arrested four men, including two shooters, in the murder case. SP CCD Malik Tariq Singha told the media that some time ago, in the area of Millat Town police station, Aqsa Bibi was killed by her brother-in-law Ali Rizwan, in collusion with his brother Rizwan alias Jani and the shooters Saifullah, Pervaiz alias Boota Masih and Usman alias Sheeshi. Accused Ali Rizwan had a property dispute with Aqsa Bibi as he had taken Rs11 million from her mother. He contacted the shooters on WhatsApp and got them to kill Aqsa Bibi and the baby in her womb. After the case was registered at Millat Town Police Station, the case file was handed over to the CCD. The in-charge of CCD Headquarters, Syed Irum Raza Shah, raided various places and traced this murder and arrested the deceased's brother-in-law Ali Rizwan and the shooters Saifullah, Pervez alias Boota Masih and Usman alias Sheshi along with the murder weapon. During the interrogation, the accused revealed that they had also killed Mubashir, a scrap dealer, and injured his father.
Express Tribune
18-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
World Bank-funded project cost doubles after revision
The government has made the third revision in the troubled World Bank-funded Pakistan Raises Revenue project and almost doubled the cost to $150 million to upgrade technology and also to procure 179 vehicles, including bullet-proof cars. In rupee terms, the cost was increased from the original price tag of Rs12.5 billion to Rs40.8 billion — a surge of 226% in addition to giving two years' extension in its completion period. The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Thursday referred the project to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec), said a statement issued by the Planning Ministry on Friday. The CDWP also expanded the scope of Punjab Chief Minister Laptop scheme and increased its cost by 170% to Rs27 billion. The Investment Projects Financing (IPF) component of Pakistan Raises Revenue Project worth Rs40.8 billion was referred to Ecnec for further consideration. The Planning Ministry said the project will be financed through a World Bank loan. The revised project focuses on modernizing the Federal Board of Revenue's (FBR) infrastructure through the replacement of outdated hardware, deployment of a private cloud, updated software licensing, and enhanced connectivity for field formations. The project documents stated that an amount of Rs2.2 billion has been allocated for procurement of 179 vehicles of different makes at the unit cost of Rs12.5 million for Digital Enforcement Units. These include 15 bullet-proof vehicles. The government had taken a $400 million loan in the name of Pakistan Raises Revenue. Out of which, $80 million had been allocated for hardware upgrading. Now this component has been increased to $150 million. The ministry stated that the FBR's requirements have substantially changed as a result of organization-wide thrust to adopt information and communication technology (ICT) based solutions for its core operations and facilitation of taxpayer, as envisaged under the FBR Transformation Roadmap 2024. The concept clearance proposal of the programme was approved in 2019. Ecnec in 2020 approved the original project at a total cost of Rs12.6 billion. Later on, the first revision of the project was approved by Ecnec in its meeting held in 2023 at a total cost of Rs21.5 billion. Now, the cost is Rs40.8 billion. The project documents underlined that based on discussions and understanding between the FBR and the World Banks's team during Mid-Term Review (MTR) mission aide memoire, the project has been restructured for including additional funding therefore scope of the project has been revised. There are certain changes in implementation strategies for achieving the programme's objectives and goals. The additional funds will be utilized to meet the requirements. These include piloting Mobile Tax Facilitation Services, initiatives for improved taxpayer compliance, establishing forum for technical consultations with provincial tax authorities on tax harmonization, staff capacity building, backup power equipment up-gradation and control rooms, it added. The project has been restructured on instruction of the prime minister and discussions and understanding between the FBR and World Bank's team during the Mid-Term Review mission aide memoire. The FBR had also conducted an inquiry report for identifying external reasons. The delay was because of non-award of contract under original project, lack of adequate rupee cover allocations as a main hindrance in procurement during last three years and the PM's directive to revise PC-I of Pakistan Raises Revenue to include components of the FBR Transformation Plan falling within scope of the project. But the Planning Ministry stated in its comments that these risks should have been catered in the risk mitigation strategy of the project and could have been managed by the project authority. The Planning Ministry recommended fixing the responsibility for the inability to mitigate these risks to complete the project as per its approved scope and time period. The revised project is also aimed at rolling out a Single Sales Tax Return system, development of Data Warehousing and BI tools, and digital transformation of value chains, the components that do not require any foreign loan. The project supports faceless assessments, border technology upgrades, and capacity building through training, expert panels, and IT enhancements, along with business process automation and risk management frameworks, according to the Planning Ministry. The Punjab CM Laptop Scheme worth Rs27 billion was referred to Ecnec for further consideration. The project is funded by the government of Punjab and will be completed by October this year. The project aims to distribute laptops to approximately 112,000 students currently enrolled in public sector educational institutions across Punjab with the final number subject to revised allocations. Targeting students in BS, MS, MBBS, and Engineering programmes, the selection will follow criteria approved by the Steering Committee and be based on verified student data from respective institutions. This initiative seeks to digitally empower students, enhance access to educational resources, reduce socio-economic disparities, and promote equal opportunities. It also aims to foster collaboration with the local ICT industry, support economic growth and entrepreneurship, and invest in human capital by equipping students with the skills needed to compete globally and regionally. To qualify for the laptop, the public sector universities and colleges students should get a minimum of 65% marks in intermediate exams. For public sector medical and dental colleges and universities minimum of 80% marks in intermediate are required. Students must not be a recipient of any laptop from PM laptop programme or any government laptop scheme.
Business Standard
05-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Sowing Confidence, Reaping Change: Farmology Boosts Farmer Income in Bengal
PNN Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 5: As unpredictable weather patterns and rising input costs place increasing pressure on India's farmers, a quiet transformation is underway in Bengal's 24 Parganas. Smallholder farmers here, long constrained by low yields and volatile markets, are now harvesting every week--a rhythm made possible by Farmology, a startup redefining the possibilities of rural agriculture. Supported through the SoilBox program, Farmology combines bio-fertiliser-based inputs, soil-first practices, and real-time crop advisory to empower smallholder farmers with knowledge, tools, and confidence. "Earlier, we harvested Parwal once every two weeks. This season, we're harvesting every week. That's never happened before," shares Saktipada Mondal, a farmer in 24 Parganas. "The soil looks healthier. We're taking more to the mandi--and bringing more money home." Farmology, co-founded by Anup Ganguly and Akash Chandrakar, received a Rs12.5 lakh grant under SoilBox -- a Rs60 lakh initiative by OmniActive Improving Lives Foundation, in partnership with Bioriidl, riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University, and funded by OmniActive Health Technologies. The program aims to reach over 200,000 farmers across India by enabling agri-startups to extend support far beyond the grant cycle. In just one season, Farmology has already made measurable progress: * Farmers saw a 28% increase in yield * Income per bigha rose from Rs4,000 to Rs5,720 * Market prices improved from Rs40/kg to Rs45/kg "This isn't just an agri-startup -- it's an agri-uprising," says Rushva Parihar, Head, OmniActive Improving Lives Foundation. "One that starts with a better harvest but ends with a more confident farmer. That's the real innovation." Beyond funding, SoilBox offers selected startups access to field pilots, mentorship, and peer-learning, helping them refine and scale their solutions in real-world conditions. Farmology's success is rooted in this ecosystem -- one that blends deep-tech innovation with grassroots knowledge. "It's incredibly fulfilling to see startups like Farmology turn grassroots innovation into real-world change," adds Bhavna Pandya, Chief Incubation Officer at riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University, which has supported 268 startups and over 1,000 jobs and internships over the last 15 years. With SoilBox-supported startups now active across West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, and the Nilgiris, the program is already showing how farmer-first innovation can thrive in diverse agro-climatic zones. From improving soil health in Bengal to turning farm waste into income in the Himalayan foothills, these startups are proving that real change happens when solutions are rooted in soil, guided by science, and driven by community. About SoilBox: SoilBox is a catalytic initiative by OmniActive Improving Lives Foundation, in partnership with Bioriidl - riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University and funded by OmniActive Health Technologies. With a vision to reimagine rural resilience, SoilBox supports startups building farmer-first solutions that are sustainable, scalable, and rooted in local realities. From productivity and market access to circular economy models, the program nurtures ideas that go beyond innovation--forging a future where science, soil, and community come together to transform how India grows, earns, and thrives. The goal: reach 200,000+ farmers and create a lasting ecosystem of rural prosperity. About OmniActive Improving Lives Foundation OmniActive Improving Lives Foundation is the social impact arm of OmniActive Health Technologies, committed to building healthier, more resilient communities across India. Through high-impact programs in health, education, agriculture, and sustainability, the foundation has touched over 230,000 lives across nine states. It partners with mission-driven startups, grassroots organizations, and local governments to co-create scalable solutions that drive long-term change. With a focus on innovation, inclusivity, and systems thinking, the foundation empowers underserved communities to thrive, unlocking new pathways to well-being, livelihood, and environmental stewardship for current and future generations. About riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University: riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University has been bestowed with the National Award for the year 2020 in the Emerging Technology Business Incubator category by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University supports the creation and incubation of early-stage companies from ideation to commercialization by providing them with resources, labs, facilitating government grants, investor connections, funding and mentorship. Business incubators of riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University are supported by the Department of Science & Technology; BIRAC, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India and Maharashtra State Innovation Society, Government of Maharashtra. It has incubated over 268 startups and facilitated the creation of 1000+ jobs and internship opportunities, while the total revenue generated by the startups is over INR 400 Cr. Among these, our bio-incubator has supported 74 life sciences startups with 3 successful exits and over 30 research projects.
