Farmers should decide when to sell and whom to sell to: Arya.ag COO Anand Chandra

Research, Science & Innovation

New Delhi: When Anand Chandra chose agriculture as a career, it was not an obvious choice for many young professionals. He saw the sector differently. “Agriculture is one of the most stable and demanding sectors for the coming years,” he says. “It will always remain essential to the economy.” Today, as co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Arya.ag, Chandra is working to address one of Indian agriculture’s persistent challenges: farmers often have to sell their produce when they need cash, rather than when market prices are favourable. His approach combines decentralised warehousing, technology and credit against stored produce to give farmers greater flexibility over when and where they sell. The idea is straightforward: if farmers can access money without immediately selling their harvest, they have a better chance of securing a favourable price. Chandra studied Agricultural Sciences before completing an MBA in Agribusiness Management at the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE). What drew him to the sector was the gap between ideas and implementation. “There were plenty of ideas and discussions about solutions, but execution was often lacking,” he says. He also cautions against treating intermediaries as the problem in themselves. “The existing supply chain helps keep food...