Against this backdrop, ventures like Agrithink Services are emerging to bring practical, science-driven solutions to the grassroots.
The founder’s journey
For Dr Bijayalakshmi Goswami, entrepreneurship was not part of a carefully planned career path.
“I was chasing a dream of building something of my own. I worked with farmers, self-help groups, especially women, and with communities and orphanages. Without any formal entrepreneurial experience, I jumped into forming a startup with Taufiq Ahmed in September 2019,” she recalls.
Agrithink’s flagship innovation is a smart microclimate monitoring and control system, an IoT-based solution designed for protected cultivation, mushroom units, and processing facilities.
“It enables real-time monitoring of temperature, moisture, and humidity, supports remote irrigation of greenhouses, and enhances mushroom production. We also provide instant recommendations based on tested values,” she explains.
Navigating early challenges
Agrithink’s early days were defined by uncertainty. “We had just started our venture when COVID struck. Everything slowed down, and we had to work remotely,” Goswami says.
As a team leader, she faced the dual challenge of maintaining morale while managing scarce financial resources. “My biggest challenge was keeping everyone motivated. I had to constantly improvise with finances, managing with the little we had.”
By mid-2020, the situation had become critical.
“We were on the verge of losing everything,” she admits.
Relief arrived in June 2020, when the Assam government stepped in with timely support. “The government came to our rescue at that time. We received Rs 5 lakh, and that was crucial. Under the leadership of the chief minister of Assam, I believe there won’t be any looking back for startups in the state,” she says.
For Goswami, the intervention was not just financial assistance—it was validation of Assam’s evolving startup ecosystem.
Vision ahead
Despite the rocky beginning, Agrithink has set its sights firmly on scale and long-term impact.
“Our long-term vision is to grow into a trusted agritech startup. Over the next three to five years, we aim to scale our solutions to help farmers adopt science-based tools, create jobs, and contribute to building sustainable, resilient agriculture in India,” she says.
Her journey reflects a broader shift under way in Assam’s entrepreneurial landscape, one where grassroots experience, technology, and institutional support are converging to build resilient, future-ready enterprises.
As Agrithink moves forward, it stands as an example of how locally rooted innovation can help farmers not just increase productivity, but prepare for an uncertain climate future.
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