A Pune-based startup has digitized over 250,000 acres of farmland across 35 enterprise clients worldwide, building the connective tissue between what happens in the field and what executives see in the boardroom.
KhetiBuddy, launched in 2021 by Vinay Nair and Dr. Richa Nair, emerged from a glaring disconnect in agricultural supply chains. Businesses made procurement and sustainability calls using data that stopped at the factory gate. What occurred on farms stayed locked in notebooks or scattered spreadsheets.
The couple spotted this gap from opposite directions. Vinay spent years building enterprise SaaS platforms through Aarialife Technologies. Richa founded Aaria Biolife, working directly with farmers on crop health and biological inputs. Both kept hitting the same wall.
**Solving the Farm Data Problem**
Their answer became Verdnt, an AI-native platform that structures farm-level information across the growing cycle. The system captures what got planted, which inputs were applied, weather exposure, soil readings and harvest quality. Field teams can submit via mobile apps, IoT sensors or satellite imagery.
From there, Verdnt feeds four connected modules. Farm Management gives agribusinesses visibility across their supply base. Supply Chain links harvest outcomes with procurement workflows. Agri ERP handles operational and financial management. Sustainability and DMRV, meaning Digital Monitoring, Reporting and Verification, converts practice data into compliance metrics.
The platform integrates with existing ERP systems rather than forcing customers to rebuild their tech stack. AI models handle yield forecasting, disease-risk alerts and quality prediction, calibrated for specific crops and regional contexts.
**Customers and Traction**
KhetiBuddy targets mid-sized and large agribusinesses. Input companies managing farmer networks, food brands tracking supply bases, commodity traders needing export traceability and plantation operators all use the platform.
The subscription model scales by acreage, enterprise users and modules deployed. A white-label channel lets agritech partners deploy Verdnt under their own brands, powering international expansion.
One early winery customer went beyond operations. It built a quality-based farmer incentive system where measured growing practices directly influenced grower payments.
**The Road Ahead**
Regulatory pressure is accelerating demand. The EU Deforestation Regulation, CSRD requirements and US FDA FSMA 204 traceability rules are forcing food companies to verify sourcing claims. KhetiBuddy sees opportunity in North America, Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia.
The company has remained largely bootstrapped, with early funding from a family office that understood the long game. Agriculture operates in seasons. KhetiBuddy learned to match that pace.
