Freshokartz is a marketplace focused on agri inputs, market linkages and supply chain financing. As founders, Rajendra Lora and his wife Chandrakanta had a deep connection with agriculture. Their parents are farmers in a small village in Nagaur district, Rajasthan. After growing up working on his family farm, Rajendra Lora pursued Computer Science and Engineering at IIIT Jabalpur. He then worked for a startup in Bangalore and later in Mumbai. It was during his time in Mumbai that he felt the urge to build something that could address the challenges faced by farmers, which he had witnessed firsthand. He then returned to Jaipur and began working on Freshokartz. The idea emerged from personal experience, observing the struggles his family faced while accessing proper agri inputs and securing fair prices for their produce. Freshokartz aims to tackle the issue of mis-selling agri inputs such as seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers. Farmers often struggle to access the right products at their doorsteps. Moreover, selling directly to corporations is difficult for farmers at the village level. Freshokartz buys products from farmers and sells them to large corporations, helping farmers secure better prices for their grains and pulses compared to the local markets.
Freshokartz provides essential agri inputs under its own private label, as well as other brands. It has built a network of Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) who work closely with farmers to deliver their services. VLEs act as the point of contact between Freshokartz and the farmers, placing orders on behalf of the farmers and ensuring they receive the right products.
Freshokartz is primarily present in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, working with over 200,000 farmers so far. Many of these farmers have been loyal to its services, thanks to the VLE model. This approach has allowed them to retain most farmers for one or more of our services.
Indian farmers are often small and marginalised with limited exposure to technology. To bridge the technology gap, Freshokartz equips its VLEs with tech tools and train them to assist farmers. VLEs act as the middlemen, managing groups of farmers and placing orders in bulk.
Over the years Freshokartz’s primary focus remains on agri-input marketplace and expanding its branded products. Over the next few years, Freshokartz will work on market linkages and supply chain financing to help small buyers and sellers facilitate trade with minimal capital. This represents a significant growth opportunity.
