Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), Government of India, is the central authority for agricultural policy and programme implementation. It oversees horticulture and allied sectors from its headquarters at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi.

Through the RKVY-RAFTAAR Agripreneurship Programme, the Ministry supports early-stage ventures in agriculture and related fields. The initiative operates via a network of Knowledge Partners and RKVY Agri-Business Incubators located at institutions such as IITs, NITs, ICAR institutes, and agricultural universities. Funding is provided in three instalments linked to project milestones, with up to ₹5 lakh available at the pre-seed stage and up to ₹25 lakh at the seed stage, of which the scheme covers 85% and the incubatee contributes 15%. By 2024, the programme had assisted over 1,700 agri-startups through 5 Knowledge Partners and 24 R-ABIs, with total disbursements of approximately ₹122.5 crore.

Applicants must be incubated at an RKVY-RAFTAAR R-ABI for at least two months and cannot hold grants from other government sources. The scheme targets pre-seed and seed stage founders in agritech, food tech, and farm-linked businesses seeking non-dilutive funding and structured incubation support.