How a University Student is Building an App to Empower Millions of Farmers in India

In his first-ever hackathon, Satya Sathwik Juttada and his three teammates won first place out of 72 teams at the Imperial College London’s Global Challenge Lab 2022, organized by Futurize. His team and he decided to take their winning idea of a farm machinery rental application to help millions of farmers in India. As we spoke to Sathwik, he shared how their idea grew and developed after the innovation challenge and how they aim to reach their next milestone of raising funding from investors.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I'm Sathwik Juttada, in my third year of chemical and biomedical engineering at the University of Toronto. My chosen field of study has always propelled me towards hackathons and initiatives focused on global change. An innovation challenge organized by Futurize was my first foray into such events and significantly influenced my professional trajectory.

I also work as a biomedical machine learning analyst at Atoms Lab, affiliated with my university. Apart from this research work, I'm also deeply involved in a startup venture, e-parali, which allows farmers to rent machinery at affordable rates.

“Young entrepreneurs always tend to bring ideas that no one has thought of, allowing the world to keep improving and moving rather than just staying stagnant.”

Satya Sathwik Juttada, Student at the University of Toronto and founder of e-parali

What Futurize program were you a part of, and why did you join it?

I was part of the Imperial Enterprise Lab’s - Global Challenge Lab 2022, organized by Futurize. The innovation program saw participation from students across the globe, ranging from undergraduates to those pursuing their PhDs. When this opportunity presented itself, I decided to venture into it because it was a great way to collaborate with diverse teams and build new ideas for a sustainable future.

How did the Global Challenge Lab 2022 run by Futurize help you develop a business idea?

The program challenged us to build a solution to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13 on Climate Action. My team, including Advait Iyer and Karthi Hari Krishnan, students at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, and Richmond Theophilus Ghanney, a recent graduate from the University of Ghana, developed a business idea together called ‘e-parali’ to address small farmers' economic challenges and tackle environmental concerns in India. 

e-parali is an agricultural machinery rental-sharing application designed to make renting affordable while also cutting down carbon emissions. The need for such a product arises from the financial constraints of many small farmers in India, for whom purchasing farming machinery that can cost upwards of $100,000 is not feasible relative to the portion of land they own. As a result, these farmers often avoid using advanced tools for farming practices and resort to burning their stubble post-harvest, releasing vast amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere.

Our application allows small-scale farmers to rent stubble-removing machinery at affordable rates, eliminating the need for burning and promoting environmentally sustainable farming practices. The application also connects local truck drivers seeking employment with opportunities to collect the recovered stubble, transport it, and sell it as a resource. The stubble can be used in multiple ways, from converting it into energy to biofuels, creating a circular economy.

Did you choose to take this idea beyond the program? Why?

After our team won first place in the Global Challenge Lab 2022 with the concept of e-parali, we decided to use our winnings as seed money and pursue our idea further to develop it into a functional business. Our decision was rooted in our collective passion and belief in the viability of our idea, recognizing its practicality and the tangible impact it could have. It wasn't an overly ambitious or complex venture but a straightforward application to facilitate machinery rentals, which meant we had fewer hurdles. 

After the Global Challenge Lab, our next proactive step was to join a startup accelerator. This decision was driven by our desire to equip ourselves with the necessary skills and knowledge to transform our idea into a tangible product. We recognized that diving into development without a clear market understanding could lead to potential pitfalls. For instance, we needed to ascertain whether farmers would value and use our application or if there were technological barriers that might hinder its adoption.

What is it like developing your idea as a part of a startup accelerator?

The Global Challenge Lab introduced us to the University of Toronto's incubator program, ICUBE UTM, which was a game-changer for our venture, e-parali. The startup accelerator offers structured guidance through modules and expert talks on business-building, ensuring we progress in the right direction. 

The program was pivotal in helping us conduct targeted market research. With the accelerator's connections, we collaborated with Indian universities, who connected us to the agriculture industry and enabled us to gather feedback about our app from farmers. The program also opened doors to potential investors, making the networking process smoother and more credible.

How do you balance university and startup life?

Balancing university and startup life is undoubtedly challenging. Juggling seven courses a semester, alongside commitments for the accelerator program and extracurriculars, requires meticulous planning. I've found that maintaining a detailed calendar and setting personal deadlines ahead of the actual ones is crucial. My approach is to intensify my efforts to work on my startup during the summer, giving me some leeway during the academic year. 

What is the next step or milestone you aim to achieve with your startup?

Our immediate focus is gathering feedback from framers who will be the ultimate end-users of our application. We must understand their perspective, whether they find our solution practical or have concerns about its affordability. Jumping into development without this insight could lead to unnecessary expenditures in terms of time and finances. While collecting this data is our immediate goal, our larger ambition is to present a prototype of our app to potential investors. Even if it's in its early stages, showcasing a tangible framework can make a significant difference in securing support and funding.

What would you recommend to students worldwide looking to be entrepreneurs? 

As an entrepreneur, it is essential to understand that sometimes it may make sense to pivot from your original vision. Recognizing when it's time to adapt or transition to a new direction is crucial. If there's no market for the product or application you’re building, then there is no reason to keep moving on. Being open to change and being flexible is the cornerstone of successful entrepreneurship.

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