Bhagalpur: Bihar Agricultural University’s (BAU) Sabour-based incubator, SABAGRIs, has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with five agriculture-focused startups, marking a major step in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in the state’s farming sector. The startups have been granted financial support of Rs 50 lakh under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana – RAFTAAR (RKVY-RAFTAAR), with an initial tranche of Rs 32.5 lakh set to be released shortly.
The MoA was signed by Dr Anil Kumar Singh, project investigator and nodal officer of SABAGRIs, on behalf of BAU, and the co-founders of the selected startups. The ventures focus on dairy, organic products, dryer technology, and modern agri-tech solutions, with the aim of boosting farmers’ income, creating jobs, adding value to agricultural produce, and establishing direct market linkages.
Dr D.R. Singh, Vice-Chancellor of BAU, described the agreement as “a significant step towards strengthening the agriculture-based startup ecosystem in Bihar”. He said the collaboration between SABAGRIs and RKVY would integrate innovation, entrepreneurship, and agricultural development, giving the state a “new identity on the national map of agricultural innovation”.
He added that the university was committed to supporting young entrepreneurs through research, technology, mentorship, and infrastructure.
Dr Anil Kumar Singh highlighted the role of SABAGRIs in bridging research and innovation from the laboratory to the market. “The RKVY funding will enable these startups to set new standards in dairy, organic products, and dryer technology,” he said. “This initiative is a concrete step towards making Bihar’s agricultural economy technology-enabled, entrepreneurial, and self-reliant, directly benefiting farmers, youth, and rural entrepreneurs.”
SABAGRIs has emerged as one of Eastern India’s leading agricultural incubation centres, offering startups technical guidance, financial assistance, market connections, and policy support.
