Akshay Shrivastava, a 23-year-old from Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, has emerged as a beacon of hope for farmers across India with his groundbreaking bio-fertilizer innovation. Combining his background in chemical engineering with real-life exposure to agriculture through his father’s farming experiences, Akshay has developed a bio-fertilizer that has the potential to transform agricultural practices and increase crop yield by 15-40%.
Growing up in Kushinagar, a far eastern district of Uttar Pradesh, Akshay witnessed firsthand the hardships his father faced as a farmer. Issues like poor irrigation facilities, rising production costs, and the detrimental effects of chemical fertilizers on soil health and yield deeply concerned him. As an environmentally-conscious teen, he engaged in discussions about the pollution levels in the soil due to chemical fertilizers and the reduction in water-retention capacity.
When Akshay pursued higher education in chemical engineering, his goal was not to land a high-paying job but to follow his passion for improving the lives of farmers like his father. He aimed to develop a solution that would be easy on the soil, cost-effective, and significantly boost crop yields.
In the second year of his engineering college, Akshay began working on his bio-fertilizer project. Despite facing infrastructure limitations at his college, he sought guidance from prestigious institutes like IIT-Kanpur to refine his prototype. He even visited sugar and alcohol factories to understand commercial production and marketing processes.
After six years of relentless hard work, Akshay achieved his dream in August 2020. He successfully created a ready-to-use bio-fertilizer infused with 60 types of microbes. These microbes enhance nine crucial nutrients, including potassium, nitrogen, zinc, and carbon, making the bio-fertilizer highly effective in improving soil health and boosting crop productivity.
The effectiveness of Akshay’s bio-fertilizer was confirmed through ground trials and lab testing at the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). Encouraged by the positive results, Akshay set up his startup in March 2021 to mass-produce the bio-fertilizer and granules.
Akshay’s innovation did not stop there. He also developed a super absorbent granule that can hold water up to 300 times its weight and release it slowly. This granule contains nanoparticles that accelerate biomass decomposition and enhance microbial activity in the soil, further contributing to increased crop yield and water conservation.
With the NABL’s approval and a certificate from the country’s top-most accreditation body, Akshay’s bio-fertilizer garnered attention from local media and attracted orders from far and wide. To meet the soaring demand, he applied for grants from government startup funding schemes and expanded his manufacturing unit.
Currently, Akshay’s unit has a production capacity of 10 tonnes per month, but the monthly order inventory exceeds 25 tonnes. As he gears up to scale his operations, Akshay’s dedication and innovation continue to inspire a brighter and more sustainable future for Indian farmers. His bio-fertilizer has the potential to revolutionize agriculture, improve crop yields, and play a pivotal role in ensuring food security for the nation.
