Pune-based agri-robotics startup Agrograde is expanding its AI-powered produce sorting tech to tomatoes and garlic. The company aims to replace manual labor, potentially cutting processing costs from ₹1 per kilogram to roughly ₹0.08. Investors should note its expansion plans into the spice sector and international markets over the next 18 months.
Agrograde, a Pune-based agri-robotics company, is expanding its AI-driven sorting and grading solutions to include tomatoes and garlic. The firm, which has already established its technology in onion, potato, and arecanut supply chains, plans to roll out these new solutions by next year. It is also aiming to enter the spice market within three years.
The core business advantage for Agrograde lies in replacing manual sorting, which is often slow and prone to damaging produce. Traditional manual sorting for crops like onions can cost nearly ₹1 per kilogram. Agrograde’s automated systems, which use proprietary algorithms and high-speed imaging to analyze produce, have brought this cost down to a range of ₹0.08 to ₹0.10 per kilogram. This technology also significantly improves speed, allowing a container of produce to be processed in about three hours, compared to multi-day timelines using manual labor.
Currently, the company has deployed over 130 machines across 14 states, with a heavy focus on Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat. These locations are strategically chosen near Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) yards to ensure the machines are positioned close to harvest collection points.
For industry observers, the company’s ability to scale depends on two main factors: manufacturing capacity and international growth. While the startup currently faces limits on how fast it can produce these machines, management has indicated plans to expand into South-East Asian markets within the next 18 months.
Competition remains a key factor to watch. While established European machinery providers operate in this space, they often focus on standardized, high-volume produce. Agrograde has differentiated itself by engineering machines that can handle the wide variety of shapes and quality characteristics typical of Indian crops.
However, scaling hardware-focused startups involves specific risks. The company must manage the capital intensity of manufacturing and ensure its machines operate reliably in rural environments, which may face challenges like inconsistent power or internet connectivity. Future updates to track include the successful deployment of the tomato and garlic solutions and the progress of the company’s international expansion plans.