IIT alumnus helps aquafarmers - Fusion - WeRIndia

Aquafarming is a common profession in the coastal parts of India, especially in the coastal parts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

It refers to the cultivation of freshwater and saltwater organisms for consumption, just as land farmers cultivate land organisms.

Seafood has been a rising export in India over the past few years, reaching a record of $5.8 billion in 2016-2017.

However, like in many market sectors, smaller farmers remain unaware of current market rates, and end up being exploited by middlemen.

IIT Alumnus Rajamanohar Somasundaram met an aquafarmer named Sanjai Kumar, and they recognized the need for aquafarmers to have direct communication with exporters.

Rajamanojar and Sanjai were soon joined by entrepreneur Shanmudha Sundara Raj, and together, the three of them founded Aqua Connect.

Their startup went through several phases, in which they attempted to find the most comfortable and effective way for farmers to get access to exporters.

At first, they created an app that allowed farmers to buy quality seeds online, which the farmers did not find a comfortable practice.

They then tried setting up a toll-free helpline, but it was difficult to adequately communicate information through phone calls.

Eventually, they realized that they had to find a way to set up face-to-face meetings, and they set up the system that they now have today.

Today, Aqua Connect has an Omnichannel marketplace, where farmers can choose to connect to the team through the app, through phone calls, or through face-to-face meetings.

The Aqua Connect team goes all around coastal India, meeting with farmers and informing them about their market.

They clock about 1,200 kilometers per week in order to connect with these farmers, whose lives have been changed by this access to information.

In the future, Aqua Connect plans to expand to other coastal Indian states, such as Gujarat and West Bengal.

With Aqua Connect providing these small aquafarmers with information and communication with exporters, the once-exploited lives of aquafarmers may see a massive turnaround in the near future.

Image Reference: Thebetterindia