Five Indian rural-focused start-ups showcased their growth stories, innovative business models and scaling strategies at the Philanthropy Asia Summit (PAS) here on Tuesday (May 19, 2026), highlighting how technology-driven enterprises are improving livelihoods and promoting sustainable development in rural India.
The second day of the summit, themed “Innovation Spotlight", brought together innovators, start-ups and social enterprises working across agriculture, renewable energy, rural development and sustainable livelihoods.
For dairy farmers
Mumbai-based Digivriddhi (DGV), an integrated financial, insurance and marketplace platform for dairy farmers, highlighted how it has built a digital financial ecosystem serving nearly 10 lakh farmers in less than seven years.
Operating across eight states, including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Maharashtra, DGV works with banks and financial institutions to bring small dairy farmers into the formal financial system.
“The firm provides the financial foundation that rural dairy farmers never had,” said Sowmiya Venkatesan, Executive Director of DGV, during her presentation at the summit.
Speaking to The Hindu, DGV Group Founder and CEO Ragavan Venkatesan said the company aims to disburse ₹300 crore in loans to dairy farmers during 2026-27. “In the last financial year, DGV disbursed around ₹100 crore to dairy farmers through various banks and cooperatives,” he said.
The company, which has a workforce of around 150 employees, is looking to raise USD 10 million to expand its operations. DGV has also integrated insurance with loans to ensure quicker recovery and reduce risks for lending institutions.
Repurposing temple flowers
Another Indian start-up, Phool, founded by Ankit Agarwal, showcased how it is addressing the issue of temple flower waste being dumped into rivers such as the Ganga by converting it into eco-friendly products.
The Kanpur-based company has developed “Fleather”, a biodegradable plant-based alternative to animal and synthetic leather.
“It is turning everyday waste from culturally embedded practices into sustainable use,” Mr. Agarwal said.
Phool employs women and low-income workers in labour-intensive activities such as sorting, rolling and packaging flower waste, thereby generating stable livelihoods for communities with limited employment opportunities. Mr. Agarwal said the company plans to scale up operations to more Indian cities.
Solar-powered food processing
S4S Technologies, founded in 2013 by Vaibhav Tidke and others, demonstrated how solar-powered food processing can reduce post-harvest losses and increase farmers’ incomes.
The company converts damaged or surplus farm produce into food ingredients at the farm gate and supplies them to the food and beverage industry.
Beyond food processing, S4S promotes women-led micro-enterprises and helps build local skills and income ownership in rural communities.
Mr. Tidke said the company provides affordable solar-powered dryers and food-processing equipment that allow farmers to preserve crops locally instead of depending on expensive cold storage systems. He said thousands of smallholder women farmers associated with S4S have recorded significant increases in income.
Clean energy
Other start-ups featured at the summit included e-Bik Accelero, which focuses on electric bicycles and tricycles, and Envo Renewable Energy Solutions (ERES), which provides affordable clean energy solutions in remote regions of Northeast India.
The startups highlighted how rural innovation and sustainable business models are creating economic opportunities while addressing environmental and social challenges.
More than 30 start-ups from across Asia showcased their growth stories during the day.
(Nagesh Prabhu is in Singapore at the invitation of Philanthropy Asia Alliance)