Harvesting Dignity, Delivering Freshness: DailyGurus Builds a New Agri-Economy for India's Villages

Business Standard

06-06-2025

PNN
New Delhi [India], June 6: Introducing an agri-tech startup that is revolutionising the agriculture industry -- not just by delivering the farm to cities, but by sowing the seeds of economic dignity and rural empowerment.
Meet DailyGurus -- an ambitious, farm-to-business platform reimagining how food moves across India while keeping women at the center of change. With support from SoilBox, a Rs60 lakh catalytic program by OmniActive Improving Lives Foundation, in partnership with Bioriidl, riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University, DailyGurus is proving that rural resilience and urban freshness can grow from the same root.
In the villages outside Bangalore, DailyGurus has mobilized:
- 50+ small farmers, now earning Rs15,000 more every day by cutting out middlemen.
- 20+ local women, now trained and employed in sorting, cleaning, and tech-enabled packing operations -- unlocking stable incomes up to Rs90,000/year.
- City-based cloud kitchens and stores, now sourcing verified, traceable produce with full transparency -- knowing where their food came from, when it was picked, and who packed it.
DailyGurus, co-founded by Rajesh M and Gnanashekaran, received a Rs12.5 lakh grant under SoilBox. 20 local women are now handling the sorting, cleaning, and packing of vegetables. They've been trained to use simple tech tools and follow high standards. Earlier, they could only find short-term work. Now, they have steady income throughout the year, with a chance to earn up to Rs90,000 annually.
DailyGurus also makes sure that every order is traceable -- meaning you can know where the food came from, when it was harvested, and who packed it. This helps keep quality high and builds trust with customers like cloud kitchens, restaurants, and shops across Bangalore.
""When a woman in a village earns her first steady income, or a farmer sees his crops reach the city without exploitation -- that's not just innovation, it's transformation," says Rushva Parihar, Head, OmniActive Improving Lives Foundation. "DailyGurus is growing more than food -- it's growing hope."
Beyond funding, SoilBox offers selected startups access to field pilots, mentorship, and peer-learning, helping them refine and scale their solutions in real-world conditions. DailyGurus' success is rooted in this ecosystem.
"At riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University, through our partnership with OmniActive Improving Lives Foundation under the SoilBox program, we are proud to support startups like DailyGurus that are working directly with farmers. By enabling farm-to-consumer supply chains, DailyGurus not only uplifts farmer incomes but also fosters a more resilient and transparent food system. This is exactly the kind of grassroots impact SoilBox is designed to nurture," adds Bhavna Pandya, Chief Incubation Officer at riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University, which has supported 268 startups and over 1,000 jobs and internships over the last 15 years.
Across regions as diverse as West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, and the Nilgiris, SoilBox-supported startups are redefining what's possible in rural innovation. In Southern India, DailyGurus stands out -- showing how reimagining food supply chains can transform lives from village farms to urban kitchens.
About SoilBox:
SoilBox is a catalytic initiative by OmniActive Improving Lives Foundation, in partnership with Bioriidl - riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University and funded by OmniActive Health Technologies. With a vision to reimagine rural resilience, SoilBox supports startups building farmer-first solutions that are sustainable, scalable, and rooted in local realities. From productivity and market access to circular economy models, the program nurtures ideas that go beyond innovation--forging a future where science, soil, and community come together to transform how India grows, earns, and thrives. The goal: reach 200,000+ farmers and create a lasting ecosystem of rural prosperity.
About OmniActive Improving Lives Foundation
OmniActive Improving Lives Foundation is the social impact arm of OmniActive Health Technologies, committed to building healthier, more resilient communities across India. Through high-impact programs in health, education, agriculture, and sustainability, the foundation has touched over 230,000 lives across nine states. It partners with mission-driven startups, grassroots organizations, and local governments to co-create scalable solutions that drive long-term change. With a focus on innovation, inclusivity, and systems thinking, the foundation empowers underserved communities to thrive--unlocking new pathways to well-being, livelihood, and environmental stewardship for current and future generations.
About riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University:
riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University has been bestowed with the National Award for the year 2020 in the Emerging Technology Business Incubator category by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.
riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University supports the creation and incubation of early-stage companies from ideation to commercialization by providing them with resources, labs, facilitating government grants, investor connections, funding and mentorship. Business incubators of riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University are supported by the Department of Science & Technology; BIRAC, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India and Maharashtra State Innovation Society, Government of Maharashtra. It has incubated over 268 startups and facilitated in creating 1000+ jobs and internship opportunities while the total revenue generated by the startups is over INR 400 Cr. Among these, our bio-incubator has supported 74 life sciences startups with 3 successful exits and over 30 research projects.