Called ‘Dehati’ by Friends, This 24-YO Boy Said No to Government Jobs, Lost ₹2L Initially, and Built AGRATE; Clocked ₹1.5Cr in FY25

In states like eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, most people prefer pursuing government jobs as it represents financial, social, and emotional security. 

Families plan weddings around it, neighbours measure success by it, and entire childhoods are spent preparing for competitive exams.

Prince Shukla, a 24-year-old boy from Bihar’s Purnia district, chose to challenge this mindset by taking a path few around him understood. 

Instead of preparing for a government post, he founded AGRATE, an agri-tech startup that provides farmers with quality seeds, access to sustainable inputs, modern tools, and hands-on training in practices such as multi-cropping and grafting.

Although Prince received strong support from his family, especially his father, friends and neighbours often mocked him as ‘dehati,’ a term commonly used in rural India to refer to someone as illiterate or uncultured. 

Ironically, many of the same people now approach Prince, seeking mentorship and support for their relatives and children.

“The people who once called me dehati for working with farmers are now asking me to guide the younger generation. They want to know how to develop their ancestral land and build sustainable sources of income,” Prince tells Startup Pedia in an exclusive interview.

"I get calls from people earning Rs. 3 to 4 lakhs per month in Bangalore and Mumbai who are frustrated with corporate jobs. They want to return to farming and develop their ancestral lands. That tells me something profound: the new generation wants peace and purpose over a hectic corporate life," he added further.

In FY23, he achieved his first growth of around Rs. 3 lakh, and by FY25, the company scaled up to a turnover of Rs. 1.5 crore through consistent work across various projects and tasks.

Today, the company has a network of 10,000 farmers across 38 districts in Bihar and other states like Odisha.

About the Man Behind AGRATE: Prince Shukla

Coming from a simple middle-class family, Prince Shukla completed his schooling in Purnia, Bihar.

During his higher secondary education, he opted for Biology, and eventually developed a keen interest in botany, which introduced him to the fundamentals of agriculture through the study of plants.

He completed his B.Sc. in Agriculture (Hons.) from I.K. Gujral Punjab Technical University (IKGPTU) in 2019 and subsequently earned his M.Sc. in Agriculture from Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University (RMLU) in 2021.

Despite holding two degrees in agriculture, people around him expected him to work for large agrochemical companies dealing with pesticides and fertilisers. 

“I have a Master's degree and a BSc in Agriculture. While many expected me to work for major corporations, I chose to empower farmers through ethical practices by launching AGRATE,” Prince tells Startup Pedia.

Instead, Prince chose to work directly with farmers to modernise traditional practices, eventually launching AGRATE India Private Limited in 2021.

How did the AGRATE begin?

During the second year of Prince’s undergraduate studies in 2016, a startup festival was organised where investors and professionals from IITs were invited. 

Students were encouraged to pitch startup ideas and explore funding opportunities.

He created a project on Blogger, publishing blogs on different agriculture topics and guiding farmers on what to do and what not to do based on what he was learning. 

His faculty and fellow students appreciated the effort, and his teachers encouraged him, telling him that he would go on to do something big in agriculture.

This recognition motivated Prince deeply, and he continued working on the idea in his free time throughout college. 

However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted these efforts, leading to the cancellation of investor meets and a shift to online classes. Around this time, Prince accepted a job opportunity at a pesticide and chemical company based in Bengaluru.

While working there, Prince began consulting farmers and promoting agrochemical products. He realised that many of the pesticides he was being asked to promote carried serious health risks for farmers, and companies expected representatives to push products without clearly explaining the long-term consequences. 

"I realised I was promoting harmful chemicals to farmers without explaining the actual harm. Companies give sales targets and want you to promote their products without regard to consequences. That moral conflict kept growing, and I knew I had to leave," Prince says.

This internal conflict pushed Prince to refocus on AGRATE. He resigned from his job and returned to his village, initially without informing his family that he had resigned. 

"I left my job without even telling my family at first. I didn't have the burden of supporting anyone financially. I had the freedom to take one or two years, dedicate myself to AGRATE, and work on my vision," Prince tells Startup Pedia.

Because his father had a business background and his elder brother worked in auditing, the family was not financially dependent on him.

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About AGRATE

AGRATE works closely with farmers to improve productivity, reduce dependence on middlemen, and enable sustainable income growth. 

“Farmers are the foundation of our society. Like a father provides security and food to his family, farmers provide food to our entire nation. If there were no farmers, there would be no us. This is why I'm dedicated to improving their livelihoods," he says.

The venture also promotes crop diversification through mixed cropping and intercropping strategies. 

For example, farmers cultivating maize are guided to add crops like chilli or tomato alongside it to improve overall returns and reduce risk.

One of AGRATE’s flagship focus areas is makhana (fox nut) farming, along with value-added product expansion, offering different makhana grades such as 4 Sutta, 5 Sutta, 5+ Sutta, 6 Sutta, and 6+ Sutta.

In addition to makhana, AGRATE is actively working on multiple emerging segments such as mushroom cultivation (button and oyster mushrooms), strawberry farming, dragon fruit cultivation, apple varieties, and broader processing and packaging initiatives.

The venture also supports agricultural students through internships and project-based learning, where they gain hands-on experience in areas such as polyhouse construction, farm machinery use, farmer engagement, and market-driven crop planning.

Initial Investment

When Prince’s family eventually realised that he had resigned and was working on his venture, they questioned him. 

However, Prince was firm in his decision and told his family that, no matter what it took, he would see it through and make it work. 

At that time, Prince expressed his desire to pursue agriculture professionally. His father supported the decision and gave him the freedom to choose his path, with one clear condition: he should commit fully and not fail.

"My father gave me the freedom to make my own decision. When I told him I wanted to pursue agriculture, he supported me completely. He said, 'Okay, do it, but don't fail because you're young.' That support was everything," the Bihar-based farmer says.

Taking these words as both inspiration and a challenge, Prince invested his initial capital to build AGRATE’s foundation. 

With an initial investment of Rs. 2 lakh borrowed from his father, he invested in essential infrastructure to support farmers, including hiring a CA, a lawyer, and setting up office space. However, lacking a clear business plan, he overspent on unnecessary expenses, which led to the loss of this initial capital.

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AGRATE’s Initial Challenges and How Prince Overcame Them?

The primary challenge Prince faced was his inability to communicate effectively with farmers, as they spoke in their local dialect, and he was not accustomed to it. 

Initially, he found it difficult to explain concepts in simple, practical terms.

Additionally, many farmers misunderstood him as someone marketing a product and underestimated him.

"Farmers didn't trust me initially because I looked young. Instead of targeting individual farmers, I started targeting FPOs, Farmer-Producer Organisations. I spoke with their CEOs and directors. That strategic shift changed everything," the AGRATE founder says.

Prince registered AGRATE in December 2022. In the beginning, he struggled to gain farmers’ trust, and as a result, he did not receive any projects during 2022–23.

By 2023, Prince realised he needed to change his approach. Instead of targeting individual farmers, he began reaching out to FPOs (Farmer Producer Organisations) and connecting with their CEOs and directors. 

He also built connections with government agricultural centres and research stations, which helped him understand farmers’ real needs more clearly.

Through an FPO, its chairman introduced him to a farmers’ chaupal, where he was able to explain his work directly. Farmers appreciated his approach, and he began receiving projects related to irrigation, seed support, and improved farming practices.

"The biggest help came when government agricultural centres and research station directors supported my work. They introduced me to farmer gatherings and gave me a platform to share my knowledge. That validation transformed my credibility," he says.

Over time, Prince relied on self-learning, watching YouTube videos, seeking informal guidance, and learning through experience. 

He never had a formal mentor, but these efforts gradually strengthened both his understanding and his work on the ground.

“I didn’t have a formal mentor. I learned from YouTube and asked people for guidance. I also made mistakes, but every mistake taught me something valuable,” the agripreneur tells Startup Pedia.

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Business Model and Types of Projects

The business model of AGRATE is a project-based financial model in which a core team of around four members, along with project-based workers, handles multiple assignments. 

The projects AGRATE handles include:

• Farming interventions: Implementing improved agricultural practices and crop management in districts.

• Structural projects: Building or upgrading farm-related infrastructure like storage, irrigation, or processing units.

• Machinery deployment: Introducing and managing farm machinery solutions to enhance productivity.

• Government scheme implementation: Helping farmers access subsidies and benefits under various government programs.

• NGO partnerships: Collaborating on rural development and farmer welfare initiatives.

• FPO (Farmer Producer Organisation) support: Assisting collective farming groups with operations and scaling.

• Makhana white labelling: Sourcing and branding makhana (fox nuts) for bulk orders.

While some team members work across projects, others specialise in specific areas such as farming, structures, and machinery.

When AGRATE takes on a farming project in a district, the team identifies members to execute it. Instead of receiving fixed salaries, team members earn a share of the net profit from the project. 

This model allows AGRATE to scale without high fixed costs. The profit share ranges between 15% and 20%, depending on the type of project and the individual’s time commitment. 

The remaining portion goes to the company, which Prince utilises for purchasing raw materials, paying CAs, drawing his salary, and managing operational expenses.

Annual Revenue

In FY23, AGRATE completed a few small projects, mainly advisory and pilot farming initiatives, each valued between Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 1 lakh, generating around Rs. 3 lakh in revenue.

In FY24, AGRATE expanded its partnerships with FPOs, NGOs, and government schemes, managing 15 medium-scale projects such as farm mechanisation, irrigation setups, and crop diversification programs. These projects ranged from Rs. 1 lakh each, resulting in revenue of approximately Rs. 15 lakh.

With over 30 projects averaging Rs. 3-5 lakh each, AGRATE’s revenue scaled to around Rs. 1.5 crore by FY25, driven by growth in farm infrastructure, introduction of Makhana white-labelling, and community farming initiatives.

"Many people claim that farming can make you a crore rupees. But they don't show you what happens behind the scenes. You need processing, packaging, distribution, and supply chains,” Prince tells Startup Pedia.

Future Objectives

Looking ahead, AGRATE is focused on scaling its impact beyond Bihar and building a connected agricultural ecosystem across India. Over the next five years, the venture aims to expand across the North East and South India, with a broader vision of connecting farmers from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.

AGRATE is also exploring international markets such as Nepal and Sri Lanka, building on its early outreach through seed distribution.

The startup also aims to make agriculture more attractive to the next generation by expanding internships and on-ground training programmes for agriculture students.

Also Read: This Odisha couple joined hands with 1k+ farmers to turn ‘inauspicious’ banana waste into pickles, jam & papad, clocked ₹2.5 Cr in FY25