Agritech startup Bharat Intelligence raises funding led by Sahyadri Farms

Agritech company Bharat Intelligence has raised Rs 7 crore in a pre-seed funding round led by Sahyadri Farms. The funds will be used to grow its team, strengthen its product, and scale operations across Western Maharashtra’s horticulture belts—embedding technology directly into the value chains of grape, banana, tomato, and pomegranate farmers.

Co-founded in 2024 by Azhaan Merchant and Gourav Sanghai, Bharat Intelligence focuses on addressing the farm labour crisis. The company uses advanced AI to organise rural labour markets, giving farmers timely access to skilled crews and providing workers with steady, dignified jobs. Its platform predicts labour needs and connects farmers with crews through simple, vernacular interfaces.

Bharat Intelligence embeds technology into rural workflows, capturing trust signals, seasonal rhythms, and community networks that conventional datasets often miss—ensuring AI serves the realities of India’s agrarian economy.

“India’s economy is agrarian and deeply physical. To build AI for India, it must be embedded in rural life—attuned to the nuances of a handshake in a village market, the seasonal migration of workers, and the trust networks that govern transactions,” said Azhaan Merchant, Co-Founder & CEO.

The company aims to solve urgent problems while laying the groundwork for long-term transformation. Bharat Intelligence sees the context layer as the missing building block for AI in India, ensuring artificial intelligence remains grounded in the lived reality of its billion users.