Even as global crop prices fall, India's Arya.ag is attracting investors - and staying profitable | TechCrunch

"Arya.ag, an Indian agritech company offering storage facilities near farms and offering lending services to hundreds of thousands of farmers, has drawn investor interest and remained profitable even as global crop prices continue to fall in a volatile commodities market. The investor interest has taken shape in the latest all-equity Series D round from GEF Capital Partners, totaling $81 million, of which more than 70% was primary capital and the rest secondary share sales, according to the company."

"Globally, agricultural commodity prices are falling. Risks from extreme weather, input costs, trade disruptions, and biofuel policy shifts continue to weigh on agricultural markets, the World Bank has warned. This leaves businesses exposed to price swings and inventory losses. Nonetheless, Arya.ag says it is navigating the worst of that strain by steering clear of direct commodity bets and using a model that it says helps absorb shocks from downward pricing shifts."

"Founded in 2013 by former ICICI Bank executives Prasanna Rao, Anand Chandra, and Chattanathan Devarajan, Arya.ag is built around a simple idea: giving farmers more control over when and to whom they sell their crops. The Noida-based startup offers storage close to farms while allowing farmers to borrow against warehoused grain to meet immediate cash needs and connecting them with a wider pool of buyers - from agri-corporations to processors and millers -"

Arya.ag provides storage near farms and lends against warehoused grain so farmers can meet cash needs without selling immediately. The company aggregates roughly $3 billion of grain annually—about 3% of national output—and facilitates approximately $1.5 billion in loans while keeping gross NPAs under 0.5%. Arya.ag raised $81 million in an all-equity Series D from GEF Capital Partners, with over 70% primary capital and the remainder as secondary share sales. The business avoids direct commodity bets and uses a model intended to absorb downward price shocks amid falling global agricultural prices and market risks.

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