Agri-tech startups in India: Knowledge recombination under resource constraints

Abstract

This study examines how urban-educated entrepreneurs without prior agricultural knowledge innovate and succeed under resource constraints in India's agriculture sector. Drawing upon two in-depth case studies, one in hydroponic vegetable cultivation and the other in electrochemical soil testing, we analyze how non-traditional entrepreneurs in rural India succeed by leveraging the accumulated stock of agricultural knowledge, building institutional collaborations, and repurposing multidisciplinary technologies. Both startups integrate technologies such as AI and IoT to develop scalable, sustainability-focused solutions. Our findings extend resource mobilization and knowledge recombination theories by highlighting how intellectual, rather than financial capital, underpins entrepreneurial success in emerging economies. Our study contributes to the research on rural entrepreneurship and agricultural innovation by revealing the mechanisms through which non-traditional entrants drive transformation in historically land-based production systems.