Our top reads of the week

These are Forbes India's most popular stories of the week. Image: Shutterstock

1) New-age farming
Farmers are turning out to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the new liberal drone policy, Drone Rules 2021. A detailed field health report that helps segregate unhealthy, stressed crops, and exposed soil allows one to precisely quantify the coverage, which is tough to accurately gauge with visible-range information. Information is key to preparedness. It helps farmers estimate crop yields a lot faster, optimise plant inputs, understand water flow and quantity, and a lot more. Drones help save time and cost and increase productivity but a lot more needs to be done to make the most of the technology. Read more

2) Stars of Indian agritech
Investors don't doubt the potential and opportunities that India's agritech sector provides, but investing here is a game of patience as business models take longer to be productive. But some startups are not only weathering the cold funding winter in the Indian ecosystem but also seeing explosive growth ahead. Here are some of India’s most valued agritech startups. Before the slowdown, they were seen as ‘soonicorns’, or soon-to-be-unicorns, meaning ventures privately valued at $1 billion. Now they will have to prove their worth. Read more

3) Great Indian festive season
According to the India Consumer Sentiment Index survey by data intelligence company Axis My India, 48 percent of consumers tend to shop more during the festive season compared to the rest of the year. The year 2022 will see the benefits of greater mobility, and an uptick in consumer demand and sales. Indian consumers couldn't celebrate for two years because of the pandemic and Covid-induced restrictions. In this two-part series, Forbes India tries to understand the impact of inflation and rising interest rates on consumer sentiment and demand. Read more
 

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1) How to grow
The food supply chain in India has multiple layers between the farmer and the consumer. However, despite its complexity, the chain continues to be resilient, as proven during the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic. Indian agritech startups are innovating to pierce through these levels—even knock off a few—to keep the food supply chain running smoothly. At less than $10 billion these agritech startups hold potential. Hemendra Mathur, venture partner, Bharat Innovation Fund, and cofounder, ThinkAg, writes about what the future of agritech will look like in India. Read more 

2) Road to the future
Vivek Srivatsa is the head of marketing, sales and service strategy at Tata Passenger Electric Mobility. He believes that the post-pandemic reality, coupled with the move towards sustainable, connected, technology-driven mobility has left a lasting impression on customer expectations. In this blog for Forbes India, Srivatsa writes about how a rapidly changing industry landscape will force the Indian automotive sector to re-envision core strategies concerning mobility. And why it will be critical in defining the trajectory for the future. Read more

3) Ducati Hypermotard 950 RVE
When you look at Ducati Hypermotard 950 RVE it might confuse you. Ducati designers have combined the features of a motocross bike with a super naked one. The result is a bike that brings up a massive grin on the face of its rider. Hypermotard 950 RVE has the signature Ducati engine that makes it a perfect fit for urban roads. But it also has the facade of an off-roader. It is a head-scratcher and this episode of Forbes India Momentum will help you solve this puzzle. Watch here

4) Making Indian EVs for a global market
In this episode, Niraj Rajmohan and Narayan Subramaniam, cofounders of Ultraviolette Automotive, and Vishesh Rajaram, managing partner at Speciale Invest, talk about the importance of strong local R&D for the long-term growth of the EV sector in India. They also talk about how developing Ultraviolette's first electric motorcycle, called F77, which is soon to hit the market, has helped the company build a connected vehicle platform that can support multiple future products and services. For more