Business
Small-town youth wows Bill Gates, turns college project into multi-crore startup
What began as a college project born out of personal tragedy has grown into a ₹4.3 crore agritech venture that’s transforming farming across India—and even caught the attention of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
Aurangabad, India — What began as a college project born out of personal tragedy has grown into a ₹4.3 crore agritech venture that’s transforming farming across India—and even caught the attention of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
Yogesh Gawande, a young engineer from a village near Aurangabad, Maharashtra, is the founder of Niyo FarmTech, a startup that designs and manufactures solar-powered pesticide sprayers. His innovation has empowered over 12,000 farmers across 14 Indian states, with over 5,000 units sold and 100+ jobs created.
But Yogesh’s journey didn’t start with startup dreams or venture capital—it began with pain and purpose.
“Back in 2014–15, my elder brother had to be hospitalised due to pesticide poisoning,” Yogesh recalls. “It was terrifying. My family depended on farming, like so many others in our village. That moment changed everything for me.”
Motivated by his father’s plea—“You’re studying engineering, do something for us”—Yogesh set out to solve a real problem. He began designing a safer, more efficient pesticide spraying system for small and marginal farmers. What started as a final-year engineering project soon evolved into a mission.
After years of research, field trials, and relentless effort, Niyo FarmTech was born. The startup’s flagship product is a solar-powered, battery-operated sprayer that eliminates the need for manual pumping and minimizes farmers’ exposure to harmful chemicals.
The innovation gained widespread acclaim and recently made international headlines when Bill Gates personally tested the sprayer during his visit to India. Impressed by the impact and ingenuity, Gates shared Yogesh’s story on social media, sparking interest from global development and sustainability circles.
“Technology that solves grassroots problems—that’s the kind of innovation that deserves the world’s attention,” Gates noted.
Today, Yogesh continues to work from his hometown, staying true to his roots while expanding his vision. “This is just the beginning,” he says. “There are millions of farmers who still need help. We’re building for them.”