<ul><li>The collaboration will help <keyword id="6355975" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="axis-bank" source="Orion">Axis Bank</keyword> bank to leverage ITCMAARS, an <keyword id="16743846" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="agri-tech-application" source="Orion">agri-tech application</keyword> to address the agricultural requirements of farmers. </li><li>It will allow Axis Bank to offer a wide range of products and services through its semi-urban branches. </li><li>Products that will be offered would include farmer loans and <keyword id="185013" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gold-loans" source="Orion">gold loans</keyword>, among others.</li></ul>Axis Bank has tied up with <keyword id="6357073" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="itc" source="Orion">ITC</keyword> Limited to offer the bank’s lending products and services to farmers who are part of ITC’s agricultural ecosystem. Through this partnership, Axis Bank aims to cater to financial requirements of unserved and underserved farmers in remote regions of the country. Products that will be offered would include farmer loans and gold loans, among others. The collaboration will allow Axis Bank to leverage ITCMAARS (Meta Market for Advanced Agricultural Rural Services), which is a full-stack agri-tech application, to reach out to the farmers and address their agricultural requirements. Additionally, it will also allow Axis Bank to offer a wide range of products and services through its semi-urban branches located across 656 Indian districts. Says Munish Sharda, group executive and head, Bharat Banking, Axis Bank, ‘This partnership is in alignment with our Bank’s Bharat Banking mission of extending our reach in the remote regions and providing them with seamless customer experience. With the help of ITCMAARS strong and enduring relationship with over millions of farmers, we believe that we can make a significant contribution in uplifting financial situation of the community.” Says Rajnikant Rai, divisional chief executive, agri business division, ITC Ltd, “ITC has over the years spearheaded multi-dimensional interventions to transform the lives of farmers, powered by the ITC e-Choupal eco-system that connects with over 4 million farmers. We have now implemented ITCMAARS, a phygital ecosystem that provides a range of solutions through hyperlocal and personalised advisory, agri-inputs, financial services and market linkages. We are happy to partner with Axis Bank to extend banking solutions to the farmers we have engaged with over the years.” ITCMAARS was launched in July 2022 to provide agricultural and allied services to farmers on a digital platform. The app was launched in seven states with over 40,000 farmers grouped in 200-plus farmer produce organisations (FPOs) under four value chains- wheat, paddy, soya and chilli. Going ahead, the group wants to take it to 4,000 FPOs and 10 million farmers. Through this initiative, Axis Bank aims to further scale up its Bharat Banking strategy by increasing the new-to-bank accounts in FY23. As on December 31st, 2022, its rural advances grew by 27% year-on-year (YoY), disbursements increased by 12% YoY and deposits grew by 16% YoY. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/this-startup-founder-who-ran-away-from-home-at-15-builds-a-100-crore-business/articleshow/98513355.cms">This startup founder who ran away from home at 15, builds a ₹100 crore business</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/fpis-continue-to-be-bearish-on-oil-gas-power-stocks-in-february-offload-equities-worth-7821-crore-in-the-two-sectors/articleshow/98511897.cms">FPIs continue to be bearish on oil &amp; gas, power stocks in February, offload equities worth ₹7,821 crore in the two sectors</a>

Axis Bank to tie up with ITC to offer rural lending products to farmers

New Delhi, <keyword id="1564214" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-Enforcement-Directorate">The Enforcement Directorate</keyword> (ED) on Wednesday said it has arrested three promoters of the <keyword id="4334121" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="agri-gold-group">Agri Gold Group</keyword> of Companies in a Ponzi Scheme Fraud Case worth ₹6,380 crore. Those arrested have been identified as Avva Venkata Rama Rao, <keyword id="10482453" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="avva-venkata-seshu-narayana-rao">Avva Venkata Seshu Narayana Rao</keyword>, Avva Hema Sundara Vara Prasad, who are the main accused under the sections of the prevention of money laundering act (PMLA). The accused were produced before <keyword id="10482454" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-ed-pmla-court">the ED PMLA Court</keyword>, Hyderabad, which granted them 14-day judicial custody. The ED had filed a case on the basis of multiple FIRs lodged in the Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. The scam was perpetrated by Avva Venkata Rama Rao through Agri Gold Group of Companies. Avva Venkata Rama Rao had earlier worked in the Golden Forest CIS Fraud scheme. The ED claimed that having learnt the tricks of the trade in that scheme, he hatched a well-planned conspiracy and along with his seven brothers and other associates set up more than 150 companies and started collecting deposits from general public with a promise of providing developed plots/farm lands or withdrawal at a high rate of return on maturity/pre-term. It said that thousands of commission agents were engaged to lure people with various schemes for hefty commission and managed to collect ₹6,380 crore from 32,02,628 such investors. In the end, the gullible investors neither got plots nor could recover their deposits. The group collected the deposits illegally from across the country. According to ED officials, the company duped lakhs of investors from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Andaman and Nicobar islands. The ED claimed that the modus operandi involved encouraging the gullible investors to pay the desired deposits either directly or through the agents under the pretext of real estate deal. "These companies did not mention either the actual market value of the land or its location or its boundaries or survey numbers or the permissions required to be obtained for the layouts from the concerned authorities. "They tried to color it as a real estate business, but in reality it was an unregulated unlicensed collective investment scheme," it said. The ED further stated that the Agri Gold Group of Companies did not obtain permission from RBI to collect such deposits. Even SEBI has reported that the business of <keyword id="10482452" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-agri-gold-farm-estates">the Agri Gold Farm Estates</keyword> India Private Limited was nothing but a Collective Investment Scheme and ordered the company to stop taking further deposits and return the money to the depositors. "Instead of complying with the directions of the SEBI in letter and spirit, accused Avva Venkata Rama Rao opened new Companies and started collecting deposits in the names of new companies on the pretext of real estate business with the help of an army of commission agents, thus, turning this into a ponzi scam," the ED said. Although the accused collected deposits from 32 lakh investors, they never developed lands sufficient to give plots to all the investors. Even by their unverified claims, at the end they had only 5.5 lakh plots available with them. "Considering the huge discrepancy in the amount of land available, the group should have used all their resources in identifying, buying and developing more land parcels. Instead, Avva Venkata Rama Rao and his family went on a siphoning spree and illegally diverted the public deposits and invested in myriad verticals and in private companies which were directly owned by their family," the ED said. During probe it was revealed that the accused also set up companies abroad and diverted large amounts of funds to off-shore entities. "Their names also figured in the Paradise Leaks and they had incorporated companies with the help of the infamous Mossack Fonsenca in Cayman Islands," the ED said. Earlier, searches were conducted at the residences of Avva Venkata Rama Rao and other directors including the residences of auditors at Vijayawada and Hyderabad. Various property related documents, cash amount of ₹22 lakh, digital devices and other documents were recovered and seized. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/top-stocks-to-watch-infosys-wipro-jubilant-foodworks-bajaj-auto-majesco-and-others/articleshow/79909712.cms">Top stocks to watch – Infosys, Wipro, Jubilant FoodWorks, Bajaj Auto, Majesco, and others</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/there-are-one-of-only-17-indian-companies-out-of-500-that-aced-the-du-pont-test/articleshow/79911627.cms">There are one of only 17 Indian companies out of 500 that aced the Du Pont test</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/wipro-buyback-offer-details-and-700-million-metro-ag-deal-drives-share-price/articleshow/79911875.cms">Wipro offers 10% more to buy back shares and signs a $700 million deal with Metro AG – everything that’s driving the IT services stock higher today</a>

Three promoters of Agri Gold Group arrested for Ponzi Scheme Fraud Case worth ₹6,380

New Delhi, Feb 1 () Agri experts and industry players on Saturday gave a mixed reaction to the budget proposals, saying the government did not announce any major structural reforms to increase farmers' income.
 Farmers' body India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) called a nation-wide protest on February 13 to protest against the "pro-corporate" budget.
 Industry players observed that the government failed to bring reforms in the Essential Commodities Act. There were few schemes to spur private investment and capital formation in the agriculture space.
 However, fertiliser cooperative major IFFCO welcomed proposal of exempting cooperative societies from minimum alternate tax and also bringing tax rate for cooperative societies to 22 per cent from 30 per cent.
 "These steps will indeed help the cooperatives to work in a dynamic manner and can bring more innovations for the farmers of country," IFFCO Managing Director U S Awasthi said in a statement.
 Hailing the Budget, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) Chairman Dilip Rath said: "18 per cent increase in allocation of funds to Animal Husbandry and Dairying sector to Rs 3,289 crore for the 2020-21 fiscal as against the revised budget estimate for 2019-20 is remarkable which recognizes that dairy sector is increasingly becoming an important sector for the economy, especially for the rural areas."
 The measures announced will help sustain growth of milk production by more than 6 per cent and also reinforces the intent of the government that the dairy sector continues to play a stellar role in realising the goal of doubling farmers' income, he added.
 Stating that the budget was a "mixed bag" for agriculture, the Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) Director General Ram Kaundinya said it is "disappointing" to note the continued emphasis on Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) as a panacea for farmers.
 "While the FM said that they wanted to make the Indian farmer competitive, she did not talk anything about using modern science and technology in seeds, increasing farm mechanization and other inputs which are essential for this," he added.
 Edible oil industry body SEA said it was expecting at least this year the government will come out with a package of incentives for higher production and productivity of oilseeds to reduce our dependence on import of edible oils.
 NCDEX MD &amp; CEO Vijay Kumar said allocation of Rs 2.83 lakh crore to agriculture, irrigation and rural development will provide impetus in re-energizing the sector.
 For DCM Shriram Chairman and Senior Managing Director Ajay Shriram, it was a "balanced budget" which has tried to move the needle in different areas while maintaining the fiscal prudence.
 NCML Chairman Sanjay Kaul said this is a refreshing change from the previous budget which had limited new schemes for agriculture.
 However, the agri-industry would be disappointed with no reforms announced in the Essential Commodities Act and minimal schemes to spur private investment and capital formation in the agri space, he said.
 Ajay Kakra of PwC India said, "Systematic coverage of agriculture sector through the 16-point agenda reflects an definite intention to bring fundamental development in agriculture and allied sector. Covering allied sector and important thematic areas can surely work towards aspirational agenda of the government."
 Cargill India President Simon George said, "Agriculture being the backbone of the nation it would be significant to see how the government would push the Krishi Udaan on not just national but international routes and enabling agri and farmers to be part of the global value chains, providing enormous value addition for farmers and the economy."
 LT Foods Ltd Managing Director and CEO Ashwani Arora said the government's efforts to provide impetus to the agri sector are "laudable" but one key area which remained untouched was the direct benefit to companies working in the area of agri-extension and directly engaging with farmers to educate and enhance their knowledge on advancing technologies.
 "We were also hoping for subventions and incentivisation to agri-export companies. Both these were seemingly left out," he added.
 Farm machinery maker CLAAS Managing Director Mrityunjaya Singh said: "Adoption of Model agricultural laws, agricultural credit availability of 15 lakh crore and allocation of 2.83 lakh crore will encourage farmers to adopt latest farming machinery and technology. This will upskill the farming sector in India."
 SLCM Group CEO Sandeep Sabharwal said it's a "Kisan friendly, while KisanKraft Ltd MD and founder Ravindra Agrawal said it was "mixed bag".
 "For achieving the goal of doubling the farmer's income, training farmers on best package of practice, MSP revision is necessary," he said.
 Netafim Agricultural Financing Agency Pvt CEO Prabhat Chaturvedi said, "NABARD initiative to create an e-portal of geo-tagged, WDRA-compliant warehouses, integrated with eNAM, is a welcome step, which will help in better prices as well as warehouse-receipt financing for farmers."
 SourceTrace Vice President Marketing Om Routray said: "The budget has been favourable thus far towards agriculture and allied sectors. There is a good focus on using technology to develop agriculture in India."
 Aadvik Foods Co-founder Shrey Kumar said: "Overall the budget looks positive towards start-ups and improving the logistics and infrastructure of the agriculture segment."
 The setting up of cold chain infrastructure in the country is much needed and it is good to hear that government is planning to improve the same, Kumar added.
 Garware Technical Fibres CEO Shujaul Rehman said, "Sagar Mitras is an appreciative initiative for rural youth in fisheries. Thus fish farming is now a thriving sector and we see the sector GDP and turnover graph ascending with time."
 World Gold Council India Managing Director Somasundaram PR said: "Measures to boost farmers' income and reduce taxes for the middle class will boost purchasing power and consumer confidence, which will benefit jewellery industry as well." LUX MR

Agri industry & experts give mixed bag of response on budget

<ul><li>Apart from startup founder, the Forbes India's list has a generous dash of youngsters from social media, television and the world of sports. </li><li>BB Ki Vines’ <keyword id="2517934" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bhuvan-Bam">Bhuvan Bam</keyword> and Technical Guruji Gaurav Chaudhary also made their debut under the digital content creators category. </li><li>Five women across industries made it to the list against 26 men. </li></ul>Startup founders dominated the list of Forbes’ 30 under 30 which recognizes the best of India’s vast young population. The 29-year old Varun Khona, the co-founder of Headout, Aravind Sanka, Pavan Gutunpalli, SR Rishikesh, the cofounders of bike rental platform Rapido - were some of the prominent names in the list. But the list also has a generous dash of youngsters from social media, television and the world of sports. The youngest person to feature is 17 year old Saurabh Chaudhary, an Indian shooter who won two gold medals at the Asian Games and headed to 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Deepak Punia, 21, the first Indian to win a Junior World Championship also made it to the list. Young Indians who work for startups like the 29 year old Vikash Bakrewala, the youngest sales leader at B9 Beverages, the makers of Bira and Boom beers; were also showcased. All the three founders of Triton Foodworks which is making breakthroughs in organic farming were recognized too. <keyword id="8722570" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="deepak-kukreja">Deepak Kukreja</keyword>, Ullas Samrat and Dhruv Khanna of Triton Foodworks are growing plants without using soil, thereby surpassing the limitations of land, fertility, and even water. The method uses 60-80% less water,” <a href="http://www.forbesindia.com/article/30-under-30-2020/forbes-india-30-under-30-india039s-young-guns-more-inspiring-than-ever/57513/1">Forbes. </a> A 27-year-old Gourish Singla of a healthcare startup like Shivom that uses blockchain technology to customize medication - was also a part of the list. “Our Forbes India 30 Under 30 members are showing the way forward on another road and to another group—to traditional and legacy businesses and professionals, across different categories like technology, health care, finance, science, media, design, fashion, sports, entertainment, and so on—with their innovations, fresh business models and a set of fresh eyes,” wrote Forbes.<a href="http://www.forbesindia.com/article/30-under-30-2020/forbes-india-30-under-30-india039s-young-guns-more-inspiring-than-ever/57513/1"> </a> BB Ki Vines’ Bhuvan Bam and Technical Guruji Gaurav Chaudhary also made their debut under the digital content creators category. Five women across industries made it to the list against 26 men. Here is the complete list of all the 30 under 30 stars: Krishnakant Mishra Brand Content Lead, Ogilvy Age: 28 The authJandia, is a 28-year-old artist who developed a practice that deals with history and historical images that chronicle events of conflict and violence. The painter then tells the story of the events that shape society's perception of them.or of the non- fiction book ‘The Exclamator’, Krishnakant Mishra is no stranger to young achievers lists. He was nominated for Impact Magazine &amp; Social Samosa’s ‘Top 30 advertisers in India under 30 in 2019. Vikash Bakrewala Division Director, Sales &amp; Marketing (South India), B9 Beverages Age: 29 Bakrewala is the youngest sales leader at the beer company B9 Beverages. He helped Bira and Boom expand to five geographical clusters within a year. Ullas Samrat Dhruv Khanna Co-Founder, Triton Foodworks Age: 29 Ullas and Dhruv, the young childhood friends who <a href="http://www.forbesindia.com/article/sustainability-special/water-of-plenty-meet-the-trio-practising-soilless-farming-in-delhi/50313/1">drifted apart </a>when Khanna’s family moved out to Singapore, came together again. And when they did, they started a self-funded startup to aid internet-enabled smart farms that use technologies like hydroponics. Sai Gole, Siddhart Dialani Co-Founders, Bharat Agri Age: 26 Siddharth Dialani and Sai Gole are the co-founders of Bharat Agri. Its algorithm helps farmers with the right time to cultivate grow in manner that maximises production and boosts income. Sanket Jadia Artist Age: 28 Jandia, is a 28-year-old artist who developed a practice that deals with history and historical images that chronicle events of conflict and violence. The painter then tells the story of the events that shape society's perception of them. Aravind Sanka, Pavan Guntupalli, SR Rishikesh 
 
 

 Co-Founder, Rapido Age: 28, 28, 27 Sanka, Guntupalli and Rishikesh are the co-founders of India's largest bike taxi booking application. The services which started in 2015 are now available in 100 cities across the country. Rishab Karwan, Nitin Rana 
 
 




 Co-Founders, GoMechanic Age: 26, 29 Karwan and Rana are the co-founders of the Delhi based startup Go Mechanic. The startup helps streamline the disorganised automobile service centres in India. Akanksha Deo Sharma 
 
 




 Designer, Ikea Age: 28 IKEA opened its first store in Hyderabad in 2018 since then Akasha is the only Indian designer at the Sweedish major. He uses Indian textile history, handicrafts and construction techniques to make minimalistic and playful products. Bhuvan Bam 
 
 




 Youtuber Age: 25 Bhuvan Bam, the famous youtuber in India is just 25, and was recently invited to the World Economic Forum in Davos to rub shoulders with CEO’s. Bam is also the first Indian to hit two million subscribers on Youtube. Gaurav Chaudhary 
 
 




 Youtuber Age: 28 Chaudhary who is popularly known as Technical Guruji on Youtube. In his channel, he breaks down all things tech for common people and explains how tech works. His channel has 15 million subscribers. Varun Khona 
 
 




 Co-Founder and CEO, Handout Age: 29 Varun Khona is the CEO and cofounder of Handout. It is an AI-powered platform to design curated tourist experiences for last-minute travellers, launched globally. Ajai Thandi, Ashwajeet Singh, <keyword id="8722571" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="arman-sood">Arman Sood</keyword> 
 
 




 Co-Founder, Sleepy Owl Coffee Ages: 29,28,28 The Sleepy Owl Coffee launched from a two-bedroom apartment in Delhi by the co-founders Thandi, Singh and Sood. Now, the coffee brand is sold across 1,000 retail outlets in New Delhi and Mumbai with 60,000 customers. Akshay Chaturvedi 
 
 




 CEO, Leverage Edu Age: 29 Chaturvedi is the CEO of Leverage Edu, the platform focuses on career counselling and university admission. It caters to about 10,000 students and is on course to clock ₹10 crore in revenue for the current financial year. Sai Pallavi 
 
 




 Actor Age: 27 The girl who did her first film to miss math class in Grade 6 made it to Forbes list, and is the only actor in the list. Today, she is known for remarkable characters in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films -is also known for her dancing skills. Palak Shah CEO, Ekaya Age: 28 Shah is the CEO of Ekaya the brand focused on propagating the versatility and global appeal of Indian heritage weaves. The brand supports more than 8,000 weavers in India. Akshat Bansal Founder, Bioni Age: 29 Akshat Bansal brings sustainability and fashion together. In one of the Lakme Fashion Week 2018 collections, he used econyl fabric that was carved out of plastic waste. Ajeesh Achuthan Co-Founder and CTO, Open Age: 27 Ajeesh Achuthan co founded Open Financial Technologies — one of the world’s fastest growing neo-banking platforms. It provides financial services to MSMEs. Nikhil Kumar Co-Founder, Setu Age: 29 Nikhil Kumar led the team that built the BHIM app, that is owned by the government. The app was developed by the government to push India towards a cashless economy. Abhay Rangan CEO, Goodmylk Age: 22 Abhay Rangan, who started out as an active animal rights activist, is the CEO of Goodmylk. The startup provides plant based affordable milk in India. Krishna Gupta Founder, 1441 Pizzeria Age: 27 Krishna Gupta owns 1441 Pizzeria which serves fresh pizza made from woodfire ovens. The company which has five outlets now has ambitions to expand to 100. Priya Prakash Founder And CEO, HealthSetGo Age: 28 Prakash, who is a graduate from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, founded HealthSetGo to encourage healthy food habits amongst people. Gourish Singla Founder, Shivom Age: 26 Gourish Singla manages a blockchain startup named Shivom that provides genetic information to doctors. His startup was named in the top 50 innovative companies around the world at Smart Health Conference in Dubai in 2018. Jubin Varghese, Ameya Gadiwan Co-Founders, Gegadyne Energy Age: 24,25 Jubin Varghese, Ameya Gadiwan founded Gegadyne Energy in 2015 with an aim to provide a better alternative to lithium-ion batteries. It also won an award as the Startup of the year in 2019. Eshan Sadasivan CEO, PROSOC Innovators Age: 29 Eshan is an IIT Kanpur alumni who designed a foldable table that would help students in rural India. It aims to change the infrastructure deficit in India’s rural schools where students squat on the floor. <keyword id="178450" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Abhishek-Gupta">Abhishek Gupta</keyword>, Rishabh Verma CEO And COO, NavGurukul Age: 27, 24 Abhishek Gupta and Rishabh Verma are the CEO and COO of a NavGurukul which facilitates a one year residential programme to teach coding skills to low-income millennials. <keyword id="6287871" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="suthirth-vaidya">Suthirth Vaidya</keyword>, Abhijith Chunduru, Adarsh Raj CEO, CTO, Chief Architect And Co-Founders, Predible Health Age: 27, 26, 27 Suthirth Vaidya, Abhijith Chunduru, Adarsh Raj together run Predible Health, a startup that uses AI to help doctors identify diseases. Saurabh Chaudhary Sportsman Age: 17 Chaudhary is the youngest person to feature on the list. The teen shooter who won a gold medal at the Asian games. Deepak Punia Wrestler Age: 21 Punia is an Indian wrestler who won a silver medal at the World Wrestling Championship. He is now looking forward to participating in the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics. Akhil Aryan Co-Founder, ION Energy Age: 28 Akhil Aryan built Haptik — the world’s largest conversational AI platform. He is the co-founder of ION Energy, a battery management and intelligence platform that provides batteries. Amiya Adwitiya, Sisir Koppaka CEO and CTO, Squadcast Age: 29, 29 Amiya Adwitiya and Sisir Koppaka work with Squadcast as CEO and CTO respectively. Squadcast is a SaaS company that fixes the IT problems of their clients. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/youtuber-bhuvan-bam-of-bb-ki-vines-makes-to-forbes-30-under-30-list/articleshow/73952923.cms">YouTuber Bhuvan Bam of BB Ki Vines makes to Forbes’ 30 under 30 list</a>

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Axis Bank to tie up with ITC to offer rural lending products to farmers

Anagh Pal

Three promoters of Agri Gold Group arrested for Ponzi Scheme Fraud Case worth ₹6,380

IANS

Agri industry & experts give mixed bag of response on budget

PTI

Social media influencers, start-up founders and sportsmen dominate Forbes India's 30 under 30 list

Preeti

Navdeep