Kisan Sanchar
Kisan Sanchar is a Section 8 not-for-profit delivering free weather intelligence and agricultural advisories to over 220,000 farmers across India via SMS, voice messaging, and WhatsApp, operating as a volunteer dissemination partner of the India Meteorological Department since 2015.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersZirakpur, SAS Nagar Mohali, India
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Kisan Sanchar does
Kisan Sanchar is a Section 8 not-for-profit company headquartered in Zirakpur, Punjab, India, formally incorporated in March 2012 by Kamal Jeet and Divya. The organization provides free weather intelligence and agricultural advisory services — including Rain Alerts, Wind Alerts, Mandi Rates, and Agro Advisories — to farmers and farm workers across India, currently reaching 220,387 beneficiaries across all 28 states and 8 union territories. Since 2015, Kisan Sanchar has operated as a volunteer dissemination partner of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, channeling official weather intelligence to farmers via SMS (initiated 2015), voice messaging (for low-literacy users), and a WhatsApp two-way messaging system (introduced 2021).
The flagship offering, Panchayat Mausam Sewa, was jointly developed with the IMD, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, and Green Alert Mausam Sewa under India's Public-Private Partnership framework and was inaugurated by the Vice President of India in January 2024. The portal delivers real-time five-day weather forecasts (rainfall probability, wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, cloud cover) along with agro advisories at the gram panchayat level. Underlying infrastructure is built around mobile-first channels and partner-managed WhatsApp groups, with technical development supported by Silex Software Private Limited and content authority validated by institutional MOUs with Chitkara University, Manav Rachna University, Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, and the Chhattisgarh Tribal Local Health Traditions & Medicinal Plants Board.
Kisan Sanchar operates a freemium / grant-funded business model: all farmer-facing services are provided free of charge, with operating costs covered through CSR partnerships (e.g., Wingify Software Private Limited's 2017-18 program covering 7,149 farmers in four states) and grants (notably the 2011 Vodafone Mobile for Good Award of Rs. 1 million). The organization is CSR-eligible under Section 8 with 12AA and 80G tax exemptions. Quantified impact includes a 2018-19 study of 1,000 farmers showing Rs. 600 per acre average irrigation cost savings per verified Rain Alert, and the Wingify partnership's recognition via the National CSR Award 2020.
Kisan Sanchar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kisan Sanchar
- Legal name
- Kisan Sanchar
- Website
- https://kisansanchar.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kisan Sanchar is a Section 8 not-for-profit delivering free weather intelligence and agricultural advisories to over 220,000 farmers across India via SMS, voice messaging, and WhatsApp, operating as a volunteer dissemination partner of the India Meteorological Department since 2015.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kisan Sanchar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Information Services
- NAICS
- Farm Management Services (115116), Support Activities for Crop Production (1151)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Field Mapping, GIS & Remote Sensing Analytics (AFAAAFAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Monitoring, Metering & Flow Measurement (Meters, Pressure/Flow Gauges, Telemetry) (AFAAACAK), Climate-Smart Farming & GHG Reduction (Emissions Accounting, Methane/N2O Reduction Practices) (AFAGAMAH)
Keywords
Where Kisan Sanchar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Zirakpur, SAS Nagar Mohali
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kisan Sanchar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- CSR Partnerships: Kisan Sanchar implements CSR projects in India, registered with Ministry of Corporate Affairs and possessing CSR-1 filing capability. Corporate partners fund weather intelligence services for farmers. Wingify Software Private Limited partnered in 2017-18 to provide services to 7,149 farmers.
- Grants and Awards: Kisan Sanchar received Rs. 1 million from Digital Empowerment Foundation through the Vodafone Mobile for Good Award in July 2011 to scale up operations.
- Free Knowledge Dissemination Services: All services offered to farmers, farmworkers, and other beneficiaries are completely free of charge. Company is a not-for-profit registered under Section 8 of Indian Companies Act 2013.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free service for all beneficiaries |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Kisan Sanchar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kisan Sanchar delivers free weather intelligence and agricultural knowledge services to Indian farmers via SMS, voice messaging and WhatsApp, sourcing data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Its flagship Panchayat Mausam Sewa program provides real-time 5-day weather alerts (rainfall probability, wind, temperature, humidity, cloud cover) and agro advisories, complemented by rain alerts, wind alerts, mandi rates, agro advisories and grassroots innovation knowledge. All services are provided free of charge through a community-led model involving KVKs, agricultural universities, government bodies and NGOs.
Product overview
Kisan Sanchar is a not-for-profit organization operating under Section 8 of the Indian Companies Act 2013, offering a unified weather intelligence and agricultural knowledge dissemination platform. The core offering is Panchayat Mausam Sewa, the flagship program of the India Meteorological Department, which provides farmers with real-time weather alerts (Rain Alert, Wind Alert) and 5-day forecasts along with agro advisories. The platform distributes information through multiple communication channels including SMS, Voice Messaging, and WhatsApp. Additional services include Mandi Rates for market prices and Green Grassroots Innovations Advisory for sustainable practices. The company partners with IMD, Ministry of Earth Sciences, and Ministry of Panchayati Raj since 2015 to deliver free knowledge services to over 220,000 beneficiaries across India.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Panchayat Mausam Sewa: Flagship program in partnership with India Meteorological Department providing real-time weather alerts and agro advisories to farmers at the gram panchayat level across India.
Products and services
- Panchayat Mausam Sewa Flagship program of India Meteorological Department providing real-time weather alerts (probability of rainfall, wind speed, wind direction, temperature, humidity, cloud cover) for the next 5 days along with agro advisories, voluntarily implemented by Kisan Sanchar across all blocks in India for farmers at the gram panchayat level.
- Rain Alert SMS-based rainfall alert service enabling farmers to make informed decisions on irrigation timing, pesticide/fertilizer application and crop management; verified to deliver average savings of Rs. 600 per acre in irrigation costs.
- Wind Alert
Quantifiable outcome
- Rs. 600 per acre average savings in irrigation costs per Rain Alert verified by farmers (2018-19 study of 1,000 farmers)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Kisan Sanchar
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Kisan Sanchar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Kisan Sanchar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of IndiacoreJointly developed Panchayat Mausam Sewa Portal with IMD, Ministry of Earth Sciences, and Green Alert Mausam Sewa. Ministry of Panchayati Raj supports this initiative to serve farmers at the gram panchayat level across India.
- Green Alert Mausam SewacoreJointly developed Panchayat Mausam Sewa Portal. Green Alert Mausam Sewa developed the portal under the Private Public Partnership Policy of Government of India.
- Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, ShivamoggaminorMOU signed in 2024 with agricultural university for providing free knowledge dissemination services to farmers in Karnataka.
- Chhattisgarh Tribal Local Health Traditions & Medicinal Plants BoardminorMOU signed in 2024 for providing free knowledge dissemination services related to tribal local health traditions and medicinal plants to farmers.
- Manav Rachna UniversityminorMOU signed in 2021 for providing free knowledge dissemination services to farmers in different parts of India.
- Chitkara UniversityminorMOU signed in 2020 for providing free knowledge dissemination services to farmers in different parts of India.
- India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of IndiacoreKisan Sanchar has been one of the volunteer dissemination partners of IMD since 2015. IMD provides weather intelligence which Kisan Sanchar disseminates to farmers via mobile phone technology. This partnership enables delivery of official government weather forecasts and advisories to rural farmers.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kisan Sanchar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Plantix: Plantix is a mobile crop diagnosis and advisory app for farmers, providing AI-based disease and pest identification plus agronomic recommendations. Comparable to Kisan Sanchar as both deliver free, mobile-first agricultural advisory content to Indian farmers across a wide demographic.
- Digital Green: Digital Green is a global development organization that disseminates agricultural best practices to farmers via video and digital channels, often partnering with government extension services. Comparable to Kisan Sanchar as both use community-led digital dissemination models targeted at smallholder farmers in India.
- Meghdoot (India Meteorological Department): Meghdoot is the official mobile app by India Meteorological Department providing weather forecasts and agro-advisories to farmers. This is the most direct comparable—same data source (IMD), same target audience (Indian farmers), and overlapping functionality in weather-driven agricultural advisory.
- Kisan Suvidha (Government of India): Kisan Suvidha is a Government of India mobile app providing weather, market prices, and agricultural advisories to farmers. Directly comparable as a free, government-operated farmer advisory platform competing for the same farmer audience with overlapping functionality.
- IFFCO Kisan: IFFCO Kisan is the digital arm of Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative, providing agricultural advisory, weather information, and market data via SMS, voice, and apps across India. Closely comparable to Kisan Sanchar as both deliver free agricultural knowledge services to Indian farmers through similar mobile channels and partnership models.
Broad incumbents
- CropIn: CropIn is a leading Indian agtech SaaS platform offering farm management, remote sensing, and predictive analytics for agribusinesses. Broader than Kisan Sanchar as it serves enterprises rather than individual farmers, but overlaps in applying weather and remote-sensing analytics to Indian agriculture.
- DeHaat: DeHaat is a large Indian agricultural services platform offering advisory, inputs, financing, and market linkages to farmers. Comparable to Kisan Sanchar in serving Indian smallholders with advisory content, but DeHaat operates a much larger full-stack model with VC backing.
Emerging players
- BharatAgri: BharatAgri is an Indian startup providing personalized agronomic advisory and weather-based crop recommendations to farmers via mobile app. Directly comparable to Kisan Sanchar in weather-driven agricultural advisory for Indian smallholder farmers, with overlapping value proposition.
- AgroStar: AgroStar is an Indian agtech platform combining agronomic advisory with agri-input e-commerce for farmers. Comparable to Kisan Sanchar in providing mobile agricultural advisory to Indian farmers, though AgroStar monetizes through input sales rather than grants/CSR.
- Fasal: Fasal is an Indian precision agriculture startup providing IoT-based farm monitoring and weather-driven crop advisories. Comparable to Kisan Sanchar in applying weather intelligence to Indian agriculture, though Fasal focuses on higher-value horticulture farms with on-farm IoT sensors rather than government data dissemination.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kisan Sanchar social profiles
Digital presenceKisan Sanchar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kisan Sanchar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Kisan Sanchar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kisan Sanchar M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kisan Sanchar
What does Kisan Sanchar do?
Kisan Sanchar delivers free weather intelligence and agricultural knowledge services to Indian farmers via SMS, voice messaging and WhatsApp, sourcing data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Its flagship Panchayat Mausam Sewa program provides real-time 5-day weather alerts (rainfall probability, wind, temperature, humidity, cloud cover) and agro advisories, complemented by rain alerts, wind alerts, mandi rates, agro advisories and grassroots innovation knowledge. All services are provided free of charge through a community-led model involving KVKs, agricultural universities, government bodies and NGOs.
Is Kisan Sanchar a public or private company?
Kisan Sanchar is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Kisan Sanchar founded?
Kisan Sanchar was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Kisan Sanchar based?
Kisan Sanchar is headquartered in Zirakpur, SAS Nagar Mohali, India, in the Asia region.
How does Kisan Sanchar make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. CSR Partnerships are the primary driver. The others are grants and Awards and free Knowledge Dissemination Services.
Who are Kisan Sanchar's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Plantix, Digital Green, Meghdoot (India Meteorological Department), Kisan Suvidha (Government of India) and IFFCO Kisan. Broad incumbents are CropIn and DeHaat. Emerging players are BharatAgri, AgroStar and Fasal.
Does Kisan Sanchar have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kisan Sanchar.
What industry is Kisan Sanchar in?
Kisan Sanchar's product category is Agricultural Information Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAAAFAB, Field Mapping, GIS & Remote Sensing Analytics, with a secondary code of AFAAACAK, Monitoring, Metering & Flow Measurement (Meters, Pressure/Flow Gauges, Telemetry). Its NAICS code is 115116 and its SIC code is 700.