Pune Inc: This techie uses satellite AI to double Indian crop yields
Pune entrepreneur Swapil Jadhav built MapMyCrop, a satellite-driven platform that helps millions of farmers boost yields, cut costs and access real-time farm intelligence across 120 countries.
Swapnil Jadhav had travelled out of the country for the first time to set up an office in the US for his company that was building maps and satellite applications for global companies. But, as Covid-19 hit New York, the techie from Pune wanted to come back home. Upon returning, he saw that his father was worried because he had not been able to monitor the crops in their fields. “My father asked if I could do something?” recalls Jadhav, whose forte is satellite AI.
He pulled out some free satellite imagery for his father. On the screen, they were able to see the state of the farm. “The person looking after the farm had said that we were getting 65 tonnes of harvest, but using satellite imagery, we found that the yield was closer to 90 tonnes,” says Jadhav. Word slowly spread, and Jadhav’s skills were in demand. Everyone around him had some kind of farm, and as the lockdown stretched, they were clueless about the ground realities of their fields. “I began to sense a good market and potential. Once lockdown restrictions were lifted, he went on the ground and met with a few farmers,” he states.
This was the genesis of MapMyCrop, considered a pioneering crop monitoring service based on satellite data and the latest Machine Learning. Their USP is giving farmers unparalleled crop insights that slow, on-ground monitoring usually misses; hyperlocal weather data and disease forecasting, access to important agricultural insights, and expert agronomist advice, among others.
Eyes in the sky
Founded in 2020 by Jadhav, the CEO, the company is led by him, Rajesh Shirole, the COO, and Dr Bhushan Gosavi, the Director of Agronomy and Product, among others. The company invested more than three years in innovating and building the product. “We realised that satellite technology had been tried before but had not worked because the image was of low quality or the tech was focused on Western countries and not adequate for India and Asia,” says Jadhav. Among their efforts was to convince 2.5 lakh farmers across India and Asia to test the product.
Today, MapMyCrop counts enterprises, such as PepsiCo and Unilever, among its clients. “We have more than 6.2 million farmers using the application in across 120 countries,” says Jadhav.
Last year, they silenced all doubts. MapMyCrop collaborated with Microsoft, the Agricultural Development Trust (ADT) in Baramati, and Oxford University on sugarcane farming in Baramati. “Traditional methods of sugarcane agriculture often led to inefficiencies, high input costs, and suboptimal yields. We used our Satellite Crop Monitoring Platform to impact sugarcane cultivation,” says Jadhav. The AI-driven farming techniques resulted in yield increasing from 70 tonnes per acre to 120 tonnes per acre in one variety of sugarcane and more than 40 per cent in other varieties. Due to remote monitoring technology, farmers could reduce farm visits by 41 per cent. Sugarcane height increased to more than 15 ft. Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, shared the news, and Elon Musk retweeted it, declaring that “AI will improve everything”.
Smart business model
MapMyCrop is laser-focused when it comes to satellite AI and crop monitoring. They have more than 11 products, a suite for agriculture. The company has also avoided the pitfall of charging farmers. Instead, they are offering the platform as free access to farmers. Using the application, the farmers are able to improve yield by 30 per cent, reduce costs by 40 per cent, and also save 20 per cent on water. All the information is available in the WhatsApp app. “Even if the farmer is not comfortable with the tech, they can interact with a WhatsApp bot and find out what actions to take,” says Jadhav.
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How do they make money? “We primarily make money from large enterprises, such as PepsiCo, that help us deliver these solutions to the farmers,” says Jadhav. The company has also closed a funding round, raising $ 1.8 million from a mix of Indian and international investors, primarily from Europe, Singapore, and the US. The plan is to scale to six million farmers quickly from the three million farmers they are at right now.
Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life.
Professional Background
Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint.
Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series).
Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators.
Recent Notable Articles (December 2025)
Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season:
1. Climate & Environment
"Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week.
"How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site.
"Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner.
2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage
"Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle.
"Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport.
"The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle.
3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc"
"Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema.
"Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups.
"How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor.
Signature Style
Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune.
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