Agri-tech startup Gramophone has promoted Navneet Singh Batra, a seasoned sales and marketing expert, to Co-founder. With over a decade of experience in the FMCG and Agri industries, he brings valuable insight to enhance Gramophone’s market presence and drive growth. Navneet’s expertise in distribution channels and markets has been essential to Gramophone’s success.
Navneet’s new role involves leading sales and marketing at Gramophone, overseeing strategies to boost market presence and drive growth. Responsibilities include expanding to new areas, increasing marketing efforts, improving margins, optimizing customer acquisition, and broadening the brand’s reach in agricultural markets.
“Gramophone’s mission to empower farmers through innovative technology aligns perfectly with my passion for transforming the agricultural landscape. I look forward to leveraging my experience in sales and marketing to enhance our market presence, drive growth, and expand our reach. Together, we will continue to support and uplift the farming community, ensuring they have access to the best resources and guidance throughout their journey”, said Navneet Singh, Co-Founder at Gramophone.
Speaking on the announcement, Tauseef Khan, Co-founder and CEO of Gramophone, said, “We are excited to welcome Navneet Singh Batra as Co-Founder. Navneet’s extensive experience in the FMCG and Agri-Input sectors, combined withhis proven track record of driving growth and innovation, makes him an invaluable addition to our leadership team. His strategic insights and expertise in marketing will be instrumental as we continue to expand Gramophone’s reach and impact. We are confident that with Navneet on board, we will further strengthen our commitment to supporting farmers and transforming the agricultural ecosystem in India.”
Navneet’s role at Gramophone as the Business Head involved boosting revenue and profitability, overseeing category management and retailer financing. He successfully launched the B2B retailer business, managed marketing efforts, and strategically pivoted the business model towards profitability.
Before joining Gramophone, Navneet led marketing at nurture.retail, where he onboarded thousands of retailers nationwide and boosted digital sales. At JioMart, he spearheaded programs to modernize Kirana stores and managed merchant onboarding, business margins, and transactions via targeted marketing. Navneet was instrumental in digitizing Reliance Market’s wholesale network, employing B2B lead generation strategies that significantly fueled JioMart’s growth.
Gramophone, an Indian Agri-Tech startup, offers an Intelligent Farming Platform for farmers. It manages the farmer experience, providing agronomy advice and farm inputs via a wide distribution network. The platform serves 50,000 villages, collaborating with 2 million farmers and retailers. It guides users through the crop cycle, from seed selection to input optimization.
The company has successfully raised $20.5 million from investors including Info Edge, Z3 Partners, Asha Impact, and Siana Capital. For the fiscal year 2023, Gramophone reported a gross revenue of INR 316 crore, reflecting a substantial 75.6% year-on-year growth.
Gramophone operates in a competitive agri-tech market in India, facing competition from firms such as DeHaat, AgroStar, Ninjacart, Bijak, and Crofarm. The agri-tech sector in India is anticipated to reach $1.94 billion by 2024, underscoring the growth potential and dynamic nature of the industry.
