Kabeer’s Farmer-First Approach: Tech With a Heart

At first glance, Mohammed Kabeer’s journey seems like a classic pivot—a young dreamer once set on designing aircrafts, now knee-deep in the soil of India’s agricultural revolution, embedded deep in its farmlands. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find a story rooted in personal legacy, resilience, and the urgent need to reimagine farming for a world in crisis.
“I always wanted to join the Indian Air Force,” Kabeer shares, his tone thoughtful yet assured. “But life had other plans.” Financial hurdles nudged him off his intended path, steering him into tool and die making at GTTC-Bangalore, and later mechanical engineering at REVA University, Bangalore. Yet, that detour planted the seeds of something far more impactful: CropNow, an agri-tech startup incubated at REVA NEST with the ambitious mission of making farming smarter, more sustainable, and emotionally connected to its roots.

The Spark from a Legacy Lost

For Kabeer, the defining moment didn’t come in a lab or lecture hall—it came at a funeral.

“In 2023, I lost my grandmother, Rukhayya Bii,” he says, pausing. “She was a farmer, a storyteller, a fighter, and a strong, unwavering mother who raised generations with grace and grit.”

It was at her funeral that he learned how, years ago, she had been forced to sell their ancestral farmland in Tamil Nadu and move to Bengaluru with her seven children, just to survive.

“That moment hit me hard,” he recalls. “Her stories about how food used to taste, how the soil once felt alive, how farming was something to be proud of—they made me realize we’re losing more than just land. We are losing our farmers, our flavors, and our farming soul.”

He adds, “I didn’t want to be another grandson saying, ‘My grandparents were landlords, but I’m not.’ I needed to understand why they gave up, and CropNow became my way of finding that answer.”

Cracking the Code of Real Farming Problems

While many tech startups focus on high-end solutions for premium markets, Kabeer saw an entirely different need.

“What farmers need is real-time, actionable guidance. Not complex dashboards or fancy buzzwords—just simple, clear insights that help them take the right action at the right time.”

That’s exactly what CropNow delivers: a farmer-first dashboard that’s intuitive, insightful, and built for the realities of Indian agriculture.

Through on-ground research across South India, the CropNow team uncovered critical gaps:
⦁    Overly generic advice
⦁    High-cost technology that’s out of reach
⦁    A complete lack of post-sale support
⦁    No user-friendly automation suited to Indian farms
⦁    Unscientific use of pesticides and fertilizers
⦁    Late pest, disease, or weed detection
⦁    Unreliable labor and increasing costs
⦁    No real-time crop monitoring
⦁    Low yield quality leading to market rejection
Armed with these insights, CropNow designed a smart, modular farming ecosystem one that brings farmers into the center of the tech revolution rather than pushing them to the margins.

Building the CropNow Ecosystem: Smarter Tools, Smarter Farmers

CropNow isn’t just a single product; it’s an entire intelligent farming ecosystem designed to evolve alongside the needs of Indian agriculture. It’s the result of over two years of fieldwork, prototyping, setbacks, testing, failures, learnings—and above all, relentless listening to the people who know farming best: the farmers themselves.
Here’s how the ecosystem is coming together:

1. NEST (FIS01)

A solar-powered standalone device, NEST brings real-time intelligence to the farm. It monitors soil health, air toxicity, and weather patterns—offering AI-powered predictions for rainfall, crop diseases, and optimal timing for irrigation and pesticide use.
It also detects water sources and tracks pesticide pollution. With NEST, farmers can reduce chemical usage by up to 95% in early field trials, conserve water, minimize air contamination, and protect their health—all through smarter, data-driven decisions in the field.

2. CropDesk (FIS02)

Smart, Simple, and Farmer-First
CropDesk is a multilingual farm dashboard built for ease and accessibility. With support for 22 Indian languages, a voice assistant, and real-time alerts, it helps farmers stay informed on rain, disease, irrigation, and spraying schedules.
It also generates 7-day farm reports and works seamlessly with NEST, SEED, and future CropNow tools. As a SaaS platform, it can also support third-party agri-IoT devices with full customization.

3. SEED (FIS03 – Prototype Phase)

SEED is a self-operating, AI-powered robot that brings precision to plant care. Equipped with advanced image visualization, it scans crops in real time, detects pests, diseases, and nutrient issues, and performs targeted spot spraying using organic solutions.
By treating only the affected areas, SEED reduces chemical usage by up to 99.9% in prototype tests, saves time, lowers input costs, and minimizes environmental impact. Designed for structured farm layouts, SEED enables farmers to achieve healthier crops with fewer resources through accurate, automated action.

 

Bootstrapped, Bold, and Built for Impact

CropNow has been entirely bootstrapped—a rare feat in a field dominated by venture-backed players. Funding, Kabeer admits, was a significant challenge.

“Investors told us to build for those who can pay more,” he recalls. “But we wanted to build for the people who grow our food.”

To close the gap, CropNow leveraged deep user validation, community workshops, partnerships with academic institutions, and—most crucially—a deeply passionate, value-driven team.

A turning point came when their system successfully predicted a pest outbreak during a pilot test, preventing significant crop losses. “Farmers told us they felt seen and supported,” Kabeer says. “That was our real product-market fit.”
 

The People Powering CropNow

CropNow today has grown into a team of 35+ individuals—a passionate mix of innovators working together to make farming smarter and more accessible.
Among them is Mohammed Aman, Director of R&D and Operations, a key force in shaping CropNow’s growth. His journey with Kabeer spans over seven years, from GTTC to CropNow. “Aman has been a supporting pillar through some of our most defining phases,” says Kabeer.

Milestones That Matter

CropNow’s impact is already tangible:
⦁    Recognized as “Young Innovator & Entrepreneur of the Year 2025” by REVA University
⦁    Successful field pilots across South India, involving over 15 women research scholars
⦁    CropChronicles – a field project where student researchers act as farmer-engineers, documenting real-time challenges and co-developing solutions

“Every time a farmer tells us their yield has improved or their workload reduced, it validates our vision,” Kabeer shares. “We’re not just building tech—we're building trust.”

A 5-Year Vision for a Farming Revolution
Looking ahead, CropNow’s roadmap is both ambitious and audacious:
⦁    Reach 10 million+ farmers across India and expand to Southeast Asia and Africa
⦁    Save over 15 billion liters of water through precision irrigation (based on projected models)
⦁    Reduce chemical usage by 95% through organic spot spraying
⦁    Improve rural air quality by minimizing pesticide drift
⦁    Launch five sustainable consumer brands from upcycled agri-waste and soil-enriching products

“We don’t just want to be a startup—we want to be a movement,” Kabeer states. “We want to make farming zero-waste, low-labor, and climate-smart. But also bring back its soul.”

Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Kabeer’s journey offers several takeaways for those walking the entrepreneurial path:
⦁    Start with emotion, but build with logic: Passion is the spark, but discipline is the engine.
⦁    Prototype fast, validate faster: Especially when your end-users are underserved communities.
⦁    Resist shortcuts: “The farmer’s trust is hard-earned. No growth hack replaces authenticity.”
⦁    Stay close to your roots: Whether that’s your literal soil or your personal ‘why.’

Final Thoughts: Where Innovation Meets Intention

Mohammed Kabeer’s story isn’t just about a tech founder. It’s about a grandson honoring a legacy. It’s about empowering farmers—not through charity, but through intelligent, dignified tools. It’s about choosing the road less profitable in the short term to build something truly transformative for the long haul.
As he puts it,

“We’re not trying to disrupt agriculture. We’re trying to revive it.”

Connect with CropNow

To follow Mohammed Kabeer’s journey, explore CropNow’s solutions, or become part of their agri-revolution, check out the links below:

Website: www.CropNow.in
LinkedIn (Founder & CEO): @Mohammad Kabeer
Instagram: @Kabeer
Email: kabeer@CropNow.in
General Contact: CropNow.contact@gmail.com
Whether you’re an investor, a fellow entrepreneur, or simply someone who cares about what ends up on your plate—CropNow is a name to watch.