Founder Self-Evaluation: Green Revolution Legacy; (For Indian Food/Ag/Environment Startups)

PART 1: FACTOR INTRODUCTION

1.1 Why This Matters to You: *"The Green Revolution (1960s-80s) isn’t history – it’s the DNA of modern Indian agriculture. While it boosted wheat/rice yields 300%, founders today inherit its unintended consequences: depleted aquifers, pesticide-resistant pests, and debt-trapped smallholders. Your startup operates in its shadow – whether reviving heirloom crops or promoting precision farming, you’re navigating a system built for HYV seeds and urea subsidies."*

1.2 Key Realities for Indian Founders:

1.2.1 Policy Hangover: MSP (Minimum Support Price) system still favors wheat/punjab, distorting crop choices

1.2.2 Tech Debt: 72% of Punjab’s soils now lack micronutrients (ICAR 2023)

1.2.3 Behavioral Lock-in: Farmers equate "high yield" with "more urea" despite 40% runoff waste

1.3 Founder Blind Spot: *"Assuming farmers will adopt your sustainable solution just because it’s ‘better’ – without addressing their Rs. 30,000/acre urea subsidy dependency."*________________________________________

PART 2: INDIAN CONTEXT SCENARIOS

1. Positive Leverage (➕); Case: *"A Punjab-based agtech startup mapped ‘yield decline zones’ from over-farmed Green Revolution districts. They targeted these areas with nano-fertilizers that work with (not against) existing farmer habits – achieving 22% adoption in Year 1 by positioning products as ‘urea boosters’ rather than replacements."*

Lesson: "Meet farmers where they are – reframe innovations within their mental models."

2. Costly Mistake (➖); Case: "An organic millet startup dismissed the Green Revolution’s infrastructure reality. Their ‘back to traditional crops’ pitch failed in Bihar because state procurement still prioritizes rice – leaving farmers no assured market. 18 months pivoting to hybrid models." Root Cause: "Ignoring the MSP system’s gravitational pull on crop choices."

3. Neutral Outcome (➗); Case: "A drone startup targeting large wheat farms in Haryana found farmers open to tech but unwilling to reduce chemical inputs. They dropped their ‘reduce pesticides’ messaging and focused solely on spray efficiency – adoption rose with no input change." Insight: "Some Green Revolution behaviors are too entrenched to fight head-on."________________________________________

PART 3: FOUNDER SELF-ASSESSMENT

3.1 Context Check; "Which scenario resonates most with your experience?"

3.1.1.Positive: We’ve successfully adapted to these legacies

3.1.2 Negative: Got blindsided by historical baggage

3.1.3 Mixed: Some wins, some setbacks

3.1.4 New: Haven’t confronted this yet

3.2 Impact Rating; "How has Green Revolution legacy affected your operations?"

[-5 = Blocking us │ 0 = No impact │ +5 = Accelerating us] *

(E.g., -3 if procurement biases limit your crop choices, +2 if you’re reviving forgotten varieties)*

3.3 Knowledge Depth; "Your grasp of this historical context:"

3.3.1 ☐ Surface-level (know the term "Green Revolution")

3.3.2 ☐ Basic (understand MSP linkage)

3.3.3 ☐ Operational (leverage it in farmer outreach)

3.3.4 ☐ Strategic (design business models around it)

3.3.5 ☐ Expert (advise policymakers on reform)

3.4 Gap Analysis; "Improving this would mainly help us:"

3.4.1 Unlock markets (e.g., navigate state procurement)

3.4.2 Reduce friction (e.g., farmer adoption)

3.4.3 Both

3.5 Priority Ranking : "Our action level:"

3.5.1 🔴 Critical (actively hurting us)

3.5.2 🟢 Opportunity (differentiation potential)

3.5.3 🟡 Monitor (may matter later)

3.5.4 ⚪ Irrelevant

3.6 Decision Audit (If scored ≥3 on either side in Impact); "Describe one decision where this history directly mattered:"

Example: "We abandoned sorghum in Maharashtra after realizing state subsidies made soybeans 3x more profitable for farmers despite lower nutrition."

3.7 Key Insight; "One thing we’d do differently knowing this history:"

(E.g., "Would’ve co-designed products with arthiyas [commission agents] not just farmers")

________________________________________

Indian Founder-Specific Add-Ons

1. Regional Nuances:

o Punjab/Haryana: Chemical overuse legacy

o Kerala/TN: Less impacted, more open to alternatives

2. Policy Touchpoints:

o How FPOs (Farmer Producer Organizations) are reshaping procurement

o State-specific organic farming subsidies as counter-movements

3. Behavioral Nudges:

o "Bihar farmers still equate ‘modern farming’ with Green Revolution practices"

o "Karnataka growers more receptive to millets post-state policy push"

________________________________________

Next Steps

1. Review this module – Should we add more regional examples (e.g., Vidarbha’s cotton crisis)?

2. Pick the next historical factor (Mechanization? Post-liberalization shifts?)

3. Refine tone – More startup slang ("policy hangover") or keep professional?

This template localizes global concepts while keeping the founder at the center. Want to adjust any section’s depth?