From vision to venture: How Amit Saraogi transforming India’s livestock feed industry

Amit Saraogi’s entrepreneurial journey began with a bold vision to bridge the demand-supply gap in the livestock feed industry. In 2000, armed with a civil engineering degree and a modest initial investment, he acquired a defunct manufacturing unit in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, and established Anmol Feeds.

What started as a small venture has grown into a Rs 600-crore enterprise with eight state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities across six states, producing 1,300 MT of livestock feed daily.

A pioneering entrepreneur, he now leads two businesses—Anmol Feeds and PrraniGanga, India’s first dedicated e-commerce marketplace for livestock commodities. From the poultry industry in Bengal to the rise of agri-startups in India, he shares his insights with Millennium Post.

How did Anmol Feeds come into being?

I was studying engineering in Bengaluru when my uncle, a distributor for a poultry feed company in Bihar, introduced me to the business. At the time, technology was limited, and a single company had a monopoly in the sector. We saw an opportunity and believed that entering the poultry feed business could be promising. In 2000, after completing my engineering degree, we started operations in Muzaffarpur.

Over time, we were able to develop a superior product compared to our competitors. In 2004, we set up our second plant in Kolkata. Today, we have nearly 11 plants across India.

How many of these plants are in West Bengal?

We have two plants in West Bengal—one dedicated to poultry feed and another to floating fish feed.

The agri-startup sector is one of the fastest-growing in India. How do you see young entrepreneurs embracing this space?

The Covid-19 pandemic brought a shift, with many educated youth returning to their villages. Some chose to stay and venture into agriculture, starting businesses in poultry farming, fish farming, and shrimp farming.

Since they are well-versed in technology, they understand how to approach agriculture as a structured business.

During the pandemic, we observed that farmers wanted access to high-quality products at competitive prices from the comfort of their homes, but no platform facilitated online purchases for livestock farming inputs.

This led us to create PrraniGanga—India’s first dedicated e-commerce platform for livestock commodities—designed to streamline the process for farmers and sellers. The platform serves as a one-stop solution, integrating insurance providers, credit facilities, and even offering seeds.

What kind of innovation is your company driving?

PrraniGanga is a first-of-its-kind initiative globally, requiring innovation at every step. We utilize artificial intelligence (AI) for disease identification in animals, have an automated CRM system, and a tech-driven call center.

Additionally, we provide advisory services for farm setup. One of our biggest achievements is that all of this has been developed in Kolkata using local talent.

Do young professionals face any stigma when entering the livestock or poultry industry?

Twenty-five years ago, poultry and fisheries carried a certain stigma, but that has changed significantly. Today, I don’t see any hesitation among young entrepreneurs entering the poultry, fish, or shrimp farming industries.

What is the market size for poultry feed in Bengal?

West Bengal leads the country in broiler production, making it the number-one poultry market in India.

Where do you see the company in the next five years?

For Anmol Feeds, we envision it becoming a multinational company within the next five years. We have already expanded into Africa and aim to establish a strong global presence while continuing operations from Kolkata. Our focus is now on dairy feed, the dairy business, shrimp farming, and fish farming. As for PrraniGanga, we have successfully completed our pilot phase and are currently focused on expanding across eastern India. By the end of this year, we plan to have a nationwide presence. Looking ahead, I see PrraniGanga becoming a multi-unicorn company in next five years.