“Winning the Forbes India ‘We Serve India Award’ as the South & West Regional Winner under Tech-Led Social Innovation feels like a proud moment — not just for me, but for everyone who believed that innovation can begin in a small village too.

I’m Ashok from Anjalipuram, Suryapet district, Telangana, and my journey as an innovator began when I was in the sixth grade, experimenting with scrap materials to solve small farming problems.

Coming from a farming family, I’ve seen the struggles of small farmers — labour shortages, rising costs, and the lack of affordable tools. That’s what made me start building practical, low-cost machines to make their work easier.

Over the years, I’ve designed several agricultural tools such as the four-in-one cycle weeder, paddy hand weeder, manual seed-sowing tool, portable spraying machine, and a solar-powered crop protector that keeps birds and wild animals away.

Later, I worked on advanced models like Agro Thaar, which sprays fertilisers, weeds, and carries loads; Agromate, which ploughs and collects grains after harvest; and DryLand Pro 52, a lightweight machine that handles weeding and seeding with just a litre of fuel per acre. My seed-sowing tool alone has helped over 200 farmers save time and effort.

In 2021, I joined Vigyan Ashram, Pune, to study rural basic technology and learned fabrication, solar systems, and machine design. After completing my UG from Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University, Hyderabad, I started Rural Rise Agrinery LLP to develop affordable farm tools.

Today, when I see farmers using my tools in their fields, it feels like the most meaningful reward. My goal now is to train rural youth, students, and college dropouts through workshops and short-term programmes so they too can innovate using local resources.

In the long term, I aim to establish an R&D centre in my village, Anjalipuram, dedicated to developing new and affordable agricultural tools.”

— Ashok Gorre, Innovator