One of the biggest environmental issues in India is plastic pollution because, as per stats, the country produces approximately 9.3 million tonnes of plastic waste annually. Although PET plastics are recycled more than other kinds (up to 90%), the remaining 40% often ends up in landfills or contaminates nature and threatens the lives of both humans and animals in the water. However, a recent group of Indian startups is changing this story by offering practical and scalable solutions, and Kerala’s Green Bio is the most ambitious of them.

What is the Plastic Waste Crisis?

The environmental pollution caused by the  use of plastic is called the plastic waste crisis. It is a serious problem that’s reshaping Indian society. Not only does plastic waste harm the environment; it is also a significant risk to our health, financial well-being and the future of our society.

India is facing a serious crisis related to plastic waste. Since the population and cities in the country are growing quickly, a lot of plastic waste is created each year. The vast majority of this waste is dumped in our rivers, oceans and landfills, which greatly damages the environment. The Ganga, Yamuna, and Narmada rivers are examples of rivers polluted by plastics and waste. The plastic waste causes damage to sea animals as well as to the quality of our food, so everyone is affected by plastic waste. 

Turning Corn and Sugarcane Into Water Bottles

Green Bio, a startup in Kerala founded by Pradeep Kokkat and Ali Asgar, manufactures water bottles that disintegrate naturally and are made from polylactic acid (PLA), which is produced from crops such as corn and sugarcane. Although they have the feel and look of plastic, they break down into water, carbon dioxide and biomass in only 180 days. The company has gone above and beyond by making the caps and labels biodegradable as well.

How Is Green Bio Different From Others?

Faster Decomposition: The degradation of the bottles reaches completion in roughly three to six months, which is much faster than standard plastics that can take decades to break down.

No harmful residue: The broken-down items leave only water, CO₂ and biomass without any microplastics or other harmful chemicals.

Comprehensive Sustainability: Unlike most bottles, Green Bio makes sure even the caps and labels are biodegradable.

Manufacturing Flexibility: The PLA material is changed into plastic bottles, and sellers can manufacture them between 100 ml and 1 litre, making them handy for many users.

Being at the manufacturing phase and registered with Kerala’s Startup Mission, Green Bio wishes to link with manufacturers across the country to enhance its production and make a bigger impact.

Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (KIIDC) is also taking part, collaborating with 8 Specialists from Kochi to manufacture bioplastic bottles made from PLA. Made at KIIDC’s facilities in Thodupuzha and Aruvikkara, the bottles are as strong as common plastic and will disappear in soil within six months.

Effect on the Economy and the Environment

Cost Factor: Now, bio-bottles cost more than five times the price of regular plastic bottles (while regular plastic bottles are marked at ₹2.50, biobottles are about ₹12.50 each), but there is hope that production will help bring costs down.

Market Readiness: Although the price of KIIDC’s water may become higher, the environmental impact is much more favorable than the increase in price.

Why is PLA bioplastic important for India?

PLA is being adopted more and more because it serves as a better, eco-friendly alternative to plastics from petroleum. The energy needed for PLA is only 65% of what is needed for other plastics, and it emits 63% fewer greenhouse gases. PLA is made with crops that take CO₂ from the atmosphere, which makes its carbon footprint quite small.

India’s sales of bioplastics were $447 million in 2023 and are estimated to expand to $1.8 billion by 2030, owing to people caring more about the environment and various government incentives. The packaging industry is driving this trend, and companies, both old and new, are putting more effort into new research and producing at a higher rate.

Challenges and opportunities

Although the benefits are huge, many challenges still face the industry:

• Cost Parity: Although bioplastics are more costly than usual plastics, improvements in technology and increased production are lowering the gap.
• Composting Infrastructure: PLA breaks down best where it is industrially composted, and not all places in India have those facilities.
• Consumer Awareness: It is important to inform people about why bioplastics are good and how they should be discarded.

The efforts in Kerala’s Green Bio and similar projects have become the way forward for sustainable packaging in India. Thanks to the use of agricultural resources and recent bioplastic developments, these startups demonstrate that it is possible to have eco-friendly options that work and can be expanded.

People and companies in the packaging, manufacturing and sustainability fields should understand: the future is for those who innovate sustainably. As the country tries to maintain growth and protect the environment, biodegradable bottles are an important step in making India cleaner and greener.

Better seeds and more tractors are not the only reasons India handles its large and increasing population; the answer is also found in the hidden underground networks. At the point where food security and microbiology connect, scientists are discovering how microbes and biofertilizers in India can boost food production and help nature become more sustainable.

The Challenge India Faces with Food Security

India is a major producer of rice, wheat, maize and pulses, where Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and West Bengal are the states that produce the most crops. Thanks to both new technology and the dedication of many farmers, India achieved the highest ever yield in key crops during the agricultural year 2024–25. Given the growing size of India’s population and its resources, the main problem is that the country must grow crops in smaller areas, with less water and chemicals.

The Impact of Microbes in Indian Farming

For this reason, agricultural microbiology has become more important in India and elsewhere. Scientists are now paying more attention to the small organisms, bacteria, fungi and other microbes that live in the soil and affect plant growth. Helping to keep soil fertile, cycle nutrients and keep plants healthy, these organisms play a key part in farming activities. All in all, sustainable crop production shall be the result of microbes in Indian farming.

The role of Microbes in Crop Growth

• Biofertilizers: They are made of living microorganisms that, once applied to seeds, plants or the soil, help growth by increasing the amount of important nutrients. Rhizobium bacteria assist legumes in pulling nitrogen from the atmosphere, which lets them rely less on chemical fertilizers.
• Biocontrol Agents: Certain microbes come from nature to defend plants from being pestered by insects and pathogens. Some fungi, like Trichoderma in the soil, help suppress damaging pathogens, hence cutting down the need for pesticides.
• Support for Healthy Soil: Microbes break up organic waste, reuse plant nutrients and help the soil retain water and allow roots to access nutrients.

Recent Breakthroughs: Microbial Products and Government Support

1. Innovations in microbial products and the full support of the government are making agricultural microbiology in India grow at a fast pace. Some crops are strengthened and made more resistant by KRIBHCO Rhizosuper, a mycorrhizal biofertilizer that relies on LCO Promoter Technology to boost nutrient uptake and the health of the soil. 
2. Microbial metabolites are now used in many new cell-free microbial technologies, offering a more stable and convenient solution for India’s different climates. They are especially useful to small and remote farmers.
3. Improved varieties like Pusa Biofortified Maize Hybrid 5 and types of chickpea Pusa Vijay 10217 and Pusa 3057 use better genes and microbes to keep both production and nutrition high. 
4. Thanks to schemes like Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) and MOVCD-NER, the use and development of biofertilizers and biopesticides are supported by subsidies and training, helping more people choose sustainable farming.

As India’s agricultural biologicals market is growing fast, microbial solutions are helping to boost crop yields and protect the environment.

How Do Microbes Benefit Sustainable Agriculture?

Using a lot of chemical fertilizers and pesticides for farming eventually makes the soil lose its richness and harms the environment. Choosing microbial solutions is more eco-friendly. They keep the soil healthy, cut down on things farmers must buy and help protect the environment.

For example, using biofertilizers saves the need for synthetic fertilizers and also makes crops more tolerant to problems caused by drought and salinity. Because of unpredictable weather and limited resources, this is crucial for Indian farmers. 

Obstacles and Future Outlook

While microbes have much potential, there are difficulties that must be tackled. Not all farmers know how helpful microbial products can be or are unable to get high-quality biofertilizers in India and biocontrol agents. We also require more studies to fit microbial solutions better to each crop and its nearby environment.

Amid these difficulties, scientists and policymakers are collaborating for sustainable crop production and to:

• Extend educational opportunities for farmers on the role of microbes in farming.
• Put more attention to better quality control and certification of bio-agri products.
• Foster public-private partnerships to scale up production and distribution of microbial inputs.

The Future: Making More Food, Sustaining Nature

India aims to increase maize production by 2025, which can be achieved through advanced seeds, better breeding and farming methods that involve healthy microbes. More farmers using these innovations lead to better results: greater food production, healthier natural resources and assurance that India will never lack food.

Although microbes are tiny entities, they play a very important role in Indian farming. By adopting agricultural microbiology techniques, India is able to grow more food and in more sustainable ways. Over the coming years, the helpers in our soil will be important for the country because they will play a big role in ensuring each Indian plate remains full for generations to come. 

For aspirants who have a keen interest in microbiology, agriculture, and biotechnology, pursuing microbiology is the right decision. Contact us for free career consultation and see where life is destined to take you

No skills, no language, no source placement… This guy still made it as a CHIEF Happiness OFFICER! Denver, a golden retriever, is stealing hearts not just in the hired firm but all over the internet. 

If you always thought productivity in tech offices could be achieved with caffeine or code, don’t forget the power of a cute dog. Internet users are raving about a Hyderabad startup, Harvested Robotics, which has a golden retriever named Denver as its Chief Happiness Officer. And what’s more interesting is that Denver Pawlson now has a LinkedIn page with 470+ connections already!!! 

Making Pets the Heroes of Our Tech Problems

Harvested Robotics is a startup that focuses on sustainable agriculture and laser-based weeding. This tech company has 8 employees, but because they understand what stress can do to the team, they adopted a dog that is debugging stress while the employees debug the code.

Denver’s position involves him being an example of peace and joy. Rahul Arepaka, one of the co-founders, introduced Denver on LinkedIn a week ago with a heartwarming and (p)awww-ing caption: “He doesn’t code. He doesn’t care. He just shows up, steals hearts, and keeps the energy up”.

Keeping the emotional and human aspect aside, this step by Harvested Robotics is beyond a fun marketing gimmick. The reason Denver was introduced is to address a serious issue in India which is of increased amount of stress. We are all aware of the fact that India is one of the most overworked job markets, where employees are expected to work more to get the bare minimum. Fixing this is challenging, but small steps like having a stress buster in the company can make a difference. 

According to HABRI research, 87% of employees are more likely to work longer at pet-friendly companies, while 91% of them feel happily engaged. Adhering to this, companies like Google, and Amazon have always been on the pet-positive side for years, and now, after the Harvesting Robotics initiative, we believe more companies will join the pack. 

Why Tech Companies have More stress? 

New studies show that Indian IT professionals, programmers and data scientists are facing more stress than they ever have before. The 2025 survey reports that 50% of IT employees find too much work to be their biggest stressor, and this is followed by strict deadlines (32%) and working longer than expected (28%). Work often gets in the way of family life for DevOps professionals, with 39% saying it makes a difference.

The data shows even greater disparity for data professionals. Research by Accenture and Qlik showed that over 85% of Indian employees feel stressed or unhappy with working with data, more than any other country in the world. Because workers are stressed, Indian companies are thought to lose around Rs 33,216 crore yearly from reduced productivity and time off because of information overload. More than seven out of ten workers say data overload significantly adds to their stress at work and 64% have missed at least a day because of stress from technology.

Why was the dog chosen? There Is Scientific Evidence To Support It

Why choose a golden retriever as the breed? It’s commonly observed from research that workplaces with pets have more engaged workers, fewer employees out of work and more loyalty. Dogs trigger the production of oxytocin, which boosts happiness and calms the cardiovascular system. Having dogs around encourages team building, helps people get closer and brings relief through their friendly and calm influence on everyone.

Denver does not spend each day fetching coffee or editing computer code. He replaces his bed with walks around the office, meeting people, jumping in on work meetings (sometimes with some tail wagging) and is present whenever someone feels chatty or needs a smile. The result? Space that encourages teamwork, easy communication, and inventive thinking. We aren’t promoting Hyderabad Tech Startup, this is our view as the third person. 

A Pawsitively Notable Trend

Harvested Robotics’ decision is in keeping with a broad trend among innovative businesses. By being pet-friendly, Harvested Robotics is showing its concern for employees’ well-being and better work-life balance. 

A lot of professionals and internet users have liked this decision and praised it. Denver is now known for being the perfect team member, lifting up employees, and the fun part is he is also connecting and commenting on social media. 

After we went through Denver’s profile, we found 2 of the best comments: “I also bark when work is not going smoothly.” and “Thanks - Rahul. Can I be CEO instead - Pawsible?” aren’t they cute?!

A Word for India’s Tech Industry

Because the boundaries between work and life are increasingly blurred for India’s coding, data science and IT experts, Denver’s story matters more than being only a feel-good headline—it shows that happy people at work are essential. Helping employees achieve wellness isn’t limited to benefits; it means making places where individuals (and sometimes their pets) are free to excel.

If you or your team feel overwhelmed with work, let a dog come by for a friendly nudge and wagging tail, and it could improve your day. If you’re in charge of a startup or HR department, it may be worth giving your own Chief Happiness Officer, Dogs and all, a try. 

Now that’s what we call a “pawsitive” disruption! So, be a better HR or a better manager, and hire a dog or a cat as your Chief Happiness Officer. 

If you believe agriculture is limited to farming, you should have another look at it. Because of technology, sustainability and agritech startups, the sector is full of modern career choices. These positions mean more to Indian students than just farming—they’re focused on shaping the future of food, technology and rural development. Listed below are the top five agriculture jobs with the most promise in 2025 that you should think about for your career.

1. Senior Agritech Data Analyst

Since India has more than 4,135 agritech startups, and according to The Economic Times the sector is set to provide 60,000-80,000 new jobs in next five years. These agritech companies are seeking people with expertise in data. Farmers rely on agritech data analysts, who use artificial intelligence, IoT and big data to aid in planning their crops, checking soil quality and planning how much water to give their fields. These experts regularly cooperate with startups in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, and their tips help increase both productivity and sustainability.

2. Sustainable Agriculture Specialist

With the increasing importance of both climate and resources, farmers are in need of experts to show them how to sustainably manage their land. Experts in this field come up with new solutions for saving water, farming in a natural way, controlling pests and promoting healthy soil. A lot of government agencies, NGOs and private firms are recruiting people for these jobs, mainly in Maharashtra, Punjab and Karnataka.

3. An Agricultural Extension and Advisory Officer

Current extension officers focus on more than sharing pieces of information. The use of apps, online tools and live farmer data helps extension agents reach farmers, give them specific guidance and teach them new methods. They act as a link between scientific facilities and local farms. Positions are offered by government departments as well as various kinds of agribusinesses, emphasizing climate-smart agriculture and growth in rural areas.

4. Precision Agriculture Technician

Drone use, along with sensors and GPS-driven equipment, is what precision agriculture aims to do. Trainees in this area work on operating and maintaining advanced devices, look over field data and assist farmers. More and more farmers are using these roles because they use technology to grow more and save money on their operations. Agritech startups and large agri-corporations are currently hiring people for these jobs.

5. Agri-Supply Chain and Market Linkage Manager

Supply chain managers are now essential for helping products get from farms to buyer markets in the best way possible. Logistics, ensuring good quality items, cold storage and digital platforms are all taken care of by these professionals. They also make it easier for farmers to obtain better deals from buyers, retailers and exporters. There are roles in this area at agritech companies, cooperatives and food processing businesses.

Why is it Important to Recognize These Roles?

• Having Job Security & Growth: More than 70% of the jobs in India come from the agricultural sector. What we have already innovated is being improved and added to with every new development.
• Impact: You can change lives with these roles by helping farmers, improving how safely people can get food and supporting environmental efforts.
• Diverse work environment: Whether you are interested in fieldwork, tech labs or offices, there are tons of opportunities for people with different abilities.

How Innovative Agriculture Roles are Shaping India’s Food Security and Economy?

With these new-age roles, agriculture in India is changing the entire process of food growth, movement and use. By hiring more young analysts and supply chain managers, farms are now more likely to use new technologies and respond better to market demands. Because farmers grow what is in demand, the risk of too much or too little food supply which leads to wastage or falling prices, is now greatly reduced.

Another important change is coming in how our food reaches us after being grown. Thanks to improved logistics and traceability, food reaches markets more quickly and in better freshness, which stabilizes prices and helps reduce wastage, which is a major concern for the country because post-harvest losses are always high. Thanks to these renovations, farmers earn more and healthy food is easier for families everywhere to buy.

Thanks to these experts in different fields, rural places are now able to diversify their source of income. Instead of growing just through traditional farming, many people are now employed in agri-technology, advice and export services. As a result, rural areas are adapting more easily to calamities such as droughts or sudden changes in market prices. Additionally, as women and young adults begin to participate, the area is changing for the better and becoming more active. 

Why Does the Agriculture Sector Upgrade Matter?

What makes this interesting is that these changes are supporting a climate of creativity and new ideas. India is starting to gain a reputation for agri-innovation due to the many startups and research initiatives focused on agriculture. It encourages investors and also shows young people that farming can be satisfying, high-tech work, not just a backup option.

Eventually, these improvements are preparing us for a more stable and successful future. It is also allowing India to compete globally and support its expanding population through improved, more lucrative, and sustainable farming practices. The change makes life easier and healthier for people all along the food chain, from the farmer to the table. 

In conclusion, young people who love nature, agriculture, technology and rural growth will find these new agriculture jobs both interesting and meaningful. The rapid sector development and rising interest in agritech is an indication that it’s an excellent time to gain expertise in data, sustainability and digital tools. Start your career in the field of agriculture through AIACAT because Indian agriculture has many promising prospects, and it will be well served by talented young professionals like you.