Agricultural technology company Agrograde has installed its GradePlus Pro automated onion grading system at a farmer producer company in Pimpalgaon, Nashik district, one of Maharashtra’s major onion trading and export centres. The automated system can process up to 10 metric tonnes of onions per hour and can reduce the manpower required for grading by nearly 80% compared with manual sorting. According to Agrograde, the machine delivers grading accuracy of up to 99%.
The installation is aimed at modernising onion post-harvest operations, which remain heavily dependent on manual labour in India. The company has developed the system to address handling challenges associated with Indian onion varieties, particularly damage to the outer skin during mechanical sorting.
Agrograde’s GradePlus Pro uses its Wave Motion Technology to move onions through the grading process with reduced impact. The company says this helps minimise skin scuffing and peeling while improving throughput. The system also automates unloading and bagging along with the grading process.
Manual onion grading has traditionally been widely used across India. While automated grading equipment is available in international markets, concerns over damage to the thin outer skin of Indian onion varieties have limited adoption. Skin damage can reduce shelf life and affect the market value of onions, particularly for export.
Agrograde said its system has been developed specifically for Indian supply-chain conditions. The company estimates that the technology can increase processing throughput by three to five times compared with manual operations. The company has also introduced a tractor-mounted version of its grading machine. The mobile system can be transported between farms, packhouses, cold storages and agricultural markets, allowing onions to be graded closer to the point of harvest.
Rakeshkumar Barai, Co-founder of Agrograde, said the company focused on developing technology suited to the needs of Indian onion growers and traders. “We have now brought down the grading costs to almost ₹0.05 per kilogram at speeds up to 200 MT per day,” Mr Barai said. The Pimpalgaon installation adds to Agrograde’s growing presence in agricultural automation. The company develops grading, sorting, weighing and packing solutions for onion and potato supply chains using computer vision and robotics.
Founded in 2018 by Kshitij Thakur and Rakeshkumar Barai, Agrograde develops agricultural automation systems for post-harvest operations. The company says it has deployed more than 130 machines across 14 Indian states. Its investors include Aligned Ventures, Social Alpha, Villgro and IIM Ahmedabad Ventures. Its work has also been recognised by NITI Aayog and through startup programmes including Mahindra Startup Leap and the MANAGE Samunnati Agri Startup Awards.
