BharatRohan: How Amandeep Panwar is using Hyperspectral Drones to Save Indian Agriculture

In the agricultural heartlands of Barabanki and Rajasthan, a silent revolution is flying 100 feet above the ground. Amandeep Panwar, Co-founder of BharatRohan, is using "invisible" light to solve a multi-billion dollar problem: crop failure. By leveraging drone-based hyperspectral imaging to detect pests and diseases before the human eye can see them, Amandeep is helping thousands of smallholder farmers slash input costs and secure their livelihoods through a guaranteed procurement model.

Amandeep Panwar’s journey into agritech is a story of a hobby turned mission. A graduate in Aeronautical Engineering from Babu Banarasi Das University (Lucknow), Amandeep and his classmate Rishabh Choudhary spent their college days flying drones over the local fields. Today, Amandeep is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, and BharatRohan is a premier agritech venture. With recent **$2.3 million in pre-IPO funding**, the company has facilitated data-driven farming for 3,600+ farmers across 8,000+ acres, aiming to reach 1 million acres across 15 states by 2025.

The Problem: The "Visible Damage" Trap

For decades, farmers have managed crop stress by reaction. By the time a farmer sees yellowing leaves or pest infestations, the damage is already done—loss of yield is inevitable. This leads to the indiscriminate spraying of pesticides across entire fields, even if only a small patch is infected, causing both financial strain and environmental degradation. For smallholder farmers (averaging 1.5 acres), a single missed disease outbreak can wipe out their entire annual savings.

"We realized that the human eye is too slow," Amandeep explains. "By the time damage is visible, the farmer has already lost. We wanted to build a technology layer that detects the 'invisible'—the chemical changes in the plant that occur days before physical wilting begins."

The Solution: Hyperspectral Crop Diagnostics

BharatRohan acts as a "Digital Doctor" for the farm. Their proprietary **CropAssure®** system uses drones equipped with hyperspectral sensors. Unlike normal cameras that capture 3 colors (RGB), hyperspectral sensors capture hundreds of narrow bands of light, identifying the unique "spectral signature" of nutrient deficiency, pest attacks, or disease.

The Moat: Technology Meets Procurement

One of the biggest hurdles in agritech is convincing traditional farmers to trust "intangible" data. Amandeep solved this through a "Phygital" moat. BharatRohan doesn't just sell technology; they act as the buyer. By telling a farmer, "We will buy your moong bean or cumin if you follow our tech-driven advisory," they provide a concrete financial motivation for technology adoption. This has resulted in a tripling of revenue and a 200% increase in profits for the company as they supply residue-free crops to institutional buyers.

"Staying in business is all that is needed," Amandeep reflects. "Initially, we were rejected for incubation. We had to do 46 demonstration plots just to prove to the farmers that our 'invisible' maps were real. Once they saw their neighbors saving thousands on chemicals, word of mouth did the rest."

Lessons in Resilience: The 21st Century Mission

Amandeep is candid about the "Personal Loneliness" of being a first-generation entrepreneur. While their peers were taking stable corporate jobs, he and Rishabh were in the heat of Lucknow fields. He emphasizes the importance of a co-founder for "moral boosting" during the early rejected phases of fundraising. For Amandeep, entrepreneurship isn't about the funding round—it's about the "Lifestyle" of constant problem-solving.

"Don't worry about things you can't control," he advises. "If you have a loophole in your business model, sit back, patch it, and then dive all-in. Be fearless. If you've thought about it once, you're going to think about it again and again until you do it."

The Future: Residue-Free Global Export

Amandeep’s vision for BharatRohan is to take Indian farm produce to the global stage. By scaling their residue-free cumin, moong bean, and potato to 1 million acres, they aim to become the world's most trusted source for safe food. With new proprietary sensors and edge-computing drones under development, BharatRohan is ensuring that for the Indian farmer, the sky is no longer the limit—it's the diagnostic center.

BharatRohan is proving that the next generation of global agritech giants will be built at the intersection of aeronautical engineering and rural empathy. By giving the farmer a "Digital Eye," Amandeep Panwar and his team are ensuring that for the future of food, the truth is finally visible.

About the Guest

Amandeep Panwar is the Co-founder and CEO of BharatRohan. An Aeronautical Engineer by training and a Forbes 30 Under 30 awardee, Amandeep is a pioneer in drone-based precision agriculture in India. Under his leadership, BharatRohan has emerged as a leader in hyperspectral imaging, securing multi-million dollar funding and partnering with thousands of farmers to reduce chemical usage and increase yields. He is a recognized thought leader in the agritech ecosystem and a vocal advocate for rural entrepreneurship.

BharatRohan is a drone-based agritech venture that provides hyperspectral remote sensing solutions for crop diagnostics. By offering integrated advisory and procurement services, the company helps farmers detect pests and diseases early, reduce chemical input costs, and sell high-quality, residue-free produce to global institutional buyers.