Inside BENEO’s new pulse plant: pioneering sustainable protein from faba beans
–Ranjith Mukundan, CEO, MD & Co-founder at Stellapps Technologies
Concluding the NUFFOODS Spectrum 12th Anniversary Special interview series, Smart Dairy, Smarter Future features Ranjith Mukundan, CEO, MD & Co-founder of Stellapps Technologies. Mukundan shares the company’s ambitious vision to digitise every stage of India’s dairy value chain by 2030, making each litre of milk more valuable for farmers and more traceable for consumers. From IoT-enabled productivity gains and AI-driven advisory to fintech solutions like mooPay and sustainable interventions such as biodigesters and solar-powered collection centres, Stellapps is redefining what dairy-tech can achieve. With 3.5 million farmers already connected across 42,000 villages, the company is driving higher incomes, reducing wastage, cutting emissions, and enabling financial inclusion — all while setting the stage for a fully connected, transparent, and sustainable dairy ecosystem for the next decade. Edited excerpts;
Stellapps has pioneered the digitisation of the dairy supply chain through its SmartMoo IoT platform. Looking ahead, how do you envision this digital ecosystem evolving by 2030 to enhance farmer incomes and supply chain efficiency?
Stellapps began its journey with a simple yet powerful goal—to make every litre of milk more valuable for farmers and more traceable for consumers. By 2030, we envision this digital ecosystem evolving into a fully connected network, where technology seamlessly integrates into every stage of the dairy value chain.
Stellapps began with a goal—to make every litre of milk more valuable for farmers and traceable for consumers. By 2030, this digital ecosystem will connect the entire dairy value chain. On farms, IoT and AI already deliver 15–20 per cent productivity gains, and with wider adoption, smallholder incomes could rise 40–50 per cent through higher, consistent yields at lower costs. Today, Stellapps impacts 3.5 million farmers across 42,000 villages, digitising 15 million litres of milk daily. This scale cuts procurement leakages, optimises logistics, and ensures traceability. By 2030, dairy-tech will drive efficiency, financial inclusion, and sustainability, benefiting farmers, dairies, and consumers alike.
The company has recently entered a five-year partnership with Trouw Nutrition to integrate cattle nutrition into its solutions. How will this collaboration impact productivity, milk quality, and farmer outcomes?
India has over 300 million cattle and 80 million smallholder dairy families, for whom milk is both nutrition and livelihood. However, productivity per animal remains low due to poor access to balanced nutrition. Our partnership with Trouw Nutrition addresses this gap by improving cattle health, reducing disease, and enhancing milk yield and quality. Even a 10–15 per cent increase in productivity can significantly boost farmer incomes. For dairies, consistent higher-quality milk ensures secure supply, efficiency, and reduced variability. By combining Trouw’s nutrition expertise with advisory and digital tools, we aim to build a sustainable model where healthier cattle mean stronger farmer incomes.
Beyond technology, Stellapps has diversified into milk procurement clusters and fintech services such as mooPay. How do these expansions fit into your long-term vision for rural empowerment and traceability?
For us, technology is a means to solve interconnected farmer challenges. Producing more milk only benefits farmers when linked with fair procurement, timely payments, and access to credit. That’s why we integrated into procurement, processing, and value-added services. Through mooMark, farmers get assured markets and fair payments, while our teams help improve cattle health and productivity. Women play a central role, managing collection centres and benefiting from dairying as a dignified livelihood. mooPay has enabled direct payments of Rs 1,500+ crore in just three years, unlocking formal credit for thousands—many for the first time—making dairying more inclusive, sustainable, and rewarding.
Given the rising importance of sustainability in food systems, how is Stellapps leveraging technology to reduce wastage, improve cold chain efficiency, and lower the carbon footprint of dairy operations?
At Stellapps, sustainability is integral to dairy development. While India leads in milk production, it is also a high emitter. Our goal is to make every litre more valuable for farmers and lighter on the planet. Digital advisory boosts productivity, where even a 10 per cent yield gain cuts methane by reducing herd size. Biodigesters convert dung into clean fuel and fertiliser, while solar-powered centres, ConTrak cold-chain monitoring, and EV pilots cut diesel use and wastage. Already, we reduce 24,500 MT CO2 annually, aiming for 160,000 MT by 2027. With the South Pole, we are enabling farm-level carbon credits, making dairying sustainable and future-ready.
Extending beyond the company, where do you see the broader Indian dairy-tech ecosystem heading by 2030, particularly in terms of digital adoption among small and marginal farmers?
India’s dairy sector, with 80 million mostly smallholder farmers, is at a turning point. Traditionally subsistence-driven, it is now embracing digital tools like activity meters, mobile advisory, and direct payments. By 2030, as connectivity improves, these solutions will cover cattle health, feed optimisation, insurance, credit, traceability, and market access. This will give small farmers access to finance, veterinary support, and higher-value markets, while dairies benefit from consistent, traceable milk supplies. With data driving every litre, farmers will produce more with fewer resources, dairies will run smarter supply chains, and consumers will trust the quality and sustainability of milk they consume.
As fintech becomes increasingly vital for agriculture, how can dairy-tech platforms enable rural communities to access credit, insurance, and savings more effectively?
For small and marginal farmers, access to finance has long meant reliance on moneylenders. Digital platforms are changing this by recording every litre of milk and creating financial footprints. With this data, we built *mooScore*, an alternate credit index enabling lenders to underwrite loans for farmers without credit history. Linked milk payments bring transparency, while products like cattle insurance and savings tools reach villages seamlessly. Farmers gain trust and protection, lenders access new customers, and households become more resilient. This is how dairy-tech goes beyond milk—turning financial inclusion into reality and transforming rural lives across India through trust and empowerment.
With evolving regulations around data privacy, traceability, and food safety, what steps should industry stakeholders take to remain compliant while still fostering innovation?
Regulations on data privacy, traceability, and food safety are often seen as challenges, but in reality they are opportunities. By digitising the supply chain, we can make every litre of milk traceable back to the farm, which not only meets regulatory needs but also builds trust with consumers. Protecting farmer and consumer data through strong governance creates confidence and opens the door for broader digital adoption. The key is collaboration. If industry players, regulators, and technology providers co-create practical frameworks, compliance will not slow down innovation but accelerate it. Stronger privacy norms, tighter traceability, and higher safety standards will push the sector to adopt IoT, blockchain, and clean processing practices. In the long run, these regulations will help India’s dairy sector become more sustainable, more transparent, and globally competitive.
Do you see opportunities for convergence between dairy-tech and other agri-tech areas, such as precision farming, nutrition platforms, or consumer health initiatives?
There are immense opportunities for convergence between dairy-tech and agri-tech, as farmers manage both crops and cattle while seeking better nutrition and markets. Integrating these domains creates greater value than working in silos. Precision farming can improve fodder quality, lower feed costs, and boost milk yield, while nutrition platforms can link farm-level milk quality to rural household nutrition. Traceability can extend to consumer health, building trust and connecting to wellness ecosystems. By 2030, dairy-tech will anchor an integrated agri-tech ecosystem, with data flowing across farming, finance, and health—strengthening livelihoods while fostering healthier, more sustainable communities for rural and urban India.
Finally, what kind of collaborative frameworks between startups, agricultural institutions and policymakers do you believe are necessary to build a sustainable and inclusive dairy-tech ecosystem for the future?
Building a sustainable dairy-tech ecosystem requires collaboration between startups, institutions, and policymakers. Startups drive innovation, institutions validate practices, and policymakers enable scale. With aligned frameworks on data, traceability, and carbon credits, and by keeping farmers—especially women and youth—at the centre, India can strengthen dairying and build a resilient rural economy.
Mansi Jamsudkar Padvekar