Pune-based agritech startup Canebot has attracted seed investment from Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane and his associates. The startup, founded by Kirty and Milind Datar, continues to transform Maharashtra’s agricultural landscape with its robotic vending machines that serve fresh sugarcane juice. This funding marks a significant milestone for Canebot and reflects the growing investor interest in innovative agritech solutions that benefit both farmers and urban consumers.
The Canebot Vision: Solving Post-Harvest Challenges
Kirty and Milind Datar recognized a longstanding problem in India’s sugarcane industry. Farmers often struggle with post-harvest losses due to limited processing infrastructure and fluctuating market demand. Unsold sugarcane crops decay rapidly, eroding farmer incomes and contributing to significant food waste.
To address these challenges, the Datars developed Canebot’s flagship product — a robotic vending machine that extracts and dispenses fresh sugarcane juice on demand. Their technology extends the shelf life of harvested sugarcane by offering immediate processing at the point of sale. By removing middlemen and processing delays, Canebot allows farmers to monetize their produce more effectively.
The vending machines also address a growing demand among urban consumers for hygienic, fresh, and preservative-free beverages. Traditional roadside sugarcane juice stalls often fail to meet basic hygiene standards, deterring health-conscious buyers. Canebot’s automated, contactless machines ensure clean extraction and immediate serving, thereby building consumer trust and driving repeat purchases.
Ajinkya Rahane Steps In: Strategic Seed Funding
Ajinkya Rahane, known for his calm and disciplined cricketing style, has increasingly shown interest in contributing to India’s broader development landscape. His seed investment into Canebot reflects both his belief in agritech innovation and his desire to uplift Maharashtra’s farming communities.
Rahane’s involvement stems from a partnership he forged last year with the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Agriculture (MCCIA). This collaboration aims to identify and support promising agritech entrepreneurs who design scalable solutions for rural India.
In a public statement, Rahane emphasized his commitment to bridging the gap between farmers and technology-driven solutions. “Through our partnership with MCCIA, we have identified innovators like Canebot who directly address the challenges faced by farmers. This seed investment will help them scale their operations and extend their impact across Maharashtra and beyond.”
MCCIA’s Role in Nurturing Agritech Startups
The Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Agriculture plays a crucial role in building a vibrant startup ecosystem for agritech ventures. Under the leadership of Director-General Prashant Girbane, MCCIA continues to scout, mentor, and financially support early-stage companies that demonstrate potential to transform India’s agricultural sector.
Girbane highlighted the strategic goals behind the funding initiative. “We want to foster scalable, tech-enabled solutions that uplift rural livelihoods. Canebot’s approach aligns perfectly with this vision. Their robotic vending machines not only create new market opportunities for farmers but also promote food safety and hygiene for consumers.”
Through this initiative, MCCIA plans to support many more agritech startups by offering them funding, mentorship, and access to critical business networks. The Chamber envisions Maharashtra emerging as a national hub for agritech innovation, where entrepreneurs receive the ecosystem support they need to succeed.
How Canebot’s Technology Works
At the heart of Canebot’s offering lies its fully automated vending machine. Customers simply place their order on a touchscreen interface. The machine selects fresh sugarcane stalks stored inside, washes them thoroughly, and feeds them into its crushing mechanism. The extracted juice flows directly into disposable cups, ready for consumption.
The machine operates under strict hygiene protocols. It minimizes human contact with the sugarcane or juice, reducing contamination risks. Additionally, its closed-loop design prevents dust, insects, or external pollutants from entering the system. The entire process, from cane selection to juice dispensing, takes less than a minute.
Farmers benefit directly because Canebot sources sugarcane from local growers. This eliminates the need for long supply chains and reduces post-harvest spoilage. In many cases, farmers partner with Canebot on revenue-sharing models, allowing them to earn more consistent and higher margins on their produce.
The Road Ahead: Scaling Impact Across Maharashtra
With this fresh infusion of seed capital, Canebot now plans to expand its footprint aggressively. The startup aims to install hundreds of robotic vending machines across Maharashtra’s urban centers, including malls, railway stations, airports, hospitals, and educational campuses. By targeting high-footfall areas, Canebot hopes to increase consumer adoption while ensuring steady demand for farmers’ produce.
Kirty and Milind Datar have already outlined their expansion roadmap. They intend to scale up manufacturing capacity, optimize supply chain logistics, and enhance machine servicing operations to ensure uninterrupted performance at every vending location. The founders also plan to invest in customer education programs that promote the health benefits of fresh sugarcane juice.
Besides Maharashtra, Canebot sees long-term opportunities to replicate this model in other sugarcane-producing states such as Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh. As the company scales geographically, it expects to create a nationwide network of farmer partnerships that deliver sustainable livelihoods.
Agritech’s Growing Momentum in India
Canebot’s success reflects a larger trend in India’s agricultural economy, where technology increasingly drives growth and efficiency. Agritech startups now attract significant investor interest because they offer practical solutions to long-standing rural challenges. Technologies like precision farming, supply chain digitization, farm-to-fork marketplaces, and automated food processing platforms have begun reshaping India’s agricultural value chains.
Government bodies, private investors, and business chambers like MCCIA now recognize agritech’s role in achieving national food security, doubling farmer incomes, and modernizing India’s rural economy. Early-stage funding mechanisms like Rahane’s seed investment allow startups to experiment, iterate, and scale impactful business models faster than ever before.
Ajinkya Rahane’s Broader Entrepreneurial Vision
For Ajinkya Rahane, Canebot represents more than just a financial investment. The cricketer views agritech as a meaningful way to contribute to his home state’s economic development. Maharashtra houses a significant portion of India’s sugarcane farming population, many of whom remain vulnerable to price fluctuations, crop failures, and post-harvest losses.
By supporting startups like Canebot, Rahane hopes to empower farmers with better earning opportunities while simultaneously offering urban consumers superior product experiences. His partnership with MCCIA ensures that his investments remain aligned with larger developmental priorities, delivering measurable social and economic impact.
Conclusion: Canebot Sets a New Benchmark
Canebot’s journey underscores the power of combining technology, entrepreneurship, and strategic capital to solve complex rural challenges. By developing hygienic, robotic sugarcane juice vending machines, Kirty and Milind Datar have created a win-win model for farmers and consumers alike.
Ajinkya Rahane’s timely investment, backed by MCCIA’s mentorship, will enable Canebot to scale faster, serve more farmers, and bring fresh, safe beverages to a wider audience. As Maharashtra continues to position itself as a leader in agritech innovation, startups like Canebot stand ready to lead India’s agricultural transformation.
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