Hyderabad-Based Kheyti Wins £1 Million Earthshot Prize for ‘Protect and Restore Nature’
Kheyti, a Hyderabad-based technology firm focused on agricultural solutions, has been awarded the prestigious Earthshot Prize worth £1 million in the ‘Protect and Restore Nature’ category. Founded in 2015 by Ramana Gupta, Kaushik Kappagantulu, and Sathya Raghu V Mokkapati, Kheyti aims to enhance farming efficiency with low-cost, innovative solutions.
Their flagship product, the Greenhouse-in-a-Box, offers smallholder farmers a modular greenhouse and a drip irrigation system that uses 90% less water and helps produce seven times more food. This cost-effective solution is priced 90% lower than traditional greenhouses. Currently, Kheyti serves 1,000 farmers across six Indian states and plans to expand to 50,000 farmers by 2027.
Kaushik Kappagantulu, CEO & Founder of Kheyti, expressed his gratitude, stating, “We are honored to be recognized by The Earthshot Prize. Our Greenhouse-in-a-Box is empowering farmers in India, and this recognition will help us scale our impact.”
About the Earthshot Prize
Launched in 2020 by Prince William and David Attenborough, the Earthshot Prize recognizes groundbreaking solutions to environmental challenges. The prize, inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals, features five categories: ‘Restoration and Protection of Nature,’ ‘Air Cleanliness,’ ‘Ocean Revival,’ ‘Waste-Free Living,’ and ‘Climate Action.’ Winners are chosen by a distinguished council, including Prince William, Queen Rania of Jordan, Sir David Attenborough, and other global leaders.
Other Earthshot Winners
- Clean Our Air: Mukuru Clean Stoves, developed by Charlot Magayi, addresses the issue of pollution from traditional charcoal stoves by providing a cleaner alternative that reduces emissions by 90% compared to open fires and 70% compared to traditional stoves.
- Revive Our Oceans: The Queensland Indigenous Women Rangers Network trains women to protect the Great Barrier Reef, providing vital conservation efforts and empowering local communities.
- Build a Waste-Free World: Notpla, a London-based start-up, creates biodegradable alternatives to plastic using seaweed, aiming to reduce ocean waste and promote sustainable packaging solutions.
- Fix Our Climate: 44.01, an Omani company led by Talal Hasan, develops a method to permanently mineralize CO2 by injecting carbonated water into peridotite rock formations, addressing global warming effectively and sustainably.