They studied civil engineering at IIT Delhi but spent Rs 565 crore to launch a start-up for dairy farmers. How two roommates transformed India’s bull market
Most IIT graduates dream of building the next fintech, AI or SaaS unicorn.Neetu Yadav and Kirti Jangra chose a path that few expected. Instead of solving a problem for urban consumers, two roommates at IIT Delhi decided to tackle one of India’s oldest and most unorganized markets – buying and selling cattle.Today, their startup Animall Technologies, valued at about Rs 565 crore, is helping digitize India’s estimated $250 billion cattle economy, making it easier for dairy farmers across the country to buy and sell cows and buffaloes through mobile apps.
Two roommates at IIT Delhi have an unusual startup idea
Neetu Yadav and Kirti Jangra graduated from IIT Delhi in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.Like many IIT graduates, their careers began in the corporate world. Neetu worked as a technology analyst at Citibank before moving to storytelling platform Pratilipi as a product manager. Kirti started her career in consulting, working with Nomura Consulting and later Penguin Random House India.Despite promising career prospects, the two friends were drawn to entrepreneurship.When discussing the challenges faced by dairy farmers in India, they noted a surprisingly large disparity.While almost everything – from groceries to cars – can be purchased online, livestock transactions still rely heavily on local middlemen, word-of-mouth and brick-and-mortar markets.This observation became the seed for Animall.
A weekend project grew into a fast-growing startup
Animall started in 2019 as a weekend project.The idea sounds simple: create a digital marketplace where farmers can buy and sell dairy cows and buffaloes safely and conveniently.However, execution is no easy task.Winning the trust of farmers for online cattle trading is a major challenge. The founders must take the time to understand the users, improve the platform and ensure it remains simple enough for first-time smartphone users.Gradually, people’s confidence in the platform grew.Today, more than 180,000 cattle have been listed for sale, and more than 1 million buyers and sellers have been connected through the app, according to the company.The startup also attracted the confidence of investors and grew into a company valued at approximately Rs 565 crore.
Solve problems beyond technology
Animall’s journey shows that meaningful innovation doesn’t always mean inventing new technology.Sometimes it’s applying existing technology to industries that have been largely untouched by digital transformation.India is the world’s largest milk producer, with millions of families relying on dairy farming for their livelihoods. However, livestock trade has historically been fragmented and largely offline.By creating a trustworthy digital marketplace, the founders hope to make livestock transactions more transparent, efficient and convenient for farmers across the country.
What students can learn from their journey
For engineering students, the story of Neetu and Kirti teaches us an important lesson.None of them studied agriculture, dairy science or animal husbandry.Their engineering education taught them how to identify problems, think analytically, and build scalable solutions—skills that prove valuable far beyond their disciplines.Their journey also serves as a reminder to aspiring entrepreneurs that great startup ideas often come from real-life problems, not popular industries.Sometimes the next big innovation isn’t hidden in a lab or inside a software company. It might be waiting in a village, on a farm, or in an industry where the technology has been largely ignored.From sharing a dormitory at IIT Delhi to launching one of India’s leading agritech startups, Neetu Yadav and Kirti Jangra have proven that entrepreneurship is ultimately about solving meaningful problems and creating opportunities for millions in the process.Disclaimer: This article is based on public information from Neetu Yadav, Kirti Jangra and Animall Technologies. Company valuations and user metrics are based on publicly reported data and may change over time. This article is for educational and reference purposes only.
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