Walmart announced strategic pilots with India-based startups to provide solutions for the company’s U.S. supply chain and sourcing operations. The three startups selected for pilot programs include Pune-based KBCols Sciences, Chennai-based GreenPod Labs, and Bengaluru-based Cropin. These companies participated in the Walmart Growth Summit last year.
Solutions from each will help drive innovation at scale across Walmart’s supply chains. The pilot programs will test solutions that augment the availability of better and more fresh products for Walmart’s consumers in the U.S. and around the world, reduce product waste, and create sustainable alternatives for intermediate products used in manufacturing processes such as synthetic textile dyes to reduce environmental impact.
KBCols Sciences, based in Pune, manufactures non-GMO natural dyes by fermenting microbes from agricultural waste across India. GreenPod Labs, a Chennai-based company, produces small sachets filled with plant extracts that activate the natural defence mechanisms of fruits and vegetables, slowing down ripening and mimicking the state when it is still on the vine. Cropin, based in Bengaluru, offers an AI-driven AgTech platform that provides valuable insights into crop yields, enhancing productivity, optimising resource use, and ensuring consistent harvest quality.
