Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 31: Two IIT Delhi graduates, Neetu Yadav and Kirti Jangra, have turned an unconventional idea into a successful agritech venture by bringing India’s traditional cattle-trading market online. Their startup, Animall, which began as a small weekend project in 2019, has grown into a company valued at around Rs 565 crore, according to recent reports.

Yadav and Jangra first met at IIT Delhi, where both studied Civil Engineering and later became roommates. After graduating in 2016, they initially followed conventional corporate career paths. Neetu worked as a technology analyst at Citi and later moved into product management, while Kirti also gained corporate experience. However, both wanted to build something of their own and eventually decided to take the entrepreneurial route.

An idea born from a real problem

The idea for Animall emerged in 2019 when the duo began looking closely at India's dairy and livestock sector. They realised that while almost every other market was rapidly embracing digital platforms, cattle buying and selling remained largely dependent on local traders, personal contacts and word-of-mouth networks.

Farmers often struggled to find the right buyers, obtain fair prices and access reliable information about cattle. The market was fragmented and largely unorganised, creating an opportunity for technology to make the process more transparent and accessible.

The concept was initially developed during a hackathon and later pursued as a weekend project. After speaking with hundreds and eventually thousands of dairy farmers, Yadav and Jangra decided to build a platform specifically designed around their needs. Animall began operations in 2019, with the founding team working from a small setup before expanding its operations.

Leaving secure careers to pursue a dream

The decision to build a cattle-trading platform after graduating from one of India's premier engineering institutes was not easy. Their families were initially surprised that the two IIT graduates were giving up conventional career opportunities to work in the livestock sector.

But the founders believed the size of the problem mattered more than how unconventional the sector appeared.

Their approach was simple: create an easy-to-use digital marketplace where farmers could list cattle for sale and buyers could search for animals according to their requirements. The platform was designed with rural users and first-time smartphone users in mind, including a vernacular-first approach.

Beyond buying and selling cattle

Animall gradually evolved beyond being just an online cattle marketplace. The company expanded its services to cover various aspects of dairy farming, including animal healthcare, artificial insemination, cattle grading, insurance and financing-related services. The objective was to create a broader ecosystem that could help farmers make better decisions and improve their incomes.

The platform has also achieved considerable scale. A 2026 report stated that more than 180,000 cattle had been listed on the platform for sale, while earlier reports highlighted more than a million buyer-seller connections.

Backed by major investors

The founders' vision also attracted prominent investors. Animall raised funding from investors including Beenext, Sequoia Capital India, Omnivore, Nexus Venture Partners and others. An Invest India profile noted that the startup began with pre-seed funding of Rs 50 lac in January 2020 and had subsequently raised Rs 167.3 crore from investors.

By 2022, Animall had already attracted significant investor attention. Forbes India featured Neetu Yadav and Kirti Jangra in its 30 Under 30 list in the agritech category, recognising their effort to bring disruption to India's large but traditionally unorganised cattle and dairy market.

Turning an overlooked market into an opportunity

What makes Yadav and Jangra's journey particularly inspiring is that neither studied agriculture nor dairy technology. Their academic background was in Civil Engineering. Yet, they identified a massive problem, listened to the people affected by it and applied technology to develop a practical solution.

Their journey demonstrates that successful entrepreneurship does not always begin with a revolutionary invention. Sometimes, it begins with recognising an everyday problem that millions of people face and finding a better way to solve it.

From two IIT Delhi roommates working on an unconventional weekend idea to leading a startup valued at around Rs 565 crore, Neetu Yadav and Kirti Jangra have shown how technology, determination and an understanding of grassroots problems can transform even the most traditional sectors.

Their story is also a reminder that the next big business opportunity may not always lie in a glamorous industry. For Yadav and Jangra, it was hidden in India's cattle markets—and their willingness to look beyond conventional career paths helped them turn that opportunity into Animall.