Many IIT graduates dream of creating the next fintech, AI or SaaS unicorn.Neetu Yadav and Kirti Jangra opted for several expected options. Instead of addressing the problems of urban buyers, two residents of IIT Delhi decided to tackle one of the oldest and most unorganized markets in India – the buying and selling of cattle.Today, their startup, Animall Technologies, is valued at around Rs 565 crore and is helping to position India’s cattle economy at around $250 billion, enabling dairy farmers across the country to buy and sell cows and buffaloes through a mobile app.
A couple from IIT Delhi with an unusual startup idea
Neetu Yadav and Kirti Jangra graduated with B.Tech in Civil Engineering from IIT Delhi in 2016.Like many IIT graduates, they started their careers in the industry. Neetu worked at Citi as a Technology Analyst before moving to storytelling platform Pratilipi as a Product Manager. Kirti built her consulting career, working with Nomura Consulting and later Penguin Random House India.Although they had good jobs, the two friends were drawn to business.While discussing the challenges faced by dairy farmers in India, he noticed a surprising difference.Although almost everything—from groceries to cars—could be bought online, the cattle business still relied heavily on local merchants, word of mouth and stock markets.That vision became the seed of Animals.
A weekend project that grew into a startup is growing rapidly
Animall started in 2019 as a weekly project.The idea sounded simple: create a digital marketplace where farmers can buy and sell cattle and buffalo safely and easily.However, the execution was easy.Gaining farmers’ confidence in selling cattle online was very difficult. The founders had to spend time understanding the users, improving the platform and making sure it remained user-friendly for the first generation mobile users.Little by little, confidence in the platform grew.Today, according to the company, more than 180,000 cattle are listed for sale, while more than one million buyers and sellers have connected to the program.The startup has also attracted business confidence, growing into a company valued at around Rs 565 crore.
Solving technical problems
Animall’s journey shows that meaningful creation is not just about creating new technology.In some cases, it is applying existing technology to companies that have not been affected by the digital revolution.India is the world’s largest producer of milk, and millions of families depend on dairy farming for their livelihoods. However, pet sales have historically remained small and offline.By creating a reliable digital marketplace, the founders hope to make cattle trading transparent, efficient and accessible to farmers across the country.
What students can learn on their journey
For engineering students, the story of Neetu and Kirti has an important lesson.None studied agriculture, dairy science or animal husbandry.Their engineering education taught them how to identify problems, think critically and find solutions—skills that were more important than their education.Their journey also reminds aspiring entrepreneurs that the best startup ideas often come from real challenges rather than fancy industries.Sometimes, the next big innovation isn’t hidden inside a lab or software company. It may be waiting in a village, farm or factory where technology has largely neglected.From sharing a hostel room at IIT Delhi to building one of India’s leading agritech campuses, Neetu Yadav and Kirti Jangra have shown that entrepreneurship can solve economic problems – and create opportunities for millions along the way.Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information about Neetu Yadav, Kirti Jangra and Animall Technologies. Company statistics and user metrics are based on publicly reported statistics and may change over time. This article is for educational and informational purposes only.