Xarathi
Bridging Benefits for Those Who Sustain Us
At a Glance
As the world automates with AI, India's farmers remain forgotten. While the tech world obsesses over automation and efficiency, farmers are still physically traveling for basic services, unable to access benefits made for them due to their digital and literacy gap.
With Xarathi ,we aim to empower farmers to access these benefits despite the literacy gap, translating complex technology into a simple, human-centric experience.
Timeline
Sept-Oct 2025
Tools
Figma, Framer
Team
Arunav Deka
Savvy Thomas
HIGHLIGHTS
Bridging the Gap:
In a personalized ,automated and human way
No more long walks, confusing jargon, or relying on a Sarpanch’s honesty. Get direct, transparent access to every scheme you need—anytime, anywhere even if you dont have a smartphone .
AI benefits companion
Discover new opportunities, complete tasks, and resolve queries all by talking to our AI assistant.
complex documents into easy conversations
Going through an filling complicated documents and forms is a major hurdle for our users .Our app breaks them down into a manageable easy to understand Q&A format
Personalized benefits
Receive tailored recommendations based on your profile, and easily check your eligibility for new schemes before you begin your application.
Last week you applied for PM KISAN. Let me fetch the information
Your application has been sent for approval.
It is well within schedule. Standard processing time is 4 weeks.
What is the progress of the scheme i applied last week?
Ok
Connectivity anytime, anywhere
A fully voice-based interface is available over calls without requiring network connectivity, specifically designed for the large portion of users who are unfamiliar with smartphones.
In app accessibility features
Heavy use of images and videos, read aloud, native language based etc
Never Miss a Deadline Again
Leveraging the AgriStack API, we can fetch real-time information—to provide provide actionable alerts directly on the homepage.
DISCOVER
The struggle for stability
Growing up myself in a farming household—from grazing cows at dawn to serving my grandfather tea in the paddy fields—I can personally attest to the harsh realities and problems farmers face such as .
Erratic rainfall patterns
The region has low proportion of irrigated area and investment in building irrigation capacity has been insufficient and ineffective.
Fragmented landholdings
Fragmented land holdings by small and marginal farmers which dominate the landholdings pattern in the North-East region is uneconomical.
Primitive farming systems
Limited adoption of technology and scientific practices, poor investment capacity, and a general lack of awareness about improved cultivation methods
And to solve these issues, the government has established multiple schemes to supplement income, insure crops, and boost agricultural investment.
But the main question remains -
"Are they truly getting what they need to develop?"
PROBLEM SPACE
Long story short... Not always
1
82% Marginal farmers are aware of flagship schemes, but most face structural and bureaucratic barriers and cannot effectively claim benefits
2
68.29% Marginal farmers are engaged in non-farm activities to supplement their income from crop cultivation.
3
20,000–₹25,000 the amount missed out by farmers yearly
4
39% of marginal farmers have outstanding debt, with average debt amount standing at Rs. 26,883.
ANNUAL SURVEY OF STATE OF MARGINAL FARMERS IN INDIA
India’s small and marginal farmer: Where they live and What they produce
Beyond the numbers
To get a deeper, firsthand perspective, We spoke directly with farmers and their household members through semi-formal interviews and surveys, aiming to understand their experiences and challenges beyond the statistics.
We dentified Three major problems
CAUSE
EFFECT
Do not know what programs they are eligible for
Missed opportunity
Lack of awareness - Farmers do not know what support programs are available and how what they are eligible for
Overly reliant on authority to acccess schemes
Short-changed
Unreachable- Poor organization and lack of initiative, misuse of power by authorities. Schemes do not reach the grassroots level.
Have to file multiple forms and documents
Ignored benefits / Lost in Translation
Complex- There are a lot of forms and documents to be juggled between multiple portals for applications. And in addition the renewals and follow-ups which can be overwhelming
HYPOTHESIS
A voice interface that sounds like a trusted local not only familiarizes the farmers with the technology but also makes the system directly accessible for more farmers with low literacy .
Personalized recommendations as per the users need, location and time would increase the farmers utilization of the benefits.
Automating parts of application process , simplifying complex jargons with the aid of AI will reduce time and effort of claim and management
CORE PRINCIPAL
Accesibility
Both in the terms of reachability (technological constrains, location)and usability (low literacy, digital divide)
The goal was to fit our solution to the users rather then making them fit to our solution.
To enable intuitive use, we structured the product in a way that reduced cognitive load and tech dependency
01.
Make them understand
Awareness and onboarding
How can we transition users into this digital system
Minimum features
Is the feature absolutely necessary to achieve the goal?
Hick’s Law
Reduce descision fatigue by having a clear and singular focus
Feedback loop
Are the result of a person's actions communicate to them?
02.
Make it easy for them to do it
Personalize
Is the experience personalized to the user
Voice and tone
How can we use language to elevate people's psych just enough to help them take action
Familiar nomenclature
Are the labels and jargon familiar and easy to understand?
03.
Make them want to do it
Explain why
Have we communicated to he user why they need to complete the task?
Provide value
How can we use language to elevate people's psych just enough to help them take action
Social proof
capitalize on the shortcut our brain uses to determine how to act by relying on the behaviors of others
04.
Make sure they don’t miss out on anything
Zeigarnik Effect
People remember uncompleted tasks better than completed tasks. How can we bring it to focus?
Actionable alerts
Is there a clear way forward to be taken for each notification?
EXPLORATION
Reaching our audience
To understand the current structure and see how our solution can be integrated into it-
We created an ecosystem map from when a farmer receives a new info to it’s follow-up and implementation
USER
Farmer
primary
secondary
tertiary
sarpanch
Media
Banks
Family
govt depts
neighbours
panchayat
CSC
other farmers
mobile
NGO
panchayat
govt website
hoardings
word of mouth
news channels
smart phone
presentation in meetings
Kisan melas
Middlemen
Input dealers
posters and flyers
kiosks
schools
teachers
Veterinary services
Banks
ATM’s
ecosystem map
Learning among farmers in rural assam
Home life
community
Market
Govt
Insights
Real-life success stories told by people in the local community are significantly more persuasive than generic advertisements or official endorsements
Ongoing demonstrations and regular in-person support (from extension workers, NGOs, village meetings) help sustain interest and build users’ confidence over time
Now the question was -
Available for all
How do we help those without phones ?
The answer lies in the current journey of a farmer , where he goes to his nearby BDO (block development office) to ask and apply for schemes.
Firstly , we plan on setting up self-service kiosks at CSC and panchayat offices: Digital help points where farmers can access all the services without anyones help.
kiosks that talks to you like a person
Hi I am Prabin , your digital helper . Let me know how you want to be assisted today .
Ask me anything
For starting off you can ask to-
See Schemes relevant to you
or
Track any applied scheme
Camera
To capture facial data for identity verification of farmers (in place of OTP )
Voice enabled interface
Audio based kiosk for aiding people even with zero digital literacy.
Document Scanner
A scanner to scan all the documents required for application
Secondly , we train local youth as app demo volunteers: They build trust by showcasing the app at village events and market days, boosting word-of-mouth adoption.
One way we can pique interest for the app onboarding is to pair the unattractive task of signing up to attractive rewards- In this case the PM Kisan scheme
Make them want to do it
Temptation bundling
My Calls
Tomorrow
Application Call
Aug 13 - 1:30 PM
PM-KISAN application
96905 43234
Tomorrow
Application Call
Aug 13 - 1:30 PM
PM-KISAN application
Next Monday
Inquiry Call
Aug 13 - 1:30 PM
PM-KISAN approval
My Documents
Land Docs..
Income Cert..
Caste Cert..
Land Docs..
Income Cert..
Caste Cert..
Fill in your details
9:41
You can gain Rs 50000 benefits annually
Apply for schemes selected just for you by logging in.
One way to get more onboarding of the application (should do) is by tying it up to the reward of PM KISAN scheme (attractive feature) which assures 6k per annum for all farmers.
Accesibility
How do we design for low literacy ?
Conflict
Majority of out target users are not literate, often relying on their kin to as a workaround .
How can we design the interface to cater to the accessibility needs of different stakeholders?
In- app accesibility features
Translation into their native vernacular
Video overview breaks down what the scheme offers, who is eligible, and what documents are required—helping users quickly grasp what’s needed.
Summary
এইখন কেন্দ্ৰীয় চৰকাৰৰ আঁচনি যিয়ে প্ৰত্যক্ষ আয়ৰ সহায় প্ৰদান কৰেt
যোগ্য কৃষক পৰিয়ালে বছৰি ৬,০০০ ₹ লাভ কৰে।
এই ধনৰাশি ₹২,০০০ টকাকৈ তিনিটা সমান কিস্তিত প্ৰদান কৰা হয়, প্ৰতি চাৰি মাহৰ মূৰে মূৰে প্ৰদান কৰা হয়।
এই ধন পোনপটীয়াকৈ আপোনাৰ আধাৰ-লিংকড বেংক একাউণ্ট (ডিবিটি)লৈ ট্ৰেন্সফাৰ কৰা হয় ৷
PMKISAN
কণ্ঠৰ ব্যাখ্যা
এতিয়াৰ পৰা প্ৰতি বছৰে ₹6000 পাওক
আবেদনৰ সময় ৩ মিনিট
সাৰাংশ
কেনেকৈ আবেদন কৰিব
লাভসমূহ
প্ৰশ্নোত্তৰ
Check Eligibility
9:41
There’s an audio mode that speaks out all key information, making it easier for those who may have difficulty reading or simply prefer to listen.
Available for all
What about network issues in these remote places?
Offline connectivity - We designed the application to work in tandem with an offline helpline number which connect users to our AI on call.
Interacting with the AI now feels like asking a trusted guide for help—whether it's finding schemes, checking updates, or completing an application, the support is just a conversation away
Last week you applied for PM KISAN. Let me fetch the information
Your application has been sent for approval.
It is well within schedule. Standard processing time is 4 weeks.
What is the progress of the scheme i applied last week?
Ok
Make it easy for them to do it
How do you turn complex forms into simple conversations?
The user first lands on the benefits page , which is filled with schemes presented in a way that makes them want to apply for it.
The Benefits tab has a curated for you section of schemes, insurances ,loans based on user's location , capital and time.
Problem
Many users find traditional documents and lengthy forms intimidating, often leading to dropped applications or errors.
Make them understand
A chat like interface with voice assistance that leverage progressive disclosure,
revealing questions one by one -significantly reducing cognitive load and helping users process information more easily
conversational format that feels as if talking to an actual person behind the phone.
Our app gives the user a quick eligibility check up front, so they can see if they qualify before spending time on an application.
They don’t need to wade through pages of complicated terms and conditions.
If users dont understand a particular question , they simplify it further more , and it keeps on going ...till they get it.
Make it easy for them to do it
How do you make sure users always get what they are looking for ?
We began by adding a search feature and a dedicated AI agent to each page, allowing users to get help or answers for their queries wherever needed.
Conflict
However, we discovered that many users don't always know what to search for, or even where to start within each section.
To address this, we have integrated the search function directly into the main navigation. Now, users can easily access search and conversational help from anywhere in the app, making the experience more intuitive
Simplifying tech jargon
Our conversational search let’s them search in their own word what they need and recommends the best possible matches
This has applications in other places
eg. When filling out a claim for crop insurance, our user can easily describe what the issue was in his own words without worrying about the official terms
Make sure they dont miss out on anything
Staying in the loop…
One of the most frustrating things to do once you have taken the effort to apply for a scheme is the constant
following up - which currently involves the farmers circling countless lops to and from Block Development Office.
Actionable alerts
Leveraging the AgriStack API, we can fetch real-time information—to provide provide actionable alerts directly on the homepage.
For more detailed information, users can easily dive deeper into their application history, payment records etc
feature to schedule a call for later
The schedule call feature lets users arrange voice-based assistance for scheme applications or updates at a convenient time. This ensures support is available when needed
DEVELOPMENT
The Road Ahead
With the Product fully designed , we are now trying to make it into a reality , by actually developing it , which we intend to then fully test with our users.
Once developed the link will be uploaded here only , so stay tuned .
Fig . Guy trying to build our app
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