Over 70% of experts warn that environmental change is now critical, highlighting the urgent need for action. With rising temperatures, extreme weather events, melting ice caps, and biodiversity loss threatening both our ecosystems and the global economy. The growing need for sustainable solutions is building the way for social entrepreneurs to step in and make a difference.
Aiming to bring change, AgriVijay, a leading agritech company, was founded on June 25, 2020, by first-generation entrepreneur Mr. Vimal Panjwani and businesswoman Miss Shobha Chanchlani, with a mission to bridge this gap and provide innovative, eco-friendly solutions for a greener future.
Let’s dive into this article to know more about eco-friendly and sustainable ways for a cleaner and greener future.
The Founders: Visionaries in Action
AgriVijay was taken off by Vimal Panjwani and Shobha Chanchlani, both of whom combined their expertise and experience to turn their vision into a successful venture.
Vimal, the founder and CEO, has an engineering degree and an MBA, with over ten years of experience in agribusiness sales and rural development from his earlier startups. His main passions are renewable energy and rural upliftment, which are central to AgriVijay’s mission.
Shobha established e-learning companies and holds management, commerce, and leadership skills in the company as the Co-founder and Director. Vimal’s technical and social impact angles complemented with Shobha’s business perspective and management skills, AgriVijay has been able to act and become the first company to spearhead renewable energy initiatives for rural villages all over India.
Fueling a Quiet Revolution
Not only they focus on the growth, but also seek to improve the lives of rural villagers. Its solutions aim to increase farmers’ savings and income while also addressing climate challenges globally.
As a one-stop energy advisory, AgriVijay examines agricultural and energy requirements, formally and informally and helps fund the solutions it deems most suitable. Within a span of two years, this path-breaking model has provided sustenance to AgriVijay, a one million-dollar turnover social venture that is making a difference to several core RMs across the length and breadth of India.
This would bring down greenhouse gas emissions to the tune of $1 million, which was concerning both financial difficulty and environmental impacts. This is the intention of making renewables such as solar power, wind, and biogas usable, procurable, and reasonable so that AgriVijay can convert the communities relying on fossil energy.
Promoting renewable energy for communities alongside the reduction of emissions, sustainability is at the forefront of the advancement witnessed at AgriVijay. This visionary model and its commitment to its cause have set off a quiet revolution with farmers driving the train. Through the provision of clean energy in a cost-effective way, they are cutting the path to a new way of freedom through sustainable methods.
The Problem: Reliance on Fossil Fuels and Lack of Sustainable Energy
People in rural regions of India rely on conventional and polluting energy sources such as diesel and firewood, and fuel that leads to deforestation. All basic equipment, ranging from water pumps to cooking stoves, still, mainly relies on the use of fossil fuels.
The potential for renewable energy generation from unutilized agriculture and animal waste is also significant as is biogas and other technologies.
Unfortunately, very few farmers can afford sustainable energy products with which they can switch from normal fuels. The availability of various renewable technologies, financial models for their deployment, and peer knowledge of rural farmers in renewable energy is necessary for facilitating catchy transitions that also encourage the development of responsible power sources in India’s rural farming communities.
The Solution: AgriVijay’s Multi-Channel Approach
In accordance with the needs of the targeted rural market, AgriVijay focuses on the approach to renewing energy with several strategies. The company has a vast list of green products, including solar panels and biogas digesters, to help supply energy requirements of rural areas.
Its competitive advantage is the availability of a multichannel distribution approach to expand access in rural areas. AgriVijay has over 80 renewable energy stores spread all over India and has a strong distribution and service support to the doors of remote areas.
Further, the firm of AgriVijay explores technology through AI chatbot for locating sources, an e-commerce site, and local language call centres. This enables farmer education and support. Cultivating an even greater outreach and cooperation with NGOs, foundations, and governmental organisations contribute to the implementation of large multi-megawatt renewable energy projects in farm regions.
Consequently, AgriVijay solves all issues linked to the last-mile renewables delivery mechanism with an extensive field covered by a physical network accompanied by a strong and consistent online image and, not least, valuable partnerships. This approach increases access to and adoption of energy via the multi-channel strategy.
Business Model and Revenue Streams
Here are the key points summarising AgriVijay’s hybrid business model
- On-Boarding Renewable Energy stores Creates franchise stores in villages so as to achieve a local circulation of renewable energy products. Communities are the target customers to whom stores make direct sales and thus revenues.
- Collaboration for Renewable Energy: Works with more than 45 manufacturers and startups to encourage adoption of renewable energy technologies.
- Direct Selling: Consumers purchase products through direct calls, home-based or office-based teams, intervening social applications, or even chatbots.
- Indirect Sales: Renewable Energy Stores in particular are involved in indirect sales in the sense that they help to retail and distribute devices to local consumers after sourcing them from manufacturers.
- Business to Business:Owns large-scale projects for implementing renewable energy solutions with NGOs, government bodies, and foundations benefiting an entire population.
Government Backing and Mentorship
Several Indian government bodies and startup incubators have backed AgriVijay and established that the current model is efficient enough to expand the business. These stakeholders include AIM and NITI Aayog, NABARD, and MoA & FW under RKVY RAFTAAR. This has been seen in AgriVijay’s mentorship and funding, which have aided in reaching out to more farmers in India.
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Vision and Mission
The future management objectives of AgriVijay are planned in line with the sustainability targets of India. Using the mode, the company expects to have 100,000 Renewable Energy Stores by 2030 and two million farmers and rural households as customers. As AgriVijay receives support from the Government of India and international allies, it aims to be at the head of the largest climate change mobilisation in the country with its ambitious 2030 goal.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How is Agri Vijay different?
The strategy of AgriVijay enjoys its competitive advantage as a company that specially aims to supply the rural farmers and households of India with different forms of renewable energy.
How does Agri Vijay mitigate the problem of emissions?
To this end Agri Vijay would like to offset one million tons of CO2 by using solar, biogas, and other renewable energy instead of fossil fuel in the next 12 years.
How can farmers get the products?
Customers can contact 80+ Renewable Energy Stores, AI WhatsApp chatbot, call centre, or website.
In what forms has the government supported Agri Vijay?
The backing it received in terms of strategy from NITI Aayog, NABARD, and the Ministry of Agriculture helped in its growth.
What is Agri Vijay’s vision?
We plan to onboard one million renewable energy consumers by the year 2030; we also plan to open one hundred thousand stores and reduce one million tons of CO2 emissions by the year 2030.
