186.0
PV capacity (kWp)
4,488
Lives impacted
15
jobs created in
last-mile rural communities
15,463
litres of diesel and
kerosene saved
40.7
tonnes CO2eq saved
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Ram Bahori
Pump Operator
Productive Power for Smallholder Farmers
In this project, training modules will be developed to mobilise and train 500 small and marginal farmers to grow high-value crops and increase their agricultural income. Simultaneously, 10 women farmers or "Krishi Sakhis" will be empowered to assist in daily operation and maintenance of agricultural technologies.
Read the full press release here.
Oorja among UN Best Small Business winners
Selected from nearly 2,000 applications from 135 countries, the 50 winners all showcase inspiring, diverse, and impactful solutions in improving access to healthy, sustainable food. They will also share US$100,000 in cash prizes. Read more about the hidden heroes of our food systems here.
Amit Saraogi has been shortlisted for this award in recognition of his dedication to ending extreme poverty.
Oorja stands to win an award of up to $100,000, but we need your help now in the public voting process. Please click on the link below to vote for Amit and share this with your friends and colleagues too!
The 'cool' revolution is here.
We proudly announce the launch of Oonnayan - India's 1st decentralised PAYG Cooling-as-a-Service for smallholder farmers in Muzaffarpur district, Bihar. They will now be able to store their horticulture produce, extend shelf life and realise higher prices, increasing their incomes.
This third integrated productive use service in our growing portfolio being delivered through an inclusive, sustainable and customer-centric model will build resilience, enhance food security, expand livelihoods and reduce poverty.
This year the SEIF Awards 2021 Tech for Impact received 336 applications. Following two rounds of live pitches, the jury awarded the SEIF Award for Scalable Solutions to Oorja.
Water and Energy for Food (WE4F) Grand Challenge Awardees Announced
Oorja was selected among the 15 winners of the WE4F South and Southeast Asia Grant Challenge. WE4F supports innovations in water, energy and food and will invest $180,000 in expanding Oorja's Agri-Energy services across northern India in 2021-22. WE4F is an international partnership supported by USAID, the European Union, and international development agencies of Germany, Sweden and The Netherlands.
About us
We are a Farming as a service (FaaS) company working at the intersection between agriculture and clean energy. We provide irrigation, milling and cooling services to smallholder farmers on a pay-per-use basis.
We finance and install decentralised solar energy systems at the farm level. There is no upfront cost charged to end-users.
We operate and maintain these solar systems for their full lifetime.
We sell reliable and affordable farming services powered by solar energy to farmers. Our business model is pay-per-use. This means users pay according to the amount of irrigation water pumped, produce milled or stored.
Our farming services
❄️ Cooling as a service.
Available at the farm gate on a per-crate basis.
How we work
Finance
We raise finance for the company to invest in community-scale agri infrastructure. This is typically blended capital.
Site identification
We identify or receive referrals for potential project sites where smallholder farmers rely on diesel power for their energy needs.
Demand assessment
Our ground team conducts farmer consultation to assess demand for our services. We form groups of interested farmers and may collect membership fees from them.
Installation
We procure equipment from reputed domestic suppliers and complete civil works, installation testing and commissioning of solar systems.
Service delivery
We hire an Operator from the local community and train them to deliver irrigation, milling or cooling services and maintain a sales register.
Paying-per-use
Customers pay the Operator based on their consumption at affordable tariffs. For example, irrigation is paid per litre based on a flowmeter.
Ops and maintenance
Our ground team conducts regular maintenance and repairs, ensuring services are hassle-free and keeping our customers happy.
Monitoring
We monitor project performance and collect annual impact data. This helps us to assess the economic, social and environmental benefits.
Impact
We are aligned to 5 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Access to affordable, reliable energy is fundamental to economic activity and poverty alleviation. It enables people to use appliances and machines that help them to seek better livelihoods, increase their food security, access quality education, breathe cleaner air and live in a cleaner environment, and lead lives of greater dignity and less hard labour. Oorja's services are designed to transform the lives of low-income communities, notably small and marginal farmers, low-income households and women farmers, by significantly increasing income when linked to productive activities at their farm. Displacing diesel - a fossil fuel - in favour of solar energy also delivers significant carbon emissions savings.
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Copyright © Oorja Development Solutions Limited 2021
Images © Oorja Development Solutions India and © Adam Barr.
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