Hello,
I thank you for the special interest you have taken in my entry registered for this competition. The answers to the questions you raised are as follows:
* How do you collaborate or compete with organizations working in the same field such as RIN or IIMA’s Grassroots Innovation Initiative? How does your work differ from theirs?
RIN and the grassroots initative of IIM-A ( I am not sure if you are referring to SRISTI or NIF or both) identify individuals at the grassroots level who have developed innovatons. These organisations handhold such individuals till their product is ready-to-sell. Naveen Gram steps in here. It enters into agreements with such individuals or manufacturers to market these innovations in Naveen Gram's area of operation. It does these independently without any agreement with RIN or NIF or GIAn, though they are aware of it.
Based on my work experience at RIN I observed that the biggest challenges many of these innovations face is marketing. And trying to sell them through NGO or civil scoiety route is not the best way to do it. These innovations will have to face market realities and behave in the way commercial market players behave. Naveen Gram was founded on this premise, to be a commercial organisation to promote such innovative technologies.
All technologies selected by Naveen Gram till date have been chosen from those incubated either by RIN of NIF. In case Naveen Gram does not get enough products from these organisations then it will identify select small enterprises to promote their technologies.
* How do you value farmers’ intellectual property when they come up with an idea for a new product? Is there any compensation scheme in place?
Naveen Gram does not manufacture any of the technologies it only markets. Also, it does not operate in the area of converting an idea into a commercial product. It feels NIF and its associate GIAN, RIN and other organisations like them can handhold and convert an idea into a prototype to a ready-to-sell product. These organisations take care of the IPR and related benefits to the individual farmers. Naveen Gram provides a platform to sell and therefore make money for the manufacturer who has bought the technology or directly to the innovator who makes more and more money by selling more and more. In case a farmer with a product idea approaches Naveen Gram, it will direct them to RIN, NIF or GIAN.
* What type of financing is currently available to initiatives like yours?
Naveen Gram has been started as a private limited company with an authorised share capital of Rs. 100,000. The initial fund was invested by me in the capacity of the promoter. I have also borrowed funds from family and relatives for this initiative. Naveen Gram has a mark-up for the products it sources and sells in the market. It aims to earn money through this mark-up. Additionally, Naveen Gram is also approaching individuals and Venture Capitalists who will be interested in picking up stakes in the company for investments in it. Naveen Gram plans to increase its share capital by Rs. 10 lakhs in the next 3 months and is in the process of talks with various individuals to invest, though no investments have been forthcoming as of date.
Please feel free to revert for clarifications, if any
Sincerely
Anil Pansari
Dear Anil,
Thank you very much for your entry in the Changemakers competition. We read with a lot of interest about Naveen Gram Agrotechnologies and its mission to serve rural markets, and would greatly appreciate to better understand some aspects of your model.
* How do you collaborate or compete with organizations working in the same field such as RIN or IIMA’s Grassroots Innovation Initiative? How does your work differ from theirs? * How do you value farmers’ intellectual property when they come up with an idea for a new product? Is there any compensation scheme in place? * What type of financing is currently available to initiatives like yours?
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Kind regards,
The Changemakers Team
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