Oorja

Oorja provides smallholder farmers with solar-powered irrigation as a service, offering pay-per-use access to water at affordable rates. This is complemented by climate-smart farmer advisory services that empower farmers with training and resources to improve crop yields and resilience.

Updated 2 months ago

Funding

Funding not disclosed

Funding rounds are not available yet.

Founders

Founder details are not available yet.

Product

Problem

Smallholder farmers in India often face challenges with accessing reliable and affordable irrigation, leading to lower crop yields and income. Traditional irrigation methods can be expensive to maintain, rely on fossil fuels, and contribute to environmental degradation. Additionally, farmers may lack the knowledge and resources to adopt climate-smart agricultural practices that could improve their resilience and productivity.

Solution

Oorja provides a comprehensive Farming-as-a-Service model that integrates solar-powered irrigation and climate-smart farmer advisory services. Through its "Oonnati" service, farmers gain access to solar irrigation pumps on a Pay-Per-Use basis, eliminating the need for significant upfront capital investment. This service ensures year-round water availability at affordable, metered tariffs, significantly reducing operational costs compared to diesel pumps. Complementing this, the "Oorvar" service offers expert advice, training, and access to climate-resilient inputs, empowering farmers to adopt sustainable practices, improve soil health, and increase crop yields. This dual approach aims to enhance farmer incomes, promote environmental sustainability, and build resilience against climate change impacts.

Target Audience

The primary target audience includes smallholder farmers in India who require access to affordable and reliable irrigation and seek to improve their agricultural practices for increased productivity and climate resilience.

Features

**Oonnati (Irrigation-as-a-Service):**
Pay-Per-Use solar irrigation service with no upfront asset cost for farmers.
Utilizes 5 HP solar-powered Brushless DC (BLDC) and AC submersible pumps, capable of irrigating up to 25 acres per pump.
Water is accurately metered using flowmeters and billed volumetrically at fixed, affordable tariffs (INR 2-4 per m³), typically 20-60% cheaper than diesel irrigation.
Each pump cluster serves 15-20 neighboring farmers, ensuring year-round water access.
Includes on-farm irrigation access and operator assistance for convenience.
Accepts cash and digital payments for water usage.
**Oorvar (Climate-Smart Farmer Advisory):**
Provides training and resources on sustainable agricultural practices.
Focuses on soil health testing, efficient water management, integrated pest management, and climate-resilient crop varieties.
Offers hands-on training, regular field visits, and expert advice from agronomists.
Promotes scientific cultivation methods and the use of organic inputs like biofertilizers and biopesticides.
Facilitates digital support through the "Dhoop" app and WhatsApp groups for real-time information.
**Technology & Operations:**
High-efficiency solar PV infrastructure with a 15-20 year asset lifetime.
Remote monitoring capabilities for solar assets and pump performance.
Digitized operations for streamlined site selection, installation, and maintenance.
Data-driven decision-making to optimize service delivery and customer satisfaction.
Partnership with top-tier solar equipment suppliers for quality and reliability.