eSandhai : Seed To Plate, Directly From Farmers

Gone are the days of crowded markets. eSandhai brings the farm online, making healthy eating a click away. Today, more than ever, people want fresh, healthy food. They want to know where their meals come from. But, here’s the best part. eSandhai puts farmers first. The platform cuts out the middlemen. This means better prices for farmers and for you.

IndexLessons

Lessons From eSandhai

Empower Your Community

The Lesson: Your business doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s part of a community. When you empower your community, you empower your business. It can lead to a loyal customer base and enhance your brand’s reputation.

Implementation: Find ways to support and uplift the community around you, whether through partnerships, local sourcing, or charitable initiatives.

How eSandhai Implements It: They support local farmers, ensuring they get fair prices for their produce, and promotes eco-friendly farming.

Identify a Gap in the Market

The Lesson: Every successful startup begins by identifying a gap in the market. It’s about finding a problem and solving it. Identifying a gap helps you focus your efforts on solving a specific problem, making your business indispensable.

Implementation: Research and understand your target market deeply. Look for what’s missing or what could be improved.

How eSandhai Implements It: eSandhai saw a gap in how fresh produce was delivered from farms to consumers. They aimed to streamline this process, making it more efficient and sustainable.

Data is Powerful

The Lesson: Proper use of data can uncover insights that drive better decision-making. Data-driven decisions are often more accurate and effective, leading to improved outcomes and innovations.

Implementation: Collect, analyze, and act on data to improve your business operations.

How eSandhai Implements It: Using real-time data for supply-demand matching.

Embrace Local Solutions

The Lesson: Local solutions often provide the most sustainable and impactful results. Supporting local economies not only fosters community but also often results in more sustainable business practices.

Implementation: Tailor your business strategies to leverage local resources, talents, and markets.

How eSandhai Implements It: Partnering with local farmers for supply.

Building a Brand Around Values

The Lesson: Let your values define your brand. A values-driven brand resonates more deeply with customers and can inspire loyalty.

Implementation: Communicate your values clearly and consistently in every interaction.

How eSandhai implements it: Through their commitment to sustainability, transparency, and community.

A Growing Appetite

Globally, the fresh produce market is booming. By 2025, it’s expected to reach a whopping $1.2 trillion! In India alone, the market is ripe, with 204.61 million metric tonnes of vegetables and 107.10 million metric tonnes of fruits produced in 2022.

That’s a lot of veggies and fruits moving from farms to our forks. But here’s a catch. Despite the boom, farmers and consumers face hurdles. High costs, wastage, and lack of access are big ones. We’re talking about a third of all food produced going to waste.

The eSandhai Journey

Chollin Selvan, Maha Lakshmi, and Sridharan M are the trio behind eSandhai. Their experience spans more than seven years in sourcing agricultural produce directly from farmers, which laid the groundwork for their business model.

The trio’s shared goal was to enhance the agri-commerce ecosystem by leveraging technology to solve the supply and demand challenges faced by farmers and businesses in rural markets. The startup officially kicked off sales on April 8, after a year of ideation, choosing Perambalur as their testing ground.

What Does eSandhai Do?

eSandhai promise to bring you nature’s best without you having to leave your house. They link farmers directly with consumers. This setup bypasses traditional hurdles. Their e-commerce platform opens up new markets and promotes sustainable farming

Farmers post their produce directly on the platform, cutting out the middlemen. Thus, fairer pricing for farmers and better deals for consumers.Buyers see where their food comes from. Farmers know where their produce goes. This transparency builds trust and ensures quality.

Their platform uses advanced Supply-Demand Prediction technology to predict supply and demand. This smart approach optimizes the agricultural supply chain. This means you get super-fresh food, and the planet gets a break from unnecessary waste.

Business Mantra

From the freshest veggies to pantry staples, their extensive selection means you’ll find what you need. As eSandhai continues to grow, they focus on deepening market penetration rather than geographical footprint.

This focus allows for a better understanding of market intricacies and tailoring services to meet specific customer needs, emphasizing customer retention, product customization, quality improvement, competitive pricing strategies, and faster delivery times. eSandhai emphasizes reducing carbon footprints through direct sourcing and promoting eco-friendly practices, contributing to a greener future.

eSandhai’s Alliances

In a notable initiative, eSandhai teamed up with Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to market fresh vegetables grown by farmers at the Uzhavar Sandhai in Mannachanallur. This collaboration showcases the startup’s commitment to community engagement and sustainable agricultural practices.

eSandhai By The Numbers

Total Volume: eSandhai has facilitated a total volume of over an impressive 3,482,757 kilograms of vegetables.

Total Orders: They’ve successfully processed 31,497 orders.

Total Customers: The platform boasts 2,946 satisfied customers.

Financial Milestones

The company attracted significant investment. Madurai’s Nativelead contributed ₹1.18 crore, The Chennai Angels (TCA) invested ₹71 lakh, AIC Raise added ₹25 lakh, and various individual investors pooled in ₹46 lakh. Additionally, it’s set to receive support from the Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Fund Management Corporation Limited (TNIFMC) under the Tamil Nadu Emerging Sector Seed Fund (TNESSF).

Green and Growing

Their numbers tell a story of smart growth and focused strategy. eSandhai hit a major milestone. They bagged 10 Crores in revenue for FY 23-24. Compared to last year’s 1.6 Crores, that’s a 6X leap in just 9 months.This growth spurt came from focusing solely on the Fruits & Vegetables (F&V) category and a 50 Km radius.

Wrapping Up eSandhai’s Journey

Every bite we take has a story. From a seed to your plate, it’s a journey of hard work and care. Their model boosts local economies, supporting farmers right in our communities. As we end our journey through the story of eSandhai, thanks for sticking around. We hope this journey through eSandhai has inspired you. Inspired to eat healthy, live sustainably, and support the true heroes – our farmers.

Questions To Ponder

What other traditional sectors do you think could benefit from a tech makeover?
Your values are the backbone of your business. What values are non-negotiable for you?
Failure is often a stepping stone to success. How would you handle setbacks?