Taking Wings

My Gameplan

Aakar Innovations is a service-oriented company focused on commercialising grassroots innovations through innovative business models. We provide team building,business plan development,fund raising,setting up units,training,marketing,incubation support to innovators,individuals,SHGs,NGOs and other organisations.

We operate in 3-4 models. In one model we connect innovations as livelihood generation enterprise in the villages involving local SHGs,federations,NGOs etc. We provide end to end consulting support for setting up the unit. We are working towards replicating this model in different parts of India with the support of IFAD-UPASaC,UNDP. These organisations provide the initial seed capital to SHG/Federation to start a unit as loan and also pay consulting fees to us.

In another pilot model,we have started creating rural distribution network / direct sales channel with low resource usage using social media.

We also licence innovations and help innovators if they want to set-up their own manufacturing enterprise.

The best advice I got…

Was from Prof. Anil K Gupta,IIM-A: “Improve your listening habit and be ready to learn from anyone; from an illiterate farmer,villager,labourer,to your enemies.”

The defining moment…

I was at IIM-A for “Satvik ‘10” Traditional Food Festival (Dec 2010) along with my colleague. We were there to sell Aloevera,Amla Juice,Aloevera Skin-gel and Amla Laddu of our pilot Food Processing Unit in Khatima,Uttrakhand. There were around 100 stalls from different parts of the country. Initially we kept one box of Amla Laddu for tasting and people were testing it and less than 20 per cent people were buying it. On the first day we gave away 4-5 kg of Laddu just for testing and sold less than 10 kg. Next day I placed two laddus in a plate and started pitching,“taste amazing amla laddu just for R 5 and take in kilograms if you like it”. I sold around 80-90 kgs by the end of that day this way. This experience inspired me to do innovative experiments & not to lose hope at any point of time.

What keeps me awake at night…

The next day’s workplan,connecting with new people,rural community and waiting for another exciting and adventurous experience at work

I thought I would give up…

Never really thought of it except when family pressure was intense to take up a job and quit being an entrepreneur. It hurts a lot,though when new ideas don’t work after working hard on it.

My word of advice for others…

You should follow your passion and try new things without fearing failure. All experiences count and lead to new learnings.

In the initial days,focus all your efforts in satisfying your customers with your products or services and take feedback from them to improve your product/service.