Jain Irrigation: Business Modelling with BMGF, Coke and Harvard School

From Haitito Africa, business models are being developed by Jain Irrigation

TheDriving Force:
JISL Chairman Bhavarlalji Jain

JainIrrigation's drip irrigation technology has caught the attention of theHarvard Business School and holds out hope for poor farmers from earthquake-hitHaiti to Africa. 

"In Haitiwe are working with the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation and Coca-Cola for developing a business model for small farmers,"Dilip Kulkarni, President Agro Foods, Jain Irrigation, told IANS on phone fromBoston, Massachusetts.

Kulkarniwhile presenting the company's business model at anagriculture symposium at the Harvard Business School, said: "Wehave developed a technology for mango production in Haiti where Coca-Cola islaunching a beverage called Haiti Hope."

Role played by JainIrrigation in Haiti: To givetechnical support in agronomy, technology of cultivation and in a couple ofyears - start a food processing unit.

Beneficiaries: Coca-Cola says that the project will create opportunity for 25,000 mango farmers andtheir families by developing a sustainable mango juice industry helpfacilitate Haiti's recovery.

Good word spread fast: "We have now been invited by Africa,"said Kulkarni detailing ongoing efforts to replicateits business model in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Swaziland and Uganda overthe last six months. The company recently signed a MOU with the KenyanIrrigation board.

With Kulkarni came two farmers from Maharashtra to share their experiences and present their success story in using technology foragriculture .

This is a bigleap forward for Bhavarlalji -  who had started his journey in 1963with a meager 7000 rupees (a saving of three generations), and for 15 long yearshad sold kerosene on a pushcart and marketed agro-products in Jalgaon - finally graduating to become the world's second largest drip irrigationcompany with 146 offices worldwide and a business of 2000 crores.

(Forarticle published on June 08, 2009 onwww.ummid.com, please clickhere)

They Termed Me Mad - Paagal Ho Gaya Hai

Developing new business models takes "guts" - often ignoring advice from friends and colleagues

From working as a bottling plant employee in Jalgaon, to owning the company and then succesfully challenging MNC soft drink bottlers with his own products - Zafar Shaikh has traveled a long way.

When he decided to launch Zeera Masala Soda from the renamed Pinch Bottling Plant - and discussed it with his friends, they termed him mad. Paagal Ho Gaya Hai, they declared unanimously”.

However he went from success to success and presently has notched up high sales figures. The demand is so high that he had to open a new manufacturing unit in January 2009 at Sirsoli.

 

Current products include Mecca Cola, Mecca Orange, Mecca Lemon, Zeera Masala and Cocktail No.1.

(To read in detail, on www.ummid.com, please click here)