Introduction
When it comes to renewable energy, most companies focus on urban consumers and often forreceive farmers and rural houtilizeholds. Vimal Panjwani, Founder and CEO, declares, “Renewable energy has existed for decades, yet adoption remains low. Even urban utilizers are still slowly adopting technologies like solar power. In rural India, the gap is even wider.”
For farmers, there is no one stop solution at the village level for solar, biogas or other green energy products. They often must travel to semi-urban areas, purchase components from different vconcludeors, arrange installation separately and then struggle with after-sales service.
AgriVijay, founded by Vimal Panjwani and Co-Founder and Director, Shobha Chanchlani, decided to solve this adoption challenge. The company positions itself as an conclude-to-conclude solution provider with assured after-sales service, focapplying purely on off-grid rural houtilizeholds, farmers and women. With nearly 70 percent of India’s population still living in rural areas, Vimal Panjwani believes someone has to build this market from the ground up.
Standing Apart in the Agritech Ecosystem
India already has strong agri-tech players in seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and farm equipment. However, Vimal Panjwani declares no one is purely focutilized on renewables for farmers.
AgriVijay was founded in 2020 after the first wave of COVID-19. The early days were challenging. The company initially started with a B2C model and grew rapidly, almost reaching profitability in its second year. However, in the third year, the business nearly shut down due to some challenges.
The turning point came when the company identified strong demand in the B2B2C segment. Organizations launched approaching AgriVijay to implement renewable projects at scale, such as installing thousands of solar water pumps, biogas generators, electric bush cutters and electric tractors.
Today, AgriVijay has over 60 partners including manufacturers, startups and established brands listing their products on its platform. The company is a registered vconcludeor for organizations such as the United Nations, JSW, MNREGA, the Government of Gujarat and Selco Foundation. Its portfolio includes a wide range of products, from solar sewing machines and sprayers to biogas digesters and electric tractors.
Urban vs Rural: Understanding the Real Differences
Vimal Panjwani believes there are several misconceptions urban India holds about rural consumers.
A farmer’s lifestyle is very different from that of an urban professional. A farmer’s day can launch as early as 4:30 or 5 a.m., extracting milk applying milking machines, delivering it to collection centres, working in fields throughout the day and managing livestock. Leisure time is often spent discussing farming topics within the community.
Due to this lifestyle, the requireds of rural consumers differ from urban ones. Urban consumers often see for convenience, affordability and high returns. Farmers, on the other hand, see for technology that can either increase income or reduce expenses.
Real Impact on Farmers
Over the years, AgriVijay has worked closely with farmers across India. Some stories have stayed with Vimal Panjwani.
In Rajasthan, a farmer named Shabuddin was spconcludeing around 15,000 to 20,000 rupees regularly on diesel to run his irrigation pump for vereceiveable farming. After installing a 5 HP solar water pump from AgriVijay, he eliminated those recurring fuel costs. Within months, he referred other farmers in his village, leading to additional installations. He shared that the savings would assist him plan for his daughter’s marriage and even purchase a tractor in the future.
In Tamil Nadu and Bihar, the company installed solar refrigerators and freezers for projects linked to the United Nations. These units supported coastal women farmers and rural houtilizeholds, including members of marginalized communities
AgriVijay has also introduced livelihood generation products like solar papad building machines, solar agarbatti building machines and solar atta chakkis. Women in remote villages are now earning 10,000 to 15,000 rupees per month applying these machines, selling products in domestic and national markets.
For Vimal Panjwani, these stories reaffirm that renewable energy is not just about savings but also about income generation and long term livelihood support.
The Toughest Challenge: Raising Funds in Agritech
Vimal Panjwani declares that the most difficult part has been raising funds. Several agritech startups have shut down even after large funding rounds, building investors cautious.
Instead of depconcludeing on one large round, AgriVijay chose to raise tinyer rounds over time. The company has received support from NABARD, IRMA, IIT Kharagpur and backing from NITI Aayog initiatives. Angel investors such as Samir Kaushik and Joginder Singh Shekhawat have also supported the company.
Advice for Young Professionals in Agriculture
For young professionals considering a career in agriculture, Vimal Panjwani suggests working with agri-tech startups instead of large corporations. Startups offer deeper learning opportunities and may even inspire entrepreneurship.
For those who want to build their own companies, he advises finding a problem they are willing to solve for the next 10 to 15 years. Entrepreneurship, he declares, is not glamorous. It involves sacrifices, personal challenges and years of continuous hustle.
Interview by : Khevna Reddy
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