1Organic to foray into South, raise capital

Organic food firm on a ‘health mission’

1Organic, a start-up that sources raw materials from farmer groups directly, has announced plans to foray into the South in two months and raise capital for growth.

The company, which commenced operations in September 2020 amid the thick of the pandemic with a self-funded capital, currently caters to markets in Pune, Mumbai, Delhi and Gurugram and is now gearing up for expansion, said Sharmila Oswal, co-founder, 1Organic. “We have received a more-than-expected response from the market,” she said.“Ours is a health mission to turn kitchens into pharmacies through supply of organic products. This will boost immunity and help build a healthy India,” added Ms. Oswal, who is also a social agriculturist.

The firm which has its manufacturing operations in Pune is setting up warehouses in Mumbai and Delhi NCR to cater to the demand, she said.

“In the next two months, we will expand sales operations to Bengaluru and other southern markets,” said Ms. Oswal.

“In the next six months we will need to raise funds to meet our growth plans,” she said without quantifying the amount. Her son Shubham Oswal, who is trained in water conservation and the agri industry, joined her to start the firm to provide high quality organic products at affordable prices to the public as well as to boost farmers’ income, she said.

“We are breaking the myth that organic food is expensive and only the rich could afford it.We are bringing it to the masses by closely working with more than 2,000 farmers,” Ms. Oswal said.

She said the firm is providing employment to numerous women and men in villages.

“By cutting middle-men and directly working with farmers we have managed sell our products at rates of non-organic general products available in the market. So the common people can now afford organic products,” she added.

The firm offers more than 75 products in the categories of pulses, rice, spices, seeds, oil and seeds. It will soon be available at Reliance SMART and JioMart.

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