After losing his livestock to an unidentified disease, Manish noticed the scenario was the new normal for all livestock farmers. He decided to bridge the gap between modern veterinary and farmers, thus founded Verdant Impact. Providing virtual consultations, prescriptions, and on-site visits, he is changing the present and future of the Indian livestock sector.
| Startup Name | Verdant |
| Founders | Manish K Prahlad |
| Industry | Agritech |
| Company Classification | Private Limited |
| Headquarters/based-in | Jaipur, Rajasthan, India |
| Idea | To make livestock farming economical, sustainable, profitable, and safe. |
| Revenue | 2022-2023 revenue ₹7.25 crore |
| Date of Commencement | January 2020 |
| Investments | Raised $121,000 in one seed funding round. |
| Number of Customers | 25k users and 18k+ paid customers. |
Competitors: AgriWebb, Gaugau, Gramshree Agri Services, Herddogg, Herdwatch, amd Mooofarm.
The Problem: Why Does This Matter?
India has the largest livestock population in the world but has an insufficient and inefficient healthcare system for cattle. Yes, even though livestock is essential for the rural economy, there are inadequate measures taken for their health and well-being.
There are more than 536 million livestock and less than 12,500 veterinary clinics to serve them. Moreover, despite the smaller number of clinics, most of them are unavailable in the rural areas of the country leading to:
- Treatable diseases turning fatal.
- Deaths of livestock in large quantities
- Financial burdens on farmers
- Affected individual livelihoods and the economy as a whole.
Manish K Prahlad is among those farmers who lost his buffaloes to an unidentified disease and lack of medical assistance. This is a situation faced by all farmers and livestock owners in the country.
The emotional and financial losses faced by them present a dire need for a solution to bridge the gap between rural livestock and modern veterinary care.
The Solution: Verdant
Manish holds a bachelors degree in Arts (Philosophy, Political Science, and Geography) and masters of Public Administration (Public Policy, Governance, and Administration).
Understanding the pressing need after losing his livestock, Manish with Maya Zeph, Vimal Shastri, and Dr Navneet Kumar took things in hand and founded Verdant in January 2020.
Jaipur-based Verdant offers a robust solution to the challenges faced by farmers. It is an animal husbandry platform encompassing expert livestock care. They provide Animal ICU which is a telemedicine facility which offers real-time diagnostics, remote monitoring, and virtual veterinary consultation.
Farmers can upload multimedia descriptions of animals. Then they receive expert consultations, alternate remedies, prescriptions, and ambulance services (if required).
Moreover, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags are also provided by them to monitor and trace cattle health, location, and movement. With this, farmers can easily manage their livestock and prevent insurance fraud.
Animal Ancestry Animal Mark is also introduced by Verdant. In this, DNA analysis and unique identification techniques help farmers make informed decisions about breeding and trading.
Also, under-skin RFID implants enable the storing of important health history data.
Moreover, he also founded the Tribal Economy Alliance (TEA). It is an Indigenous forum to foster impactful and inspiring initiatives through innovative partnerships and collaborations.
Business Model: How Do They Make Money?
Following a B2B2C business model, Verdant generates revenue through commissions, co-branding, and direct sales. They charge for field visits and telemedicine consultations.
- The pricing model is fixed for teleconsultations: Rs 95/call.
- For field visits: Rs 200, plus an additional fee is charged (if required).
Moreover, the startup has partnered with district governments to enable access to their telemedicine facilities, which further contributes to their revenue generation.
Through this method, they have built a strong user base of more than 25,000 active monthly users and 18,000 paying customers. Their customers mainly belong to Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Challenges/Struggles: What Roadblocks Are They Facing?
The main challenge is to spread across remote areas where people are not much familiar to technology. Also, to spread awareness about their services among people and teach them how to use their platform to their advantage. However, the team is spreading the word and teaching the farmers regarding their services and ways to reach them.
Future Vision: What’s Next?
Verdant’s funding was mainly through grants and recently they have received Rs 4 lakh grant from BITS, Pilani. Furthermore, they are planning to raise $4 million in funding to expand operations across India and build their brand. Presently, Verdant Impact aims to earn $12 million in gross revenue by FY25 and $50 million ARR within 3 years.
Key Takeaways: Why Should Users Care?
- To provide the solution on a wide scale.
- Look into the problems in general.
- Find the solution and spread the word.
- Involve government services for a better reach.
- Offer affordable services.
