embarking on a rural transformation
Vaazhndhu Kattuvom Project, a World Bank-assisted project, is building sustainability and prosperity of rural communities through enterprise promotion, access to finance and employment opportunities. Across select districts in Tamil Nadu, the project is promoting the implementation of transformational and innovative ideas to tackle challenges faced by rural enterprises.
Idea for Change Challenge
As part of its efforts to promote innovation among rural enterprises, the Vaazhndhu Kattuvom Project has been actively encouraging its producer and enterprise groups to initiate innovative projects in farm, off-farm and non-farm sectors. The project looks at innovation as an ‘idea for change’ – ideas that have the potential to bring out lasting change in the form of creating jobs, developing new products, accessing new markets, adopting technology, enhancing business processes and eventually leading to local economic and social development.While the ideas from districts have been aplenty, so have been the challenges! Challenges in areas of marketing, technology adoption, branding, process and product development among others. For a select few innovative projects, VKP is seeking solution providers whose innovative ideas can transform the way these enterprises operate. The project is seeking solutions that are applicable, replicable, scalable, sustainable and will have a lasting impact.
Under this platform, VKP has identified 10 challenges
10 challenges
- Challenges
- District: Trichy
Banana Shakti
- Sale of Banana Shakti micronutrient
- Better packaging and branding of FPO products
- Packaging machine
- Raw material storage (Zinc and other chemicals)
- Fertilizer sale license and ERP
- Challenges
- District: Toothukudi
Water hyacinth value addition products
- Sale of handicraft products made from WH
- Branding as river saving sustainable solution and promotion of products / group
- Heater to dry the plant stalks
- Water hyacinth harvester
- W2V solutions for degraded stalks
- Challenges
- District: Chengalpattu
Bio Seed roll
- Sale of Bio Seed roll
- Branding and promotion of bio plant roll
- Single mould machine for bio plant roll
- W2V solutions for degraded rolls
- Challenges
- District: Erode
Lantana briquette making products
- Sale of Lantana briquette
- Briquette making machine
- Shredding machine for Lantana
- Challenges
- District: Chengalpattu
Food on wheels (EV Food Truck)
- Branding and promotion of products/ group
- Upgraded EV food truck
- Licenses to run the truck
- Challenges
- District: Nagapattinam
IOT mushroom cultivation
- Sale of Oyster Mushrooms
- Branding as organically produced and promotion of products / group
- Cold storage of Mushroom Spawn (seed)
- Different varieties of spawn
- W2V solutions for used casing
- FSSAI license
- Challenges
- District: Namakkal
Biodegradable cups using Rice Bran and Coir pith
- Sale of the cups
- Better product design for cups and branding
- W2V solutions for discarded rice bran and coir pith
- Challenges
- District: Villupuram
Biodegradable cups using Groundnut shell
- Sale of the cups
- Better product design for cups and branding
- Need a smaller cup making machine of ~8 HP as power is an issue
- Challenges
- District: Salem & Thiruvannamalai
Biodegradable Sanitary Napkin Production
- Sale of these napkins
- Branding and promotion of products / group
- Automatic machine to develop different sizes of napkin
- Biodegradable Certification
- Challenges
- District: Sivagangai
Pottery Kiln Project
- Sale of the pots
- GI tag Branding and promotion of products/ group
- Heater / storage to dry the pots
- Sustainable sourcing of clay
As part of this platform, VKP aims to provide dedicated demand based support to scope out solution providers that could engage with these project enterprises to drive positive change and transformative growth in these enterprises. The focus is on driving innovation in the form of effective products, processes, services, technologies, or ideas that promote improved business practices, enhance efficiency and develop new products.
To identify and harness innovative ideas and solutions, the VKP is organizing the innovation challenge called the ‘Idea for Change (IforC)’ Challenge. This competition aims to attract and showcase innovative ideas that have the potential to bring about positive and impactful changes in rural enterprises and livelihoods in Tamil Nadu. Once the solution providers are identified, enterprise specific proposals will be developed by the solution providers to engage with these project enterprises for implementation of the solutions.
Solution providers we are looking for
Solution providers working in or planning to work in Tamil Nadu and must offer solutions that at the core can support these project enterprises. These solutions should be at the intersection of all of either of the following:-
- Market Linkage
- Branding
- Processing Technology
- Raw material procurement
- Waste to Value (W2V)
- Legal and accounting services
Eligibility Criteria for Enterprises
- Operational for at least a year as of April 1, 2023
- Current customer base of working with at least 2 clients
- More than Rs. 10 lakh of revenue in any of the following three financial years i.e. 2020-21 or 2021-22 or 2022-23
- Providing solutions under any of the 6 themes identified.
- Registered with Ministry of Corporate Affairs (Public/ Pvt. limited company, LLP, OPC), or Cooperative Act or Society’s registration act, sole proprietorship, educational institutions/ universities, early-stage startups, incubators, students with solutions etc. billing office
Eligibility Criteria for Students
- A qualified person with B.Tech or an M. Tech degree
- Should be a resident of India
- Ability to support 1 or more project enterprises through technology solutions
- Would be good to have an affiliation with any research or educational institution
The selected solution providers
will have the opportunity to
support from VKP for piloting of solutions with project enterprises
The solution providers will be given a support to pilot their solutions with the project enterprises
Scale operations in
Tamil Nadu
Solution providers will be provided with access to the pool of project enterprises under VKP to provide their products and services that match the needs of the project enterprises
Wider network of mentors, investors, research institutions
and others
Solution providers will be provided with access to a network of mentors, investors, research institutions engaged with VKP or project enterprises
partners
