Challenges in the Indian Livestock Industry and Shunya's Solution

There are several challenges confronting the livestock industry in India:

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Fodder Scarcity: India faces significant deficits in both green fodder (32-35%) and dry fodder (23-25%). This shortage is driven by factors such as rising livestock populations, limited land availability for fodder cultivation, and increasing urbanization. The scarcity of nutritious fodder leads to lower milk and meat yields, significantly impacting farmers' incomes.

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Water Scarcity: Traditional fodder cultivation methods require significant amounts of water, a resource that is becoming increasingly scarce in India.

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Low Productivity: The fodder shortage contributes to Indian cattle having a milk yield 50% lower than the global average, while meat yields are 20-60% below global standards. This low productivity directly impacts the income of millions of farmers who rely on livestock for their livelihoods.

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Fragmented Landholdings: With shrinking and fragmented landholdings, dedicating land for fodder cultivation becomes less viable, especially for smallholder farmers.

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Climate Change: Extreme weather conditions and unpredictable rainfall patterns further exacerbate the challenges of fodder production, making it difficult for farmers to ensure a stable supply.

Shunya's Fodder-as-a-Service (FaaS) Model:

To address these challenges, Shunya has introduced a "Fodder-as-a-Service" (FaaS) model, utilizing a combination of hydroponic farming and a digitally-enabled platform. Here's how it works:

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Hydroponic Fodder Production: Shunya establishes "Growth & Logistics Centers" (GLCs) equipped with hydroponic vertical farming units to produce high-quality green fodder. Hydroponics uses significantly less water (up to 95% less) and land compared to traditional farming methods, making it a more sustainable and resource-efficient approach.

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Mobile App for Ordering: Shunya provides a mobile app for farmers to conveniently place orders for green fodder, either on an ad-hoc basis or through subscription-based models. This digital platform ensures easy access to fodder and allows farmers to plan their needs effectively.

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Efficient Logistics and Delivery Network: Shunya partners with local entrepreneurs (Shunya Partners) to manage the last-mile delivery of fodder to farmers' doorsteps. This network ensures timely and reliable delivery, a critical aspect for fresh fodder.

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Focus on High-Need Areas: Shunya prioritizes its operations in regions with high fodder demand, low rainfall, frequent droughts, and high livestock populations. This strategic approach ensures that the solution reaches those who need it most.

Benefits of Shunya's Model:

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Reliable Fodder Supply: The FaaS model guarantees a year-round supply of fresh, nutritious, and chemical-free fodder, addressing the critical challenge of fodder scarcity.

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Increased Income: Access to high-quality fodder improves livestock health and productivity, leading to increased milk and meat yields and higher incomes for farmers.

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Land Optimization: Farmers can use the land previously dedicated to fodder cultivation for more profitable crops, further enhancing their earnings.

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Reduced Costs: By eliminating the need for traditional fodder farming, farmers save on expenses related to seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, and labor.

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Environmental Sustainability: Hydroponic farming significantly reduces water consumption and land usage, contributing to environmental sustainability.

By addressing the fundamental challenges of the livestock industry, Shunya's FaaS model has the potential to transform the sector and significantly improve the livelihoods of millions of Indian farmers. The early success of Shunya's subscription model, as noted in source, suggests a potential shift in rural commerce towards reliable, technology-driven solutions for essential agricultural needs.

Shunya: A Tech-First Business Model with Physical Extensions

Notes to self, but anyone is welcome to read, comment, refine or trash. 

I am not a religious person, but Gita has always fascinated me (and the world) for its depth. Every time I read a para it grips me for its deep meanings and possible interpretations - and fortunately it allows for interpretation as per "me". 

In the Bhagavad Gita, it is asserted that man is primarily a soul with a body, rather than a body possessing a soul. This profound insight flips the common perspective, emphasizing the primacy of the soul, with the body being a mere instrument through which the soul experiences and interacts with the world. 

This helped me self-clarify in my mind the vision that we had for Shunya (my agritech start-up). Shunya's vision must reflect this wisdom, positioning itself not merely as a physical business that incorporates technology, but rather as a tech-centric enterprise where technology is the driving force—the “soul”—with physical operations and processes serving as its body and senses.

Technology as the Soul: The Core of Shunya’s Identity

Just as the soul is eternal, pervasive, and central to the existence of an individual, technology should be the core of Shunya’s identity. Every business decision, operational process, and customer interaction must be rooted in technology. This means that tech is not an add-on or a support system but the foundation upon which the business is built. It is the source of innovation, efficiency, and scalability, ensuring that Shunya remains agile, forward-thinking, and resilient in an ever-evolving market landscape.

Physical Operations as the Body: Enabling Interaction and Execution

The physical aspects of Shunya’s business—such as manufacturing, logistics, and customer service—are analogous to the body in the Gita’s analogy. They are the tangible manifestations of the business’s tech-driven soul, enabling it to interact with the real world. These physical operations must be designed and optimized to execute the strategies and insights derived from the technological core. For example, production processes should be guided by data analytics, and customer engagement should be driven by AI-powered platforms.

Processes as the Senses: Facilitating Perception and Response

Just as the senses allow the body to perceive and respond to the environment, the processes within Shunya should act as conduits through which the business interacts with its market, customers, and stakeholders. These processes—ranging from supply chain management to customer relationship management—should be deeply integrated with technology. This integration ensures that the business is not only responsive but also proactive, anticipating needs, trends, and challenges with precision and speed.

Shunya’s Ambition: A Holistic Tech-Driven Entity

The ambition of Shunya should be to become a fully integrated tech-driven entity. This means that all physical aspects of the business—whether they are products, services, or customer interactions—should be seamlessly connected to the technological core. The physical body of the business should serve to actualize the potential of the tech soul, delivering value that is informed by data, enhanced by automation, and personalized through AI. This approach will allow Shunya to transcend the traditional limitations of a physical business, creating a dynamic, scalable, and future-proof enterprise.

Shunya Seh Ek Update

Like many of you, I too have been a fan of Peter Thiel’s seminal book "Zero to One", which advocates for creating unique innovations and challenging conventional views to shape the future.

However, when we decided to christen our agritech start-up “Shunya,” it was for other reasons. But when my colleague Jay Prakash Chhajer, renamed one of our internal WhatsApp groups “Shunya Seh Ek,” it occurred to me that it would also be a great way to share our 0 to 1 journey with interested folks.

Lets be in touch.

I am excited to share our progress, pains and joys as we navigate through early challenges, small & big wins, and more. It would also give us an opportunity to get your advice on various aspects of our business venture.

Let me know if you wish to receive the “Shunya Se Ek Update.” I promise to keep it regular but no more than once every 30 to 40 days. Drop me your email ID and let be in touch. Email us on update@shunya.live

Digital Payments in Rural India – over next couple of years.

Predicting specific trends can be challenging due to various factors that could influence the

Digital payments in Bharat

trajectory of digital payments in rural and semi-urban India. However, based on the existing momentum and ongoing developments, I can speculate on potential directions this trend might take, and this gives me the confidence to go with a 100% digital payments mandate for Shunya. My confidence is boosted by the fact that UPI transactions in rural and semi-urban India increased by 118% in 2023, with a 106% increase in value. 

The short-term trends point towards:

1. Continued Growth: The trend of increased UPI transactions in rural and semi-urban India is likely to continue. Factors such as continued government initiatives, improved internet infrastructure, and growing smartphone penetration will contribute to sustained growth.

2. Further Adoption: As digital literacy improves and more people become comfortable with using smartphones and digital payment platforms, the adoption of online payments is expected to increase. I recently spend a few days purposely avoiding any cash payouts in rural UP and I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of complications – rural merchants of all kinds have adopted to the UPI / Paytm / Google Pay. 

3. Expansion of Services: Digital payment providers are likely to expand their services and offerings to cater specifically to the needs of rural and semi-urban users. This could include features such as language localization, simplified user interfaces, and tailored financial products like buy-now-pay-later to better serve these demographics.

4. Government Support: Continued government support through initiatives like Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) and other subsidy programs will encourage more people in rural areas to adopt digital payment methods. The government's focus on financial inclusion and promoting a cashless economy will further drive the adoption of online payments. Was a little disappointed to see that some of the village based milk-collection centers were making cash payouts every fortnight, however, I think that will change fairly quickly. 

5. Infrastructure Development: Further improvement in internet connectivity and infrastructure in rural areas will also contribute to the growth of online payments. Investments in 5G technology and expansion of broadband services will enable smoother and faster digital transactions, encouraging more people to use digital payment platforms, however, internet availability and power (electricity) is now a non-issue. 

6. Partnerships and Collaborations: I expect the digital payment providers to form partnerships with local businesses, government agencies, and non-profit organizations to facilitate easier access to digital payment services in rural areas. Collaborative efforts to address specific challenges, such as connectivity issues and last-mile delivery of financial services, will help accelerate adoption.

7. Security and Trust: Ensuring the security of online transactions and building trust among rural users will be essential for sustaining the growth of digital payments. Continued efforts to enhance security measures, educate users about safe online practices, and address concerns related to fraud and data privacy will be crucial in maintaining user confidence. I was very happy to hear one of the merchants talk about benefits of receiving digital payments – lesser trips to the bank (or intermediaries) to deposit cash, lack of soiled notes, “more savings”.

Overall, while it's difficult to predict the exact trajectory of digital payments in rural India, the current trends suggest an extremely positive outlook with continued growth and adoption of online payment methods. My prediction – Bharat will pleasantly surprise us over the next few years. 

Desertification: Not just a North Indian problem

A new study finds that manmade activities such as deforestation and mining are to blame for the rise in desertification in the south of India.

One another cause of desertification has been over grazing of land. 

Desertification of India is a real problem.

At Shunya, it is our endeavour to not just provide quality green fodder to animals (esp to animals in feedlots) and thus stop the desertification process in specific geographies. 

Read more here