Name of the Company: Mrida Group – Mrida Renergy & Development, Mrida Greens & Organics & Mrida Khoj

Set up in: February 2014

Based in: New Delhi

Founder and CEO: Arun Nagpal; Co-founders Manoj Khanna and Gurveen Kaur Sood

Funding received: Self funded with investments up to ₹4 crore; plans to approach PE and venture capital funds for future scaling up.

What it does: Holistic rural development; Renergy vertical provides energy access to remote villages not connected to the grid.

Greens & Organics vertical supports cultivation and collection of high value crops, plants and herbs while ensuring sustainable livelihoods for small and marginal communities

How it does it: Uses solar micro grids and agri interventions as entry points to all-round sustainable development in a village. Has created solar powered E-Hubs to provide education, entertainment, e-commerce and social awareness opportunities to remote rural households.

Also has battery operated e-rickshaws for entrepreneurship and solar LED street lights for safety and social mobility.

Big moment: The smile on the face of a 70-year-old who got electricity for the first time.

Impact: Has touched thousands of lives through “small” interventions that effect big changes across 15 villages in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. The founders have plans to do a lot more.

Vision: Building sustainable and scalable business models around energy access with solar micro grids and agricultural interventions in crops and herbs to uplift lives at the Base of the Pyramid.

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