1Organic, a farm to fork organic brand, which currently caters to markets in Delhi, Gurugram, Maharashtra, is looking to diversify and strengthen its presence in South India. The company, which has just recently forayed into Bengaluru and Chennai, is looking to expand its presence into other southern markets.
According to Sharmila Oswal, Managing Director, 1Organic, there has been a steady rise in demand for organic products in the wake of the pandemic. In addition, more and more people are growing increasingly health-conscious.
The company, which commenced operations in September 2020, has witnessed 50 per cent growth in the last four months.
“This pandemic has made people realise the importance of immunity. Many of the diseases like diabetes, thyroid, hormonal issues etc are mainly because of the food we eat. Since we have been working with farmers for over 20 years on various issues ranging from water, soil, better crops and yield improvement and have a strong background so we thought of getting into organic farming,” Oswal told
The company aims to make organic foods affordable for the masses by closely working with more than 2,000 farmers. It has contract farming agreements with farmers through FPOs (Farmer Producer Organisation). It provides seeds and manure and also gives farmers the required training for organic cultivation. They are also given an assured return. It has tie-ups with as many as 35 FPOs across various states.
“We have more than 200 products which are produced organically including red rice, black rice, pulses, coconut oil, spices etc. We will add everything that is needed in a kitchen,” she said.
Oswal has trained women of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Meghalaya, West Bengal and Karnataka, among others, in organic farming and made them digitally empowered wherein they can sell their produce online through digibazaars. It is running as many as 35 digibazaars in Tier I and Tier II cities.
“The market size and scope for growth is huge (in organic food) but we will be expanding in a phase wise manner,” she said.
The company has collaborated with large corporates like Tata, ITC, Big Basket, Reliance Retail and Amazon. It is in talks with several other companies like Grofers to sell their produce. Additionally, the brand is also looking to rope in more women as dealers and partners, particularly from metros, Tier II and Tier III towns, to expand its footprint.