Banyan roots
Description
Banyan Roots was launched by Rohit Jain and his friend Jayesh Mohta in Udaipur on October 30, 2011, as a joint venture combining an organic café and a retail store for organic farm produce. The café served food prepared exclusively from organic ingredients, while customers could also purchase organic fruits, vegetables, and pulses. On April 1, 2012, the partners split, and Rohit relocated to an upmarket area in Udaipur to independently manage the organic food store. In the initial phase, Rohit promoted his business by distributing pamphlets and showcasing products at major food exhibitions in Udaipur. The following year, he organized yoga and health camps to create awareness among health-conscious consumers—his primary target segment. The business was funded through personal savings, and modest profits were generated mainly through participation in food festivals. Banyan Roots operates as a bridge between tribal organic farmers and urban consumers. It provides training to farmers in organic farming, sustainable agricultural practices, and value addition, and purchases their produce at fair prices for sale through its retail outlets. Rohit’s vision is “to build a replicable model of community-based localization of organic food that can be grown and processed locally, thereby increasing biodiversity, improving the incomes of tribal farmers through assured market access, and promoting chemical-free farming.” To strengthen networks and capabilities, Rohit joined the Organic Farming Association of India. He also partnered with Seva Mandir, a Udaipur-based non-governmental organization, which supported farmer training initiatives aimed at improving yield through sustainable practices. Corporate entities further contributed to outreach activities through CSR funding. Despite these efforts, Banyan Roots faced significant challenges in expanding its customer base. Urban middle- and upper-class consumers in Udaipur were reluctant to pay premium prices for organic produce. Rohit chose not to charge a price premium, hoping to increase sales volume; however, this strategy limited profitability. Over time, financial pressures mounted. By the fourth year of operations, Rohit had exhausted his personal savings from his previous employment in Ahmedabad and had borrowed approximately INR 1.4 million from friends and family to sustain the business. This case provides a basis for analyzing strategic options for the survival and growth of Banyan Roots.
Copyright Date
January 2017
Publication Date
1-1-2017
Keywords
Entrepreneurship, Startups, Food store, Organic farm
Conference
FLAME Case Conference 2017, 29-30 June, 2017, Pune
