Success Story: To deal with the wastage of onions, this woman from Maharashtra brought a revolution in onion storage

Success Story: The difficulties her own family had in the onion industry had a significant impact on Kalyani Rajendra Shinde, a computer engineer by training. She started looking at solutions to the persistent problem of onion waste brought on by improper storage while she was working toward her engineering degree. Her inquisitiveness helped her realize that the issue was widespread and impacting hundreds of farmers across India, not just her area.

Kalyani applied to the Digital Impact Square, a TCS Foundation program in Nashik, where she joined as an innovator in 2018 because she was driven to really make an impact. Her full-time path into agri-innovation began with this.

Godaam Innovations’ inception

The goal of Godaam Innovations’ founding was to close the technology gap in agricultural storage. Its foundation is a groundbreaking product called Godaam Sense, which is the first IoT-based onion storage solution in India. By continually measuring temperature and humidity, two important variables that impact the shelf life of stored onions, this smart gadget keeps an eye on the microclimate within onion warehouses.

Goddamn Sense, however, takes it a step farther. Gases released in the early phases of onion spoiling may be detected using its unique method. This enables warehouse owners to get real-time notifications, allowing them to take prompt action and save significant losses. Up to 30% of product that would otherwise go to waste may be saved because of this early identification, which often occurs at only 1% deterioration.

Using Innovation to Challenge Conventional Mindsets

It was quite difficult to introduce technology in a field that mostly depends on traditional knowledge. In order to detect spoiling, the majority of farmers rely on human senses like scent and other obvious indicators. A significant amount of the product had already been lost by the time these symptoms appeared.

In order to co-create solutions with farmers, run pilot trials, and refine their product based on input from the real world, Kalyani and her team conducted a great deal of fieldwork. By means of awareness campaigns and post-alert assistance, they gradually established credibility and illustrated the observable advantages of their technology.

Making the technology inexpensive and accessible has been one of Godaam Innovations’ major priorities. Instead of constructing new warehouses, the business utilizes its technology to convert conventional storage facilities into smart warehouses. This guarantees that farmers may continue to use their accustomed storage configurations with increased efficiency while also saving infrastructure expenditures.

Building a Future for Farmers Driven by Data

The absence of data was one of the main problems with conventional onion storage. Farmers often lacked a precise record of past losses and the causes of them. The whole storage process is digitalized by Godaam’s warehouse management software, which also offers comprehensive information on intake, outflow, spoiling patterns, and other topics. This enhances decision-making and return on investment by providing farmers and FPOs (Farmer Producer Organizations) with insightful information.

Contextual Innovation: An Appeal

Kalyani highlights that adapting technology to the particular requirements of Indian agriculture is essential to the real success of agri-tech solutions. Simple, dependable, and relevant solutions that function on the ground are more important than expensive devices.

According to her, anybody hoping to work in agriculture should concentrate on comprehending the actual issues faced by farmers rather than pursuing cutting-edge solutions that may not be useful in India.

Godaam Innovations: Outlining the Future Course

Godaam Innovations now contributes to the development of more intelligent, data-driven storage infrastructure via its extensive cooperation with FPOs and B2B partners. Through their efforts, India’s agri-supply chain is strengthened, waste is decreased, supply is stabilized, and both local and export consumption are supported, in addition to raising farmer earnings.

The path of Kalyani Shinde is a perfect example of how technological know-how, a strong sense of purpose, and personal insight can come together to solve real-world problems. One smart warehouse at a time, she is transforming Indian agriculture with her relentless dedication and imaginative approach.