AgriVijay: How Vimal Panjwani is Powering Bharat's Farms with Renewable Energy Solutions
In the heart of rural India, the backbone of the economy—the farmer—is often at the mercy of an unstable power grid and rising diesel costs. While renewable energy is seen as a high-tech luxury in cities, for Bharat’s farms, it is a matter of survival. Vimal Panjwani, Founder and CEO of AgriVijay, is bridging this energy divide. By building India's first marketplace for green energy products tailored for farmers, Vimal is ensuring that clean power isn't just an environmental goal, but a tool for financial independence and productivity.
Vimal Panjwani’s journey is a rare blend of grassroots empathy and agribusiness expertise. A graduate of Symbiosis Pune with an MBA in Agribusiness, Vimal spent over a decade launching solar and biogas initiatives for firms like **Sistema.bio** and **Dharmalife**. In 2020, alongside his mother, Shobha Chanchlani—who invested her retirement savings into the vision—he launched AgriVijay. Today, the climate-tech social enterprise has impacted over 10,000 rural families across 18 states, recently receiving a prestigious grant from **NITI Aayog** to scale its "Make in India" innovations.
The Mother-Son Mission
AgriVijay was founded on a foundation of family trust. Shobha Chanchlani, a retired government officer, didn't just provide moral support; she provided the initial capital from her retirement fund. This unique partnership combines Vimal's field experience with his mother's administrative wisdom, creating a startup with a deep social soul.
The Problem: The 'Dark Spots' of Rural Energy
Farmers in India face a triple challenge: expensive diesel for water pumps, irregular electricity for machinery, and a massive lack of awareness about renewable alternatives. While many companies manufacture solar pumps or biogas digesters, they rarely reach the village level. Manufacturers struggle with rural distribution, and farmers struggle with the upfront costs and technical maintenance of "complex" green tech.
"I saw that many founders were technical people who didn't know how to sell to a farmer," Vimal explains. "They built great tech, but they didn't have the conversation. You can't just sell a product; you have to sell a solution that includes advisory, financing, and installation."
The Solution: The AgriVijay 'Phygital' Marketplace
AgriVijay acts as a full-service bridge between renewable energy manufacturers and rural buyers. Their model is "Phygital"—combining an AI-enabled WhatsApp chatbot and website with a network of physical **AgriVijay Renewable Energy Stores** located right in the villages.
The AgriVijay Empowerment Model
- Energy Advisory: AgriVijay experts help farmers calculate their energy needs and the potential ROI of switching to solar or biogas.
- Curated Marketplace: Access to a hand-picked range of solar pumps, biogas digesters, thermal cookstoves, and electric mobility solutions.
- Zero-Barrier Financing: AgriVijay partners with financial institutions to offer EMIs and subsidized interest rates, reducing the upfront burden.
- Village-Level Fulfillment: Local franchise stores, run by trained entrepreneurs, handle installation and immediate after-sales support.
- End-to-End Warranty: Every product comes with free insurance and long-term warranties to build trust in the community.
Scaling Impact: 124,000 Tonnes of Saved Emissions
While AgriVijay is a social enterprise, its growth metrics are world-class. Operating across 18 states and nearly 600 villages, the platform has abated over **124,000 tonnes of CO2 and GHG emissions**. Beyond climate action, the company focuses on "mitigating post-harvest losses" through solar refrigeration, ensuring that a farmer's hard work doesn't go to waste due to a lack of power.
"We are not just selling solar pumps," Vimal notes. "We are helping farmers 'Earn to Learn.' When a farmer saves ₹5,000 a month on diesel, that money goes toward their children's education or expanding their farm. That is the real 'Vijay' (victory)."
AgriVijay Scale & Reach
- 10,350+ Families: Clean energy access enabled across 18 Indian states.
- 80+ Village Stores: Physical touchpoints run by trained local entrepreneurs.
- NITI Aayog Grantee: Received INR 1 Crore from ANIC 2.0 to scale "Make-in-India" innovations.
- 316% Growth: Rapidly expanding revenue and footprint through a scalable franchise model.
Lessons in Resilience: The Bootstrap Marathon
Vimal is a firm believer in financial discipline. Despite receiving high-profile grants and seed funding from **Indigram Labs**, he maintains a bootstrapped mindset. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the "When" of scaling—waiting for the right time to step on the gas pedal once the unit economics are proven.
"Entrepreneurship is a solo journey until you are successful," he reflects. "No one shakes your hand when you are failing. You have to have the courage to pivot your model—like we did from private installations to a managed SaaS-like marketplace—to find what truly works for the customer."
Founder's Lesson: Cultural Fitment
Vimal advises founders to prioritize "Cultural Fitment" over pure skill. "In agritech, you need people who are willing to walk in the village mud. A high-skill engineer who won't leave the office is useless to a farmer. Build a team that shares your field-first vision."
The Meaning of Entrepreneurship
For Vimal, entrepreneurship is the ability to see a solution where others only see a challenge. He defines a founder as someone who creates a "Reason to Win" for everyone in the ecosystem—from the local store owner to the manufacturer and the end consumer. For him, the ultimate validation isn't a valuation, but the sight of a biogas plant running in a remote Rajasthan village.
AgriVijay is proving that the Green Revolution of the future will be powered by renewable energy. By bringing clean power to the field, Vimal Panjwani and his mother are ensuring that for the Indian farmer, the future is finally bright, clean, and sustainable.
About the Guest
Vimal Panjwani is the Founder and CEO of AgriVijay. An agribusiness veteran with an MBA from Symbiosis, Vimal has combined his corporate expertise with a passion for social impact. Under his leadership, AgriVijay has emerged as a premier marketplace for renewable energy in rural India, securing marquee grants and impacting thousands of lives. He is a recognized leader in climate-tech and a vocal advocate for empowering farmers through sustainable innovation.
AgriVijay is an agritech climate action social enterprise providing a curated marketplace for renewable energy products. By offering solar, biogas, and electric mobility solutions through a unique "phygital" village store model, the company helps farmers reduce costs, increase productivity, and stay connected to the green energy revolution.