Upmanyu Shankerrao Patil
ceo
Upmanyu Shankerrao Patil is a member of:
Company Profile
Our company Sakhi Unique Rural Enterprise Limited was founded in 2009 as Sakhi Retail Private Limited. We specialize in reaching out clean and green energy product solutions to those at the Base of the Pyramid and promoting micro business resulting in a social impact through a network of rural women entrepreneurs.
SURE has built long standing strategic partnerships with leading companies in the sector for prototyping and producing clean and green products for the rural BOP markets, we also support such companies in cutting down distribution costs and reaching the BOP market in an effective manner.
SURE is a business associate of Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP) a learning and development grassroots based organization.
SURE was initiated as a co-creation effort between Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP ) and BP Energy to prototype a clean fuel cook stove. From 2006 to 2009, the clean fuel and advanced cook stove business resulted impacting over 70,000+ families by reducing indoor air pollution and fuel savings of 1 crore month on month. In 2009 marketing efforts were consolidated in a multiple retailing platform as SURE. At the same time, the network and portfolio to include water, energy and agriculture products that could create an impact in health and wellbeing of over 5,00,000 consumers.
From 2012 to 2015, SURE has partnered with SSP to scale up its network model to add 1000 women entrepreneurs in the clean and green product sector in Maharastra and Bihar over the next three years through wPOWER a one million dollar USAID supported project. SURE will partner with private sector product developers, FIs to ensure Eco-system support to women entrepreneurs, while SSP will train women, form networks and create public awareness on clean and green products.
My Role
As the CEO of SURE I have been involved from the very inception of SURE. Over the years I have grown from merely selling clean energy products to prototyping and developing clean and green energy products for the BOP market at large.
We have now moved further from prototyping products to prototyping micro business models to be adopted by women rural entrepreneurs. I have personally grown with my organization and still have a long way to go
Relationship with potential investors
Our experience has been that there is no dearth of potential investors ready to invest in marketing products however it is tougher convincing investors to invest in working capital requirements or capex requirements.
We were the winners of the Sankalp Forum and Global Alliance for clean cookstoves for innovations in clean cooking solutions in India where we have received a cash grant and have currently also been funded by the Yunnus Social Business Fund to set up two Micro businesses in Solapur. We have a fund requirement of Rs. 1.5 crore and are looking out for potential investors.
Culture as the company has grown
Our parent organization Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP) started out as a post disaster rehabilitation organization moving on to being a development organization focussed on creating grass root women entrepreneurs and community leaders. Most of our senior staff have risen from the grass roots themselves and are changemakers and leaders in their own rights and seek to spread the change and impact other women and communities.
Difficulties faced
As we are trying to create a rural distribution network through women entrepreneurs we face many social challenges and logistic challenges and limitations on which we continuously keep innovating and working on. We are currently working at improving our MIS and monitoring systems.
Advice to young entrepreneurs
Ensure your enterprise does not merely earn profits but in build an element of social impact into it. Follow your gut feeling and stick to the same no matter how difficult the roads are up ahead.
Key thoughts about Entrepreneurship
I will strongly suggest that never run for investments unless u really need it try to convince ur friends relatives indiuals to fund ur venture
if u think investment is crucial at that moment u may go to investor
