Oojra

Oorja is a pay-per-use clean energy services company providing reliable and affordable energy, irrigation and cold storage services in India.



Diesel remains the predominant source of energy in India, particularly in the agricultural value chain. Oorja offers a clean energy alternative for smallholder farmers and agri-enterprises by replacing diesel engines with their solar energy systems.



A mission-driven social enterprise, Oorja finances, designs, operates and maintains these solar energy systems, which have a capacity between 3 and 20 kW. It sells irrigation, cold storage and power as a service in weak-grid areas of North and North East India.



Oorja Development Solutions Ltd. is unique in offering an integrated energy solution across the farm sector. Oonnati is a solar irrigation service where affordable water is made available year-round to smallholder farmers. Oojjwal is an uninterrupted power service for agri-businesses and other SMEs. Finally, with Oonnayan, farmers pay to store their perishable produce in cold storage to extend shelf life and fetch a higher market price.



Oorja's services help end-users power their livelihoods, boost their productivity and income while dramatically reducing carbon emissions in agrarian communities.



The business was founded in 2016 by Amit Saraogi - who brings 15 years' experience in banking, consulting and international development - and Dr Clementine Chambon, who has technical expertise in cost-effective design of distributed renewable energy systems.



Oorja was recognised with the 2019 Cisco Global Problem Solver Challenge Award and Keeling Curve Finalist Prize for outstanding carbon abatement projects. The company has received numerous accolades including an Echoing Green Climate Fellowship, MassChallenge UK Winners, MIT Innovators Under 35 and Forbes 30Under30 Social Entrepreneurs in Europe.



Oorja recently completed a successful grant crowdfunding campaign to expand the Oonnati service from Uttar Pradesh to Assam, India and impact 1,000 people. It is currently raising a Seed round of blended finance (equity and grants) to scale up its services in three underserved states, increase income-generating opportunities among 1,800 smallholder farmers and 315 businesses in the next two years, and save 291 MTCO2e annually.