Knowledge
When innovation comes calling, even uniforms don’t remain untouched
India is the largest producer of organic cotton in the world and yet 95% of it is exported. Entrepreneur Saurabh Mishra wanted Indians to the benefits of organic cotton and that’s exactly what he is doing with I am Greeny. In the pipeline is an odour repelling fabric aimed for the school uniform
There is one thing about Saurabh Mishra, Co-founder of I am Greeny, that you should know — he bases most of his arguments on numbers and he's really good at it. So when it comes to protecting the environment, he has hands-on information about what the problem is and how it can be solved, logically. "Almost 16 % of the insecticides consumption is in conventional cotton farming," he begins.
That's what led him to establish I am Greeny, which sells eco-friendly cotton clothing and linen apparel — especially as school uniforms, "We found that India is the largest producer of organic cotton in the world but unfortunately, more than 95% is exported out of India. This was a sign when we decided to make organic cotton part of the mainstream apparel industry in India," he says. This would ensure that the clothing line would be sustainable, at least. Giving due importance to the word "organic" in his start-up, it's for certain that the school students, who form the start-up's biggest clientele, would agree. "After using our products, no student has ever complained of any allergies, rashes which they used to have before procuring organic cotton apparel," Saurabh smiles.
Although Saurabh finds this response very satisfactory, he also knows how to be ahead of the curve. With the clientele including big names like Google, Coca Cola, Indigo, The Park Hotels, Doon School, Scindia School and Mayo Ajmer, they are rising fast. "Right from the beginning, we were very clear about creating parallel verticals to make the business financially sustainable. Our customers are happy with the quality product we offer and they feel good by contributing to making the environment sustainable by adopting the right procurement practice," he says.
Even while dealing with challenges like lack of expertise, limited funds and cracking tough deals, Saurabh and his team have big plans. One of them includes manufacturing a revolutionary fabric which inhibits bad odour in school uniforms. Launching environmentally friendly ideas, they are also planning an awareness outreach program about the benefits of organic cotton over conventional cotton.
Image Courtesy: http://rack.1.mshcdn.com