FROM FARM TO TABLE

An insightful interview with Thirukumaran Nagarajan, CEO and Co-founder, Ninjacart as he delves into the intricate world of food supply chain management.

- Kruti Bharadva

Tell us about the idea behind setting up an agri-tech start-up in India’s fragmented supply chain industry?

I started Ninjacart in 2015 with my Co-founders, Sharath Loganathan, Vasudevan Chinnathambi, Kartheeswaran KK, Ashutosh Vikram and Sachin Jose, as a hyper-local B2C grocery model. We aimed to deliver fresh produce to consumers in less than sixty minutes. The goal was to move retail produce online, helping grocery store owners expand their customer base as well as making it convenient for buyers to have fresh vegetables delivered to their doorstep. After operating for six months in Bengaluru city, we realised that the demand for online grocery was at its peak, but the supply side was fragmented. It was the farmers and the retailers struggling to meet the demand. Farmers had to sell their food at a low rate to intermediaries, while retailers were forced to compromise on quality, which impacted the end consumers. Considering all these factors, we decided to make a transition from B2C to B2B, where we started engaging with farmers directly to standardise the process at all levels of the food supply chain.

What are the challenges you faced during your journey?