Mahindra & Mahindra´s agri solutions company Mahindra Univeg Pvt Ltd. said it has invested in Merakisan PVt. Ltd., an agri e-commerce start-up.
Mahindra Univeg Pvt Ltd. is a 60:40 joint venture between Mahindra Agri Solutions Ltd. and and Belgium based Univeg (Greenyard Foods). It focuses on developing fresh fruit supply chain in India and imports fruits to make high quality produce available to domestic consumers.
“Merakisan’s business model augments disintermediation at various levels in the fruits and vegetables delivery value chain, directly benefitting the farmer and the end consumer,” the company said.
Merakisan Pvt. Ltd. shall operate in sourcing fruits, vegetables and other agricultural produce directly from farmers and sell to customers, facilitated by a digital technology platform.
The website allows users to purchase the products and have it home delivered.
“Our investment (minority shareholding) in Merakisan will enable the farmers and the consumers to connect digitally and create a win-win,” Ashok Sharma, MD & CEO., Mahindra Agri Solutions Ltd.
“Leveraging our digital platform, Merakisan Pvt. Ltd. will ensure delivery of high quality fruits & vegetables at the door step of the consumer. I am sure that this initiative will be a trendsetter in creating value for the Indian farming community,” said, Prashanth Patil, CEO-Designate of MeraKisan Pvt. Ltd.
Mahindra Agri Solutions interacts with farmers to improve their produce, quality and productivity by providing latest advances in farm technologies and agricultural know how.
It also helps farmers by linking them to the market to provide better returns for their quality produce and thereby improving their lives.
The Mahindra Group focuses on enabling people to rise through solutions that power mobility, drive rural prosperity, enhance urban lifestyles and increase business efficiency.
Mahindra & Mahindra is a $17.8 billion multinational group based in Mumbai, India.
It has 200,000 employees in over 100 countries.
Mahindra operates in the key industries such as tractors, utility vehicles, information technology, financial services, agribusiness, defence, commercial vehịcles, two wheeler industries, etc.
In 2015, Mahindra & Mahindra was recognized as the Best Company for CSR in India in a study by the Economic Times. In 2014, Mahindra featured on the Forbes Global 2000, a comprehensive listing of the world’s largest, most powerful public companies, as measured by revenue, profit, assets and market value. The Mahindra Group also received the Financial Times Boldness in Business Award in the Emerging Markets’ category in 2013.