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Delhi-based Oorja’s farming model wins US funding
Oorja received a $250,000 grant for its climate-smart farming model that combines pay-per-use irrigation powered by decentralized solar energy with sustainable agricultural advisory services.
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Pranavi Sharma - Tue, 15, Jul 2025
- 03:05 EDT
- 18
Co-founded in 2015 by Clementine Chambon, a UK-based engineer and researcher, and Amit Saraogi, a social entrepreneur from India, Oorja operates in both the UK and India. / Oorja
Oorja Development Solutions Limited, a Delhi-based social enterprise, has been named one of the two Grand Prize winners of the 2024 Seeding The Future Global Food System Challenge. The international competition, now in its fourth year, is organized by the Minnesota-based Seeding The Future Foundation and Chicago’s Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) to support innovations aimed at making food systems more nutritious, equitable, and sustainable.
Oorja received a $250,000 grant for its climate-smart farming model that combines pay-per-use irrigation powered by decentralized solar energy with sustainable agricultural advisory services for smallholder farmers across India. The service bundle includes solar-powered water pumps, soil testing, seed supply, on-site training, and a mobile app to support farm productivity and resilience.
“Oorja’s mission is to provide clean energy access to the 450 million people without access to reliable electricity in rural India whilst promoting sustainable local economic development,” the organization stated on their website.
Co-founded in 2015 by Clementine Chambon, a UK-based engineer and researcher, and Amit Saraogi, a social entrepreneur from India, Oorja operates in both the UK and India. The company aims to deploy decentralized hybrid solar and biomass-powered mini-grids to supply reliable, affordable electricity to under-electrified communities, with an emphasis on using crop waste and solar energy.
Chambon’s background in biofuels and rural electrification has informed Oorja’s approach to leveraging renewable energy for productive agricultural use. “The hybrid solar and biomass-powered micro-grids will provide affordable and reliable electricity for commercial power and household lighting,” Oorja said, adding that the model includes cross-subsidies to ensure low-income households benefit equally.
Recently, the team installed its first microgrid in rural Uttar Pradesh, furthering its goal to mitigate climate change by displacing fossil fuels and reducing carbon emissions in energy, transport, and agriculture sectors.
The 2024 Challenge received nearly 1,200 submissions from around the world. Winners were selected across three categories: Seed Grant, Growth Grant, and Grand Prize. “It is highly inspiring to see the impactful and innovative solutions developed by these dedicated teams, each addressing critical aspects of food systems around the world,” said Bernhard van Lengerich, founder of the Seeding The Future Foundation.
He added, “This year’s winning solutions are great examples of what the Challenge stands for. We are honored to recognize the winners for their transformative and impactful work.”
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