Food for Thought: How Krimanshi Saves the Planet with Cattle, Fish, and Poultry Feed

Having lived in Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and exposed to diverse cultures and food habits, Nikhil Bohra, the co-founder and CEO of Krimanshi, a firm that manufactures premium animal feeds, knew early on how important the cow is to human nutrition and health. His biotech engineering course in Vellore Institute of Technology deepened his understanding of different kinds of food and nutrition. After returning to Rajasthan, he teamed up with his father Dr KK Bohra, who has a PhD in chemistry, to create cattle feed from forest produce.

“There was a growing need for quality feed that had to be accessible and affordable as most rural households depended on these animals for their livelihood,” says Nikhil.

The response was encouraging, recalls Nikhil, leading to some early grants. From that humble beginning, Jodhpur-based Krimanshi has grown to a 25-member team with three captive plants, one each in Jodhpur, Jaipur, and Bengaluru, and a few more in the offing.?

Krimanshi transforms single type and mixed food waste into highly nutritious cattle feed that has a positive impact on the health and productivity of the animals. “What we have done has increased the digestible content in the feed and supplemented it with powders from fruits, vegetables, and herbal waste, which are rich in minerals and vitamins and enhance the feed’s absorption in the animal system. All of these come for a price that fits the farmer’s budget,” says Nikhil.?

The benefits have been manifold for both the environment and the animals.?

Till date, the startup has upcycled 1000 tonnes of single type and mixed waste from agro-processing units, HoReCa industry, and farm-to-fork companies, which would have otherwise ended up in landfills and harmed the planet.?

In case of animals, the outcome is even more palpable. “We have noticed that, on an average, milk production has gone up by 20% while in some cases, the rise has been almost 40-50%. There were fewer visits to the vet since the cattle were healthy. Obviously, the farmers were happy,” says Nikhil. About 10,000 farmers in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and UP have benefitted from Krimanshi’s innovation.?

Nikhil attributes the startup’s rise to the lack of quality manufacturers of animal feed in the market. “The shrinking of grasslands has forced the farmers to rely on composite animal feed, which comprises grains, brans, and oilseed cakes. The drop/adulteration in feed quality has resulted in substandard milk and milk products, and low earnings for the farmers,” he says.??

With the consumption of dairy, meat, fowl, and fish set to rise in India in the coming years, Nikhil sees a golden opportunity for his products to enjoy a pan-India presence. The startup will soon be launching poultry and fish feeds since it has access to different kinds of food waste streams. In a departure from the fish-meal feed that is unsustainable, with high-cost fluctuations and prone to adulteration, Krimanshi is rearing black soldier fly larvae on low-quality waste to fulfil the protein and fat requirements in the poultry and fish diet. The processing of biowaste with larvae has gained traction as a waste-treatment technology.?

For poultry feed, Krimanshi is eyeing Jaipur, Ajmer, and Delhi NCR. The fish feed will hit the market in December-January and will target inland fisheries in Bihar and UP.??

“Overall, our plan is to scale up across Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, UP, and Bihar in the next two years,” he says.??

However, plans are afoot to make forays into the South as well. “Thanks to Social Alpha, we have got the JSW Foundation grant, which should enable us to set up two manufacturing units – one in Karnataka, and the other in Maharashtra,” he says. The company is also testing the waters in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. “We are open to setting up more plants in different geographies if there are willing partners. The plan is to decentralise feed production and perhaps tie up with small-scale feed millers but Krimanshi will be closely associated with quality control,” says Nikhil who made the Forbes Under 30 list in 2018.?

Role of Social Alpha?

Social Alpha has been one of the early believers in Krimanshi’s vision and supported the company in various ways. “Whether it was mentoring, industry or investor connection, or any other help for that matter, Social Alpha has been spot on in providing timely support. Their experienced team and diverse portfolio companies have enabled a larger exchange of ideas and solutions,” says Nikhil.?

Social Alpha has helped Krimanshi in various ways such as facilitating their entry in new geographies with pilot support and introducing them to farmer producer companies and dairy cooperatives which has led to a steady stream of revenue.

“Our IAIN programme has enabled the firm to establish its presence in Uttar Pradesh. Similarly, thanks to Social Alpha, Krimanshi could utilise JSW’s pilot support to gain access in Karnataka,” says Ipsita Uppal, Portfolio Manager for Krimanshi.

Connects with other foundations like Reliance also boosted business.??

For fundraising, Social Alpha’s investment ecosystem added a lot of value. “Our partners refined their pitch decks and worked on their business plan. We also helped them reach out to funding organisations for working capital support,” says Ipsita, adding that the startup also sought “our expertise in developing a roadmap for scaling up”.?