Rural agriculture in Southern India faces a number of challenges such as labor shortages and outdated farming practices. To address these challenges, IDEO.org teamed up with Arohana, a social enterprise that collects milk from small-scale dairy producers to create a stable market, and helped them to expand their services to clients. IDEO.org designed a micro franchise to support rural women in the adoption of more modern, mechanized agricultural practices. 

Opportunities For Design

During a first visit to Thanjavur, India, the IDEO.org team came to a number of insights about the current state of rural agriculture and micro business. Among other observations, it was found that the purchase of large tools such as tractors is not economically feasible as compared to smaller tools, and that agriculture is a continuously evolving skill – meaning a program should provide training and knowledge sessions accordingly.  

In turn, the IDEO.org team identified an opportunity to set up a comprehensive micro franchise system that takes into consideration the seasonality of agriculture, the diversity of environmental factors, and the realistic needs of local rural farmers. Building on the success of Arohana’s previous work in the dairy industry, it was also important to leverage Arohana’s strong brand image and aim to integrate the design into their current practices.

What We Designed

IDEO.org designed Arohana Tools, a micro franchise for rural women entrepreneurs, which reaches Arohana’s preexisting network of 35 villages. The team designed a set of guidelines, which include the search criteria for a new franchisee and the rental business model and its tools. From the initial insights and observations, it was evident that designing a micro franchise would need to go beyond the tools themselves and focus on maintaining a healthy relationship with franchisees. For this reason, the team also concentrated heavily on designing the support system and brand surrounding the business model.