In India, 30 million farmers rely on costly diesel pumps, consuming 12% of the country’s diesel. The poorest farmers often rent pumps, paying 20-60% more than diesel costs, leading to under-irrigation, reduced yields, and limited cropping seasons. Unsustainable farming practices further degrade soil health and perpetuate poverty, with climate change exacerbating these issues.

Oorja installs, owns, and operates solar pumps on farms, offering affordable irrigation at tariffs that are 20-60% cheaper than diesel. Farmers pay only for the water they use, measured by flowmeters. This model reduces costs, enables year-round cropping, and increases yields. Oorja complements irrigation with climate-smart advisory services, including soil testing, seed supply, and on-farm training in sustainable practices like natural input preparation and climate-resilient cropping. By bundling these services, including a mobile app for agronomy advice, weather updates, and training schedules, Oorja empowers farmers to adopt profitable, resource-efficient practices. This holistic approach improves productivity, enhances income stability, and reduces environmental impact, offering immediate and sustainable benefits to farmers, communities, and the environment.

 

To date, Oorja has installed 241 solar systems, comprising 224 solar irrigation pumps and 17 solar mills, across five districts in Uttar Pradesh, India. These installations directly benefit over 5,532 farmers, including 12% women users, and positively impact more than 40,900 community members. These has enabled farmers to save up to 60% on energy costs while contributing to cleaner villages. To date, the initiative has prevented over 4,200 tons of CO₂e emissions and eliminated the use of approximately 186,000 liters of diesel.

Oorja’s irrigation service enables year-round access to reliable water, allowing farmers to diversify into high-value crops and cultivate a third “Zaid” season, thereby significantly improving their incomes. Oorja has successfully supported 21% of smallholder farmers to transition from two to three cropping seasons annually and to diversify into high-value crops. This has led to improved food security along with increased household incomes. Moreover, by removing the need for expensive diesel fuel, farmers have collectively saved over USD 90,200 in fuel expenses, enabling them to reinvest savings to improve their quality of life.

Oorja’s climate-smart farm advisory services have trained over 2,300 farmers in sustainable and scientific agricultural practices. This has resulted in a 36% increase in the adoption of natural inputs, as farmers shift away from fossil fuel-based chemical inputs. These changes have contributed to improved soil health, reduced carbon emissions, and lower input costs for farmers.

Oorja is a Farming-as-a-Service company working at the intersection of clean energy and sustainable agriculture. Oorja offers affordable, reliable solar-powered irrigation services aimed at ending the use of fossil fuels and climate-smart farm advisory services to smallholder farmers in India. Oorja's farm-based solutions are designed to improve productivity, reduce input costs, and promote sustainable agricultural practices. Incorporated in 2016, Oorja's mission is to empower 1 million farmers by 2030 through sustainable agri-services that boost income, reduce emissions, and promote climate-resilient farming. To date, Oorja has deployed 224 decentralised solar assets, comprising 207 solar pumps and 17 solar mills, across five districts in Uttar Pradesh, India. Our solution has directly benefited 5,260+ smallholders, 10% of whom are women, and positively impacted 38,900+ individuals, based on an average household size of 7.4. 21% of our customers have expanded to grow a third crop and diversify into high-value crops. They have transitioned from diesel-run irrigation pumps to solar-based irrigation, saving up to 60% on energy costs. Farmers have collectively saved over USD 86,588 in fuel expenses, which can now be used to improve their quality of life.