For nearly a century, the Go Green Group has sown the seeds of success in the Agro-Commodity sector, tilling the rich soil of experience and expertise since its inception in 2012. A pivotal chapter in this journey was written in 2012 when Maulik Shah, along with his family members, registered Go Green Warehouses Pvt Limited, a company dedicated to providing Warehousing services in the vibrant state of Gujarat.
In 2018, fate saw the convergence of two visionaries, Mr. Santosh Sahu and Mr. Maulik Shah. This meeting of minds gave rise to a bold vision – to expand and transform Go Green Warehouses into a comprehensive Agri value chain company. Go Green Warehouses evolved to offer a suite of services designed to make the agricultural value chain more efficient and seamless for farmers and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). The company’s offerings now include financial assistance and collateral management for harvested goods, fostering prosperity and growth within the agricultural sector.
At the helm of this remarkable transformation is the unwavering and relentless personality of Mr. Maulik Shah, who, alongside Mr. Santosh Sahu and their dedicated team, has steered Go Green Warehouses to establish a formidable presence in 24+ states across India.
The pillars of this success story are the two founding members – Mr. Maulik Shah and Mr. Santosh Kumar Sahu. In the crucible of building a company, three contributions from founders are paramount: Money, Commitment, and Effort. Mr. Maulik Shah has infused significant capital into the company’s inception, laying the financial foundation for its growth. On the other hand, Mr. Santosh Kumar Sahu, an industry veteran with over 22 years of experience in the Agri and Food business, has poured his lifetime of learning, experience, and a vast network of human capital into shaping the company’s world-class processes. With their combined efforts, they’ve expanded the company’s reach, employing over 1200+ individuals and establishing robust systems and processes to fuel exponential growth year after year.
Mr. Santosh Kumar Sahu’s early days in the company were marked by relentless dedication, with countless days spent traveling across India to build teams and extend the business footprint. Mr. Maulik Shah, a seasoned entrepreneur, has steadfastly supported Mr. Santosh Kumar Sahu in all decisions, be they good or bad, in the pursuit of the company’s growth and prosperity.
The significance of early-stage investments, whether in terms of capital or sweat equity, cannot be overstated. The commitment to provide funding and the effort expended in the form of sweat equity are foundational to advancing a project. They instill confidence that the required resources will be available to bring the vision to fruition. Recognizing sweat equity as an in-kind contribution is especially critical since the efforts made at an early stage are often irreplaceable and may yield no return if the project is canceled, representing an opportunity cost.
This dynamic duo’s contributions, Mr. Maulik Shah’s substantial funding and Mr. Santosh Sahu’s tireless sweat equity, have forged an extraordinary organization. More than 2000 families now find their livelihood within the embrace of Go Green Group, a testament to their vision and commitment. The Go Green Group is not merely cultivating crops but also cultivating a legacy of prosperity and growth in the Agro-Commodities industry.
Integrated Inventory Management Solutions
In the year 2018, Go Green Warehouses started offering integrated inventory management solutions. Its employees provide post-harvest services to stakeholders in the agricultural value chain. The company transforms logistics and warehousing for non-agricultural businesses.
It provides:
- Preservation and storage
- Preliminary processing (sorting, cleaning, sorting)
- Quality control and analysis solutions
- Commodity financial support
- Farmer support services
- Services inspection and inspection services
- Auditing Financial and market linkage solutions for monthly last-mile farmers
- Adding services to the consumption and production aspects of the value chain has evolved the initiative Go Green Warehouses both horizontally and vertically. Its upstream integration through small warehouse-based collection centers enables direct supply from farmers and FPOs.
The team at Go Green Warehouses aims to provide the best safety standards for clients’ commodities. It lays down the company’s strategies in such a way that it helps the team deliver state-of-the-art warehousing solutions at different points across the agriculture value chain as well as for non-agriculture services. The company’s logistics solutions are professionally licensed at optimum costs to provide ease of doing business for its clientele, which includes farmers, government bodies, cooperatives, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), traders, processors, national and international corporations, commodity exchanges, and banks.
Unique Approach to Bulk Projects
By carefully looking at the warehouse industry, it becomes apparent that it primarily handles bulk projects due to the profit margin. Without such projects, survival in the industry would be challenging. Go Green Warehouses takes a different approach with its microsite team. Instead of requiring farmers to deliver their produce 150 km to the warehouse, the company goes closer to the farmers. Furthermore, they have established solar centers at the farm gate levels, utilizing windows and linking to the pilot, allowing for convenient transitions for those looking to store their produce temporarily.
Mr. Santosh, the founder, is committed to building a self-sufficient team. He firmly believes that a competitive founder contributes to the overall competitiveness and aggressiveness of the company. He has observed that many data-driven companies make decisions based on metrics. Mr. Sahu is dedicated to enhancing both his and his team’s skills, aiming to make his company more competitive and trusted.
The culture at Go Green Warehouses has undergone significant changes under Mr. Santosh’s leadership. He is determined to shift the company’s mindset towards continuous feedback and progress, recognizing the importance of these principles for his team. To facilitate the growth and development of his team, he plans to allocate more time to each member. He is also carefully planning the career progression of the top 50 employees to promote ownership within the company. Furthermore, he is actively working on technology enablement, both internally and externally, with the goal of doubling the company’s market profitability and share. As the company expands, he intends to invest in startups to continue learning and growing.
Role of Infrastructure and Warehousing in Economic Growth
Infrastructure has always played a vital role in enhancing the economic standing of nations worldwide. The warehousing industry is experiencing a significant growth trend, driven by changing consumer behavior. Modern consumers demand quick and easy access to products at their doorsteps. This trend has led to a substantial increase in the customer base, particularly in tier II and III cities, driven by factors such as increased internet penetration, the government’s Digital India initiative, rising disposable incomes, a tech-savvy younger population, brand awareness, and a desire for an improved lifestyle.
To meet these changing consumer demands, companies are reconfiguring their supply networks and moving closer to consumption centers. The warehousing, industrial, and logistics sectors are poised to play a pivotal role in India’s efforts to achieve its goal of becoming a $5 trillion economy by FY25. Given the favorable market dynamics and substantial untapped potential, the warehousing industry is expected to grow robustly and become a significant contributor to the country’s economy.
In addition to providing warehousing services to various participants in the agri-value chain, including Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), farmers, traders, processors, importers, exporters, and retailers, Go Green Warehouses also offers financial services. This includes setting up warehouse-based financing during the procurement phase to maintain liquidity for clients and provide market linkage support to achieve favorable selling prices.
Mr. Sahu recognizes that environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and climate change are among the most significant challenges in the business. ESG encompasses various issues, including environmental, social, and governance factors, which have both internal and external impacts on a business. Agri warehousing presents unique challenges:
- Manpower: Securing and training an adequate workforce is a major challenge. Skilled and accountable manpower is crucial for success but is often scarce in the industry.
- Automation: Complete digitization and automation have yet to be fully implemented. The seasonal and low-margin nature of the business makes it more manual and labor-intensive.
- Capital and Cash Flow: Agri warehousing is characterized by low profit margins and high transaction volumes, emphasizing the importance of daily cash flow. Many companies struggle because their bottom line cannot support their expenses in this capital-intensive business.
Addressing these challenges will be key to ensuring the sustainable growth and success of the warehousing industry in India.The Go green Supply Chain Sustainability Platform provides deep visibility, offering more transparency throughout the entirety of clients’ supply chains. It allows one to go past their own direct suppliers to where the risks are hiding. Mr. Sahu opines, “Be patient and look for alternatives to avoid the challenging things to grow.”
A Foundation for Success
Mr. Sahu’s journey reflects his remarkable achievements, driven by his passion for agriculture and his determination to succeed. Hailing from a middle-class family and being the eldest son, he understood the importance of education and securing a job before the age of 30. He pursued his graduation at the Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) in Bhubaneswar.
Subsequently, he pursued an MBA at the Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. His professional journey began with a placement in the Godrej Group, where he gained exposure to various sectors, including agriculture, agri-inputs, animal feed, and FMCG. This exposure ignited his passion for working with the farming community.
Over the next 18 years, Mr. Sahu garnered extensive experience in the agriculture sector by working with various companies. During this time, he had the opportunity to learn about every aspect of the agricultural value chain across India. In 2018, he joined forces with Maulik Bhai to co-found a company, a significant achievement in his career.
Under their leadership, Go Green Warehouses achieved several significant milestones. They transformed the company from a startup with a single warehouse to managing over 1,200 warehouses across more than 600 locations. The team grew from three employees to over 2,000, and the company expanded its warehousing capacity from a 12,000 sqft warehouse to managing 25 lakh metric tons.
This rapid growth, fueled by Mr. Sahu’s passion for agriculture and warehousing, resulted in Go Green Warehouses becoming a pioneering company with more than Rs. 8,000+ crore in assets under management in just five years. His journey is a testament to his dedication and the remarkable achievements he has accomplished in the agricultural and warehousing sectors.
Advice for Entering the Food and Agriculture Sector
Mr. Sahu advises those entering the food and agriculture sector to prioritize patience and financial preparedness. He underscores the importance of not overspending in the early stages and focusing on effective cash flow management. Investing in a skilled team and technology is vital, as is maintaining persistence in the face of challenges. Success in this sector demands a measured and financially prudent approach.
Empowering Key Team Members for Efficient Operations
Mr. Sahu values his key team members as a leader. He aims to empower and develop strengths within his team to ensure tasks are accomplished efficiently even in his absence. Building a sense of family-like closeness with customers, vendors, and employees is his leadership approach. Mr. Sahu emphasizes the importance of trust in relationships, as distrust can spread rapidly. He believes in upholding honesty and integrity, and his company strictly follows the 8 Pillars of Trust, known as the 8Cs: Clarity, Compassion, Character, Competence, Commitment, Connection, Contribution, and Consistency. These pillars underpin his company’s daily operations and customer trust.
Commitment to Giving Back
Mr. Sahu shares that Across India Go Green Warehouses keeps on doing many activities to give back to the society what the company is earning by doing many activities like
- Charitable Giving
- Environmental Practices
- Public Area Cleanup
- Workplace Policies
- Mentoring & Tutoring Program for Farmers Family
- Volunteering in Animal safety and Sheltering
- Repairing Local Ecosystem
- Skill Based Micro Volunteering
- Organizing Fundraisers
- Volunteering leaves allowed to employees
- Natural Disastrous Relief work
- Cook For the Homeless People
Vision for Growth and Learning in Startups
Mr. Sahu outlines Go Green Warehouses’ sales process, which consists of four phases: Launch, Communication, Authentication, and Interaction. The company places a strong emphasis on building customer relationships through multiple meetings before finalizing deals, as customer reliability is a top priority. Effective and persistent communication is pivotal in establishing trust with customers right from their initial visit.
In terms of future plans, Go Green Warehouses aims to automate its warehouse operations, including full digital customer service, to simplify transactions. The company has ambitious goals of becoming the preferred agricultural warehousing firm within the next five years, achieving significant storage volumes and a substantial customer management portfolio. They also have plans to operate globally, targeting various regions and expanding their services to villages, cities, and logistics hubs.
Mr. Sahu emphasizes building an autonomous team and focuses on continuous learning and skill development to ensure the company’s competitiveness and trustworthiness. The company’s culture is evolving with an increased emphasis on feedback and ongoing progress, with a particular focus on developing the top 50 employees’ careers and investing in technology to enhance market share. As Go Green Warehouses expands, Mr. Sahu intends to invest in startups to continue learning and growing.
