Toilet and laundary soap making using locally grown oil seeds
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In Tamilnadu most people are involved agriculture, but being rain fed, agriculture provides only 4-6 months of employment for people. In earlier days handloom sector and other village crafts provided employment for whole year but now with the declining of these sector rural people started migrating to cities in search of jobs, the situation becomes worse if rain fails. What I am planning to do is raise 1,00,000 seedlings of oilseed bearing trees like Jatropha, Illupai and Pungai and plant in the area and create oil based industries like oil extraction units, soap making and bio-diesel making. All these products can be consumed locally. We found out that each family spends 40-60 Rupees on soap. A village of 1000 families spends Rupees 60,000 on soaps and the soap manufacturing is controlled by multinationals. In each village we can provide employment directly for 5-10 people particularly women.
The Business
Soap is bought by all people and used everyday, we can sell our soap 30% lesser than the branded. To make 1000 soaps it costs Rs.5500/-, we can sell it for Rs.7000. That is we can make a profit of Rs.1500. Initially even if we sell 10,000 soaps per month we can make a profit of Rs.15,000 per month. 5 women can share it as their salaries. This profit comes at the sales point. But there are social gains and environmental gains which I did not calculate. After two years that is when we get the oilseeds from the villages and extract oil in the villages the profit margin will grow plus that would also create more employment opportunities. Except sodium hydroxide we can produce both edible and non-edible oils, essential oil for small in the villages.
Initially we are planning to implement in Edaikazhinadu Town panchayth, with 21 villages and 20,000 families. Out of that Tsunami Tidal Wave affected 6 villages. 20,000 families spend nearly Rs.10,00,000 on soap every month, they will be spending the equal amount on edible oils. Soap and oil is consumed everyday by all people. So there is already a market but now people are buying branded things from big companies. We can sell the soap at nearly 30% lesser than the branded soap. We can also educate the people about the need based village economy and create a market for the product. Even if 50% of the people understand the need based economy and its benefits we can make Rs.10,00,000 business, create employment for 200-300 people. India is the largest consumer of oil, it imports 40% of its edible oil needs
Soap making is a new activity. But people know about oil extration and most of them also grow coconut trees in their homes. Our competators are multinationals like Hindustan Lever and Proctor and Gambel and local companies like Tata and Godrej. My idea stands out because it is based on need based economy. We are going to use the lcoal materials and produce the goods for the local market by employing local people. We are also going to plant the oil seed tree in almost all the homes and make them as participants or may in future share holders in the business. The idea is not to sell soaps but to sell the concept of need based economy and self sufficency, without compromising the quality of life,Improving the quality of enviornmetn and life.
We have two business consultants, they give consultancy to grow Jatropha and other oilseed plants and business processes.
1.Mr.Murthy Sudhakar
InfraSys Eco-Management Private Limited
501 Magnolia Street, 207 South Pasadena
California 91030, USA
Website: www.infrasys.biz
Email: murthysudhakar@hotmail.com
2.Mr.Michael Raj
Annai Bio-Crop Private Limited
19/4 Pudu Plli Street
Santhome, Chennai — 600004, Tamilnadu, India
Email: info@annaijatropha.com
Website: www.annaijatropha.com
All the activities will be implemented with the participation local people particularly women. Initially we are going to to raise the seedlings and distribute it to all the 20,000 houses in the area during that time we will explain about our idea, we will also buy the oilseeds from them, may exchange it for soaps and oil cakes for cattle. We are now working in 6 villages later planning to expand it to all the 21 villages in that area, during community based organsiation meetings we will explan about our plan. The whole business will be owned by women of that area and they are our customers. Initially we expact 50% of the people that is 10,000 families as our customers. There is also market for handmade natural soaps later we will also explore that through our associate NGOs-Non-Governmental Organsiations.
Development
The ides is people producing and consuming the products in the local area with local raw materials. 100 people will get employment in 3-5 years. But all the families will get some income by growing oilseeds and selling it to the soap-making unit. 20,000 families in the area on an average spent a million rupees on soap per month, which is going out of the area that can be stopped that would improve the local economy. More then making and selling the soap if people understand the concept they can replicate it in other areas.
1,00,000 oilseed bearing trees will be planted in the area. The area has fruit trees like Mango, Jack, Cashew nut and coconut trees, and there is 15 kilometers stretch of seashore all these resources can be used to create employment and income for the people based on this model.
