SEWA, bizmen use LEDs to lead veg vendors out of darkness

Alumni of IIMA, Nirma University design aff ordable lamp that can replace traditional ones used by vegetable vendors in evenings; they were helped by SEWA in improvising their original product; AMC has already ordered 100 lamps to be distributed among vendors

Vegetable and fruit vendors will soon be able to avoid paying high rentals for traditional lamps that they use in the evenings. Two young businessmen—alumni of IIMA and Nirma University—have come up with an LED lamp that is not only affordable, but is also said to be of better quality, lighter and longer lasting. They have already received an order for 100-odd lamps from AMC to be distributed among vendors.

Akshat Khare (37) and Dhaval Shah (40), partners in Piplaj-based Nessa Illumination Technologies Pvt Ltd, came up with the lamp—‘Ujala’ —after a year of work. They were helped by Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in Ahmedabad which connected them to women vendors. They worked with SEWA for six months from September 2019 to understand vendors’ issues.

Khare, who has done his MTech (Electrical) from IIT Bombay and MBA (PGDM) from IIMA in 2007, said, “These vendors survive on daily earnings. In the evenings, they take battery-operated traditional lamps for daily rent of Rs 20 to Rs 30, or Rs 600-900 a month. Our lamp will cost approximately Rs 1,800-1,900, which is hardly three months of the rent they pay.” It weighs just around 1 kg, which is 10-12 times lighter than the traiditional lamp. Moreover, it has an adapter-based charger which charges the lamp in two to three hours.”

Devesh Shah, CEO of Grassroot Trading Network for Women, a green livelihood initiative promoted by SEWA, said, “The Nessa group’s promoters had come to us and we had helped them connect with members of SEWA in Jamalpur. They gave them 20-25 lamps to use for almost six months. Based on the feedback, we suggested changes in the product.”

He added that it would reduce financial burden on vendors. “SEWA bank provides loans to its members (about 70,000 in Ahmedabad). They can use it to buy the lamp.”



Shah, a graduate from Nirma University and University of Southern California who left his job in the US to return to India, said, “We also realised that it could also help prevent transmission of coronavirus. Currently vendors get a different lamp daily, which increases the chance of transmission. Since this lamp is affordable, they can buy it. That will eliminate the frequent changing of hands and chances of transmission.”

“Our company has entered into a contract with AMC to supply 100-odd lamps to them. Gradually, we wish to reach out directly to vendors in the city, across the state as well as in other states,” said Khare. There are 5-6 lakh vendors in Ahmedabad, most of whom use traditional lamps on rental basis. AMC chief engineer Deepak Suthar said, “Under the Jyoti Yojna, as a pilot project, AMC will distribute these lamps for free to vendors in Jamalpur. After accessing its longevity and other parameters, we will give our feedback to the makers.”