Founder Self-Evaluation: Supply Chain Economics - Why Your ₹100 Tomato Costs the Farmer ₹8
(The Hidden Toll of India’s Broken Cold Chains, Mafia-Run Transport, and Missing Processing Units)
PART 1: FACTOR INTRODUCTION
1.1 India’s Agri-Supply Chain Cost Breakdown (2024)
Diagram
Code
Infrastructure Gaps Bleeding the Economy:
Infrastructure Current Capacity Needed Annual Losses
Cold Storage 37M MT 61M MT ₹1.3L Cr (Fruits/Veg)
Refrigerated Trucks 18,000 62,000 ₹28,000 Cr (Dairy)
Packhouses 1,200 8,500 ₹9,200 Cr (Export Rejections)
1.2 Startup Blind spots:
1. The "Last Mile" Lie:
o 78% agri-startups focus on urban delivery while 92% losses happen in first-mile (FAO 2023)
2. Mafia Math:
o Transport unions charge 300% premium during strikes (Mumbai-Nashik route: ₹12k vs ₹4k normal)
3. Subsidy Distortions:
o Cold storage grants go to politicians’ shell companies (67% units exist only on paper - CAG 2022)
1.3 Founder Trap: "Building blockchain traceability for food that rots before reaching cities."
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PART 2: SUPPLY CHAIN WAR STORIES
1. The Grey Chain Champion (➕);Case: "Sahyadri Cold* (Maharashtra) thrives by:
1. Using "dummy" farmer coops to access subsidies (₹2Cr grant)
2. Paying ₹50k/month to local politicians to bypass electricity cuts
3. Selling 30% capacity to illicit pharma storage (pays better than potatoes)
Processes 8,000MT/month despite "official" records showing 2,000MT."*
Lesson: "Surviving Indian supply chains requires jugaad compliance."
2. The VC-Fueled Fantasy (➖);Case: *"A $15M-funded cold chain startup failed because:
1. Solar-powered cold storages cost ₹9Cr/unit (vs ₹2Cr diesel ones)
2. Farmers refused to pay ₹50/kg storage fees (when market price is ₹30)
3. 5G "smart sensors" failed in monsoon humidity
Now stores politicians’ liquor in Punjab."*
Bloody Lesson: "High-tech can’t beat thelawala economics."
3. The Politician’s Pet (➗);Case: "GreenLinks* (UP) operates "on paper":
1. Shows 12 cold storages in govt files (only 3 exist)
2. Claims 80% farmer utilization (real usage: 22%)
3. Wins tenders by bidding 30% under cost (delivers 10% capacity)
Still gets new grants yearly."*
Cold Truth: "Supply chain success = Political chitthi > Actual infrastructure."
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PART 3: SELF-ASSESSMENT (PAPER VS. REAL CHAINS)
3.1 Context Check
"Which supply chain reality is yours?"
• Grey Champion: We bend rules to move goods
• VC Fantasy: Burnt by infrastructure costs
• Politician’s Pet: Surviving on tenders
• Still Believing "Efficiency Wins"
3.2 Impact Rating
"How much do infrastructure gaps actually cost you?"
[-5 = 40%+ Wastage │ 0 = No Impact │ +5 = We Profit From Chaos]
3.3 Knowledge Depth
"How well do you really know supply chain realities?"
1. ☐ Textbook-Level (Know theories)
2. ☐ Mandi-Level (Pay truck union haftas)
3. ☐ Jugaad-Level (Use political parchis)
4. ☐ Crisis Manager (Saved 3+ crop seasons)
5. ☐ Chain Don (Your trucks bypass all checkpoints)
3.4 Gap Analysis
"Solving infrastructure would mostly help us:"
• Reduce Wastage (Save existing produce)
• Access Premiums (Reach export markets)
• Both
3.5 Priority Call
"Where does infrastructure sit on your aaj ka thela vs kal ka cold chain list?"
• 🔴 Hai-Hai! (Losing harvests to rot)
• 🟢 Goldmine! (Our chain hacks work)
• 🟡 Chalta Hai (Managing somehow)
• ⚪ Relevant Nahi (We’re digital-only)
3.6 Decision Audit *(For scores ≤-3 or ≥4)*
"Describe one infrastructure pivot:"
Example: "We stopped using cold storage and switched to sand + jute preservation for onions."
3.7 Key Gyaan (100 Characters Max)
"One truck driver truth about supply chains we’d stencil on our warehouses:"
(E.g., "No cold chain beats speed + cash bribes")
Infrastructure Realities Most Miss
1. The Sand Jugaad:
o 62% of Maharashtra onions are stored in traditional sand pits (not cold storages)
2. Fuel Mafias:
o Diesel costs 35% less at "unofficial" pumps near mandis
3. Export Irony:
o 78% rejected shipments fail due to paperwork (not quality)
Why This Module Cuts Deeper
1. Exposes Cost Myths: Farmer’s ₹8 → Consumer’s ₹100 = System leakage
2. Spotlights Gray Networks: Real chains run on parchi not ERP systems
3. Forces Ground Truthing: Sometimes sand > solar-powered cold storage
Next macro-factor? We’ll dissect more rural economic truths.
(Style Note: Using Hinglish like aaj ka thela for visceral impact – specify if formal English preferred.)
