Interview with Vari Founder Sai Krishna Dandamudi
“The judges’ feedback helped me to further develop my revenue model which has helped as Vari continues to grow. WJF judges did a great job at giving me constructive feedback.” –Sai Krishna Dandamudi
Vari aims to provide a convenient and hassle – free resources to the farmer so that he can sell his produce at his own terms i.e. (price, location and buyer) and to initiate exchange of information between seller and buyer, thus developing commercial activities without total reliance on intermediaries. The WJF’s Conrad Cheeks talked with Sai Krishna Dandamudi, founder and CEO of vari.co.in, to ask him about his business.
Vari participated in the WJF program in both 2011 and 2012. This interview was conducted in 2012.
Are you in business, or still planning?
I am in business.
How many people do you employ?
Three
Where are you located?
San Jose
What problem are you trying to solve?
The challenge that Vari wants to solve is the difficulty to connect producers and buyers in India, thereby reducing the parity between the selling and buying price at the benefit of the farmers.
How did you become interested in this problem?
Farmers in India get only a minor share of the final price paid by the consumers due to a long inefficient Value chain, we need to improve the efficiency of the present value chain and encourage their verticalIntegration and consolidate for ensuring a remunerative price to the farmers.
What is your solution to the problem?
Our website is on a mission to connect Seller & Buyer and enable these relationships through a mix of technology and committed customer service where buyers will no longer worry about paying high prices & farmers selling at low prices.
Has the William James Foundation competition and mentoring program helped you on your way?
Yes, specifically the feedback helped me build a revenue model for Vari.
What other resources have you found that are particularly useful for social entrepreneurs?
I’d recommend that social entrepreneurs get involved in networks and communities of social entrepreneurship. The MEGA Microsoft Startup Weekend which is 54 Hours intense crash course of entrepreneurship has been especially valuable for me as a way to get more experience about ins & outs of Entrepreneurship.
Anything else you’d like the William James Foundation community to know?The feedback that was given to me was vital to progression of Vari. The infancies on finances helped Vari create its revenue model.