aar-Zug, Switzerland, June 11, 2024
Blue Earth Capital (“BlueEarth”), the specialist global impact investor, today announces it has completed a $ 16 million direct credit investment into Samunnati Financial Intermediation & Services Private Limited (“Samunnati” or “the Company”). Samunnati, India’s largest agri-enterprise, is an integrated platform offering financial and advisory services to underserved Indian farmer collectives and agricultural enterprises.
The investment from BlueEarth’s investment vehicles and partners will enable Samunnati to expand its financial support to a wider network of farmer collectives and agricultural enterprises across India.
Agriculture remains central to the Indian economy, accounting for over 16% of the country’s GDP in 2022, and employing 43% of the workforce.12 While agriculture financing and market access have improved substantially in recent years, finding adequate financing and suitable buyers remains challenging for smallholder farmers and participants in the agriculture sector.
Samunnati plays a crucial role in solving these problems by providing financing, market linkages, and advisory services to more than 6,000 farmer collectives and 3,500 agricultural enterprises across 28 states in India. It does this through a range of initiatives such as delivering academy programs to farming collectives and their promoters, developing commodity research reports, enabling capacity building, improving financial literacy, and embedding sustainable farming practices. This direct, targeted support helps collectives in the country scale their operations and apply more sustainable practices, working to unlock the full potential of Indian agriculture.
Amy Wang, Head of Private Credit at Blue Earth Capital, stated: “We’re delighted to start our partnership with Samunnati to help expand their loan book and enhance the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices across their portfolio. BlueEarth is proud to support a first mover in agriculture value chain financing in India, and contribute to Samunnati’s overall mission to strengthen the agriculture ecosystem, benefitting millions of smallholder farmers in the country.”
Mr. Anil Kumar SG, Founder and CEO of Samunnati, expressed his gratitude, stating, “We deeply appreciate the commitment demonstrated by Blue Earth Capital, in providing the opportunity to create the impact through their credit financing. This credit facility will significantly bolster our resolve to amplify our efforts, empowering all stakeholders in the agricultural value chain and ultimately transforming the lives of smallholder farmers across India. We look forward to a successful partnership in delivering a sustainable value addition in India’s agricultural sector”.
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Notes to editors
About Blue Earth Capital
Blue Earth Capital is a global, independent, specialist impact investor, headquartered in Switzerland, with operations in New York, London, and Konstanz. Blue Earth Capital seeks to address the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges by delivering measurable impact alongside aiming for attractive and market-rate financial returns. The company operates dedicated private equity, private credit, and fund solutions. Blue Earth Capital is owned by the Blue Earth Foundation, a Stiftung (charity/trust) registered in Switzerland that focuses on deep impact to support initiatives and business ventures to help deliver a more equitable and sustainable future.
About Samunnati
India’s largest agri-enterprise, Samunnati is an open agri-network to unlock the trillion-dollar-plus potential of Indian agriculture with smallholder farmers at the center of it. Staying true to its name, Samunnati stands for collective growth & collective prosperity for the agri-ecosystem. Serving the entire value chain, Samunnati’s agri-commerce and agri-finance solutions enable affiliated Farmer Collectives and the larger ecosystem to be more efficient and productive. Samunnati has a presence in more than 100 agri-value chains spread over 28 states in India. Samunnati currently has access to 6500+ Farmer Collectives with a member base of over 8 million farmers and envisions impacting 1 in every 4 farming households through its network by 2027.
Media contact
Blue Earth Capital
Kekst CNC
Blueearthcapital@kekstcnc.com
Samunnati
Saravanan K
saravanan.k@samunnati.com
