Avani

Avani, founded by Rajnish Jain, operates in the Kumaoni region of Uttarakhand, India, with a mission to integrate sustainable practices within the local community. Initially focused on solar lantern distribution, the organization expanded to textile production and eventually established Avani Bio Energy (ABE) in 2011 to tackle the issue of forest fires by utilizing pine needles for biomass gasification. This not only aimed to protect the environment but also provided employment opportunities for local villagers. Despite the successful construction of a biogas plant in early 2014, ABE faced significant challenges with insufficient participation from local villagers in pine needle collection, hampering year-round plant operation and overall profitability.

Jain considered multiple strategies to address these challenges, including enhancing incentive programs for villagers or raising wages. However, these approaches posed financial risks and might not yield timely results. As an alternative, the organization decided to hire Nepalese migrant laborers, leveraging their proximity and reputation for hard work. This controversial solution aimed to stabilize pine needle supply and maintain plant operations while potentially motivating local villager participation by example. The fundamental dilemma Rajnish grappled with was balancing financial sustainability with their social mission of enhancing rural livelihoods, necessitating difficult compromises and strategic planning to ensure ABE’s long-term impact and success.