Very often our childhood dreams & passions are buried under the pressure of succeeding in the adult world. However, there are some individuals who keep the flame of their childhood interests and curiosity alive and ensure that in their adulthood they give full reign to this passion. Sanjay Aggarwal, CEO & Founder of Clover Organic Pvt Ltd is one such individual who has developed and nurtured his fascination for nature into a successful business venture. Sanjay believes that nature has the answers to all the ills that are plaguing society today. Based in Dehradun, his enterprise focuses on finding solutions to everyday problems, through harnessing the goodness of nature.

In conversation with GlobalLinker (GL), Sanjay Aggarwal (SA), shares the journey of his unique and innovative venture and his quest to find eco-friendly technology solutions.

GL: Tell us about your business and how it came into being.

SA: Since childhood, I was fascinated by nature. I used to carry frogs, earthworms, grass hoppers etc. in my pocket that my mother dreaded! I dissected tadpoles to understand their silvery intestines and once upon a time perhaps had the largest collection of butterflies. I was convinced that nature has all answers. We need to understand and respect nature to find these solutions.

Thus, when I heard that a Japanese company was using natural microbes to set right millions of problems faced by mankind, I was fascinated and thus began my journey of selling microbes in India through a collaboration. It lasted 9 years. I quit as I found that just by pouring microbes, I was not able to deliver results. It took me time to understand that just like other living beings, microbes need an environment to perform.  

I thus set up Clover Organic in the year 2008 as a solution company rather than a product company. It was an uphill task to develop complete solutions. I stumbled on a presentation made on ‘Bio-Mimicry’ (new Science of mimicking nature to solve everyday problems) and that was the turning point in my life. We managed to come up with very interesting solutions for our clients over the years through intensive in-house R&D.

GL: Is this a first generation enterprise? 

SA: Yes, this is a first generation enterprise. My father was in the automobile spare part trade. I did not like working in that business. I was constantly in search for fulfilling my passion. The first business opportunity came through a Japanese company and I evolved my business from there. 

GL:  What are the challenges you have faced in establishing your business?

SA: I had very little savings to use as capital to start my business. No one had faith in my idea. Finding people who shared my passion in a small town like Dehradun was tough. Companies and governments did not think much of what we were trying to sell. They constantly wanted certificates of performance from scientific institutes, which meant 3 years waiting after investing a fortune.

GL: What is the USP of your business?

SA: We are the only company whose solutions in the sectors of farming (agriculture, aquaculture, animal husbandry) and waste management (wastewater treatment and solid waste management) do not use any harmful chemicals, are cost-economic and utilise the least amount of energy. We strive to work with nature. 

GL: What are some of the milestones & achievements of your business?

SA: We designed 2 wastewater treatment plants that take little space and do not use energy for treatment. We have a monopoly product for aquaculture NatureVel - AQ that helps to stabilise pH in water, which is very vital for farmers. Our ’Energy Pillar’ technology lets a farmer provide nutrients to trees within 10 minutes without making or adding compost. We have 42 different methods of making compost with and without cow dung. Our organic cleaner cleanse with the help of organic surfactant and microbes etc. We cleaned and restored a lake in Delhi for DDA in record time and cost. We can help grow enough food for a family in just 500 square feet of space through our ‘vertical farming’ method. 

GL: Who are some of your major clients?

SA: We are working with WIPRO, P&G, IL&FS, Camlin, Carlsberg, many hotels like JW Marriot, The Doon School, State governments etc. 

GL: What role do you feel GlobalLinker plays in connecting and assisting SMEs?

SA: GlobalLinker plays a very important role in connecting SMEs, besides offering a host of services to them.

GL: What is your big business dream?

SA: My dream is to become a global institution that provides eco-friendly technology solutions in all spheres of life. I would like to grow my business through strategic marketing partnerships. The potential is enormous and we are too small to cater to even 1% of this potential. Thus, we are welcoming all marketing partnerships from various companies and would like to focus on R&D. At the same time, we are looking for like-minded VC funding who would like to grow the business rather than look for an early exit and quick profits.

GL: What is your message to aspiring entrepreneurs?

SA: Stick to your passion and dreams no longer how long it takes to achieve it. Success will come sooner than you think. SMEs should focus on 2 aspects of their business - innovation and marketing. Rest fits on its own. Quality and integrity always takes you a long distance, though the beginning can be extremely frustrating - stick in there!

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