Oorja, the grand prize winner of the 2019 Cisco Global Problem Solver Challenge, is an innovative brand that aims to tackle social and environmental issues through technology. Their mission is to provide a scalable and sustainable community-based solution to the irrigation crisis in rural India. In India, farmers rely on diesel-powered groundwater pumps for irrigation, which is a costly and unsustainable practice.

Oorja introduces the Oonnati community solar pumping system, where they finance, install, and operate pay-as-you-go solar pumps for shared use by 15 to 20 small farmers. This service, known as Oonnati, offers year-round affordable irrigation without any upfront costs. By utilizing solar energy, Oorja helps farmers reduce their expenses on irrigation by 20% and enables them to grow high-value crops, leading to a potential doubling of annual income.

Additionally, access to Oonnati not only improves livelihoods but also creates local job opportunities. The Oorja team is dedicated to expanding their scalable solution across rural India, and they are currently developing an IoT-based solution for remote monitoring and management of solar assets. Join Oorja in their mission to use technology for positive social and environmental change