The technology platform is modular and hyper-scalable, with the ability to add or adjust features and service capacity as needed to meet the demands of communities, both vertically and horizontally.

The Organizational Ecosystems

A Noble Purpose

Business Model

Chart of Consideration Allocation

The University College, which is developing the Platform Framework, has completed the initial development phase, featuring a minimalist version of ApnaFood. The forthcoming steps include the development and integration of additional services, such as Bank Integration, Digital Wallet, Payment Gateways, and ERPNext back-end integration. This phase is expected to take an extra six months following the acquisition of initial funding. During this time, the current infrastructure, consisting of a single app server and a single MongoDB server, will be upgraded to a micro-services architecture, with each service having its own MongoDB database. Moreover, critical features like load balancing and fault tolerance will be implemented to ensure the system is production-ready before commencing Field Trials/Pilot. For more information, which are referred in Project Plan in DATAROOM

Market Size

India has a Population of 1,436,516,900  and counting. Kerala has a population of around 35 million people, with 47.70% residing in urban regions and 52.30% residing in semi urban areas.

Moreover, Generation Z, Millennials, and Generation X make for more than 90% of the population of Kerala under the age of 60.

Total Addressable Market is from @INR 410.97 Bn in 2021 with a CAGR of 30% expected to reach INR 1,845.76 Bn by 2027 as per a Market Research based study appended at the end of this Document. The report attributes this trend to the rapid digitalization and internet penetration in Tier II and III townships, as well as a sizeable population of young and tech-savvy individuals who prefer these types of services. Serviceable Available Market is Kerala. Serviceable Obtainable Market is also Kerala, to start with before expanding out to outside of Kerala.

Unique Advantages

1. A holding company is set to be formed and officially registered in Kerala as a Public Limited Company, which will be a publicly traded entity. The specific name of this holding company will be determined based on availability and subsequent approval by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. An example of such a name could be "MITHRANJALI KERALA HOLDING COMPANY LIMITED." This newly established holding company will be under the direct management of the foundation, drawing upon eminent and senior financial experts from Kerala as directors responsible for overseeing the shares subscribed by customers through Goods and Services Sales proceeds, and for subscribing to the existing MSEs and Startup MSEs. The overarching goal is to eventually list these shares at GIFT City owned and overseen by Ministry of Finance of Central Government of India on the IFSC Exchange and Domestic Exchanges i.e. NSE and BSE. This initiative aims to provide Customers, both those domiciled in Kerala and those visiting from the rest of India and internationally with avenues for long-term saving, enhanced liquidity, and value realization.

Who will hold stock in the above Public Limited Company:

(a) Consumers who buy products and services with in the Ecosystem.

(b) Employees through ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan).

(c) Private equity funding, that may be required, to support the project.

(d) MITHRANJALI FOUNDATION.

2. As 50% of the Consideration is shared with customers to allocate shares in the MITHRANJALI KERALA HOLDING COMPANY LIMITED, this holding company can invest in the existing local businesses and newer MSE companies for local production and consumption. This provides MSEs with easy access to the market, and the long-term value of the shares held by customers can increase over time. This value proposition will be appealing to customers and could encourage them to make additional purchases within the ecosystem. When a person registers and purchases any goods or services, they automatically become a member with voting rights in the foundation. Based on their purchases, they also become shareholders of the above holding company, using the reserved Consideration of 50%. This system operates on a "sales pull" model, driven by consumers, rather than a conventional sales push approach. A lucky draw on digital invoices at different intervals is also planned to boost sales alongside the same. Senior Citizens will have the option to choose among 100% Redeemable Credit, 50% Shares and 50% Redeemable Credit, and Full Shares. If no action is taken in the App, 100% Redeemable Credit will be the default mode for Senior Citizens. For the rest of the Customers, the options will be Full Shares and 50% Shares and 50% Redeemable Credit, with Full Shares being the default mode if no action is taken in the App. The above share allocations will be implemented on the last day of every financial quarter, and redeemable credit in the digital wallet will continue if opted for, wherever applicable.

Note: The aforementioned Public Limited Company will have its minority/nominal/minimal shareholding held by the foundation. This arrangement aims to ensure compliance and enhance timely governance-related reporting to the authorities and communities. It facilitates statutory auditing and leverages the Foundation's Dashboard for reporting and supporting social auditing.

3. Unlike startup funding, whether it's seed, phase A, B, or C, which often relies on mere assumptions to gauge Product Market Fit—resulting in 90% or more failing to sustain—the Foundation's ecosystem will involve both offline and online surveys of customers. This approach aims to identify their needs, assess their willingness to purchase new goods or services, and determine acceptable price points before providing funding in the form of Equity to local startups. This process will help mitigate risks when investing in local MSEs. Additionally, it ensures that each funded venture complies with DEIB (for maximum participation by all local communities), ESG (for Environmental Care, Preservation, and Rejuvenation), and GRC (for Governance and Risks) standards, etc. in addition to obtaining shareholder approval. This will safeguard the value of shares held by customers in their holding company under all circumstances.

4. Shares will also be allocated to migrant consumers and those who are travelling away from their normal place of residence, indicating their place of origin. This is particularly relevant in Kerala, where there are approximately 20 million Tourists (both domestic and foreign) who visit each year. The consumers who receive allocated shares will have discretion over their future use. For example, one can open a demat account with any Depository partners in India, including for Unlisted Public Limited Companies.

5. Customers will not be limited to online purchases, but they will also have access to the Phygital feature, which allows for digitally transacted purchases to be made in person. This feature expands the addressable and obtainable market through digital (online) and Phygital (physical + digital) channels. Consumers are more likely to buy goods and services from providers that are part of the ecosystem, where 50% of the Consideration earned is accrued as shares in the holding company.

The following scenarios are available:

a) Buy online and get it delivered to your home.

b) Buy online from anywhere and pick it up in-store.

c) Buy online in-store and pick it up in-store.

6. The ecosystem, with the aforementioned features, transforms into a resilient market for local production, distribution and consumption, catering to both existing and future MSEs. This, in turn, encourages more individuals towards entrepreneurship, particularly the younger generation who may face high entry barriers in conventional markets. The platform's established customer base incentivize entrepreneurs to enter the market and increases their chances of success.

7. By avoiding CAPEX and asset acquisition, other than what is necessary for the common social good, the directors of the foundation incur no expenses such as vehicle, travel, stay, tour, or salary at the foundation level. This helps the foundation remain lean and asset-free forever, leaving ample resources available for local livelihood generation and building public assets that are decentralized at the grass-roots level by the citizens of local communities and ecosystems. The Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policy will be implemented to ensure convenience and to manage costs more effectively than investing in electronic gadgets.

8. The Foundation will rent a minimalist utility office space in Ernakulam, the commercial capital of Kerala. This space will be shared with the Holding Company to accommodate the back office staff. This setup will facilitate a physical presence, aiding in State-level coordination for all aspects of service delivery, as well as the handling of escalations, initially. At a later stage, based on revenue, we may consider adopting such minimalist utilities to in each of the Districts and, in turn, Sub-districts. These spaces will serve various purposes, including functioning as a Community Center accessible to every member of the communities.

9. All financial transactions for purchasing goods and services by the communities will be conducted using a digital wallet sponsored by the bank. This eliminates the need for any payment gateway that would incur a transaction fee, saving customers money. However, for the convenience of the clients, options will be made available to choose other payment gateways/mechanisms. Additionally, at the end of each month, any balance in the wallet that has not been accrued as redeemable credit will be credited back to the customer's bank account.

10. Interests earned from the 20% principal contributed by the Foundation to the MFI, along with the earnings derived from the difference between lending and savings interests, will be provided as redeemable credits in the digital wallets of Senior Citizens of Kerala from the BPL (Below Poverty Line) segment, making their lives easier and more pleasant, especially considering they have fewer tomorrows. These credits are intended for use within the platform's ecosystem. The distribution will commence with individuals aged 100 and above, followed by those aged 95-99, 90-94, and so forth, as the ecosystem matures. Microfinance lending will be based on a geographically representative, credit-rated queuing system.

11. Only two aspects are considered confidential within the ecosystem: customer privacy and vendor partners' trade secrets. Apart from these, the entire processes will be transparent and open to the public.

12. The expenses for employees in the Public Limited Company and the MFI will be covered by the 30% of funds designated as SG&A and COGS at the Foundation. This ensures that there is no erosion of the share value held by consumers in the Public Limited Company, and it does not diminish the principal of the MFI, whose accrued interest is intended for the spending of senior citizens.

13. As the ecosystem matures, we aim to connect local vendor partners by integrating the APIs of leading logistics companies, thereby enabling their goods to be sold worldwide. In addition, we will implement geo-tagging and encourage vendor partners to obtain certification for their products/services to ensure provenance and quality, instilling confidence and trust in customers from afar.

Present Core Team Members

Sri KJ Roy, a Kerala University rank holder, joined Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited ( BHEL ) in Hyderabad in the Finance department in the year 1981 and went on to head the Finance department before superannuation. During his tenure at BHEL, he was responsible for managing the Finances of thousands of employees, suppliers, customers, and ensuring statutory compliance and also made pioneering efforts in system development. After retirement, he became a practising Chartered Accountant and dedicates his time to serving the BHEL Employees Cooperative Credit Society's financial digital systems and overseeing the financial activities of the Foundation as a Director, as a part of giving back to humanity.

PP Prajeev joined the Indian Navy in 1983 as a sailor in the electrical and wireless communication department. He retired as a JCO in 1998 after completing 15 years of service. Throughout his career, he focused on customer-facing functions, both during his time in the Navy and in his current endeavours, such as customer support operations and handling the highest level of customer escalations. Throughout his 40 years of service, when not working in customer-facing roles, he either underwent training or conducted training. Since his retirement, he has been an enthusiastic practitioner and promoter of open-source software.

Sri KJ Roy and PP Prajeev have known each other for more than 19 years in their respective professional capacities.

Financials

The current financial documents, including bank statements, balance sheet, P&L statement, trial balance, and projected financial model, are available in spreadsheet format and are under DATAROOM.

Fund Raising (The Ask)

The Pre-Seed Phase is nearly complete. The Overall Platform Framework, featuring a minimalist version of ApnaFood with essential and must-have features, is ready. These features are currently undergoing dry trials, where they are being tested with various use cases in preparation for field trials. Additionally, the required Trademark Registrations of Services are in place.

Funding for the Go-to-Market Phase, as described in the following section, will be required in the form of sponsorship. This is essential to launch the service into the market with sufficient capacity for scaling the service offering and to maintain the platform for a period of 30 months. During this time, we anticipate that the overall ecosystem will stabilize and sustain itself. The projected expenses to cover this 30-month duration are approximately INR 8.32 Crores (US$1,000,000). This offering will broadly include the following:

The Possible Funding Options are:-

1. CSR Grant.
2. Private Equity* in the Public Limited Company that will be used by the Foundation as an Interest Free Loan.
3. Interest Free Loan from Organisations(Project based with no Collateral).
4. Crowd Funding.

*   Private equity funding is intended to be progressively infused into the Public Limited Company based on need until the ecosystem reaches full capacity and becomes self-sustainable. The Foundation may use part of this funding as an interest-free loan, which will be repaid from the 30% earmarked under the SG&A and COGS category. The private equity fund can liquidate their shares held in the Public Limited Company post its listing on the stock exchanges, depending on their preference and market conditions.

 Any reporting format stipulated by the Sponsoring Organization(s), whether for CSR Grants or Private Equity, will be strictly adhered to according to the specified timelines. The Sponsoring Organization(s) will be given attribution by displaying their logo on the Super App and the Foundation's website to acknowledge their generous support in sponsoring the platforms. The Foundation remains open to suggestions from all sources and is ready to adopt changes that contribute to process improvement and enhanced outcomes.

a. The platform will be hosted on a micro-services based architecture on Bare Metal Servers that offers 100% Uptime using OpenStack private cloud, which will be managed by Canonical, the creator and maintainer of Ubuntu. Any Latency will be taken care by CDN (Content Delivery Network) such as Fastly.

b. An ERPNext system will be rolled out for overall operations and reporting back to the community. The dashboard of the foundation website will display the relevant information.

c. An email service will be integrated with Ticketing system and Hosted Telephony as customer touchpoints, along with document management and video collaboration among the back-end players, namely the foundation and coordinators using Nextcloud.

d. We are emphasizing digital outreach via social media to raise awareness throughout all 14 districts (Wayanad District being the one of the Aspirational District as per NITI Ayog ), 78 sub-districts, and 5065 pin code Locations of Kerala, as opposed to relying on the traditional continuous advertising model, which necessitates substantial cash expenditure but is not applicable in our case.

e. The university developed the Platform Framework has agreed in principle to develop/customize “apnafood” "apnaride," "apnaservices," "apnacart," and "apnacredit" platforms, as well as collaborate with FOSS forums to contribute to their development, customization, code review, and testing of various releases that culminate in production releases. To avoid duplication of efforts or field visits to localities during waves of field promotions, it's recommended to develop minimalist versions of other platform services with essential features using resources from the Fund before commencing the accelerated Digital Outreach and field Marketing, whether it's for enrolling vendors or creating awareness for households.

Note: The principle of 95% volunteering and 5% honorarium for development, aimed at Generation Z, has helped the foundation prevent cost escalation with the generous support and guidance from the University. Without their generous support, the costs that would have been incurred in the usual course of events would eventually have been borne by someone, but it's anyone's guess who that would have been. Also till date the Web Server, Email Server, Document Server etc. are being hired and maintained through the voluntary efforts by the Foundation. We strongly believe that the principle of doing “MORE with LESS” always promotes resilience and sustainability.

Total Projected Cost For 30 Months

PROJECT ROLLOUT PHASES WITH EXPENSES
PHASES	TIMELINES	INR	USD
PHASE I	6 Months	₹61,75,742.00	$74,406.53
PHASE II	1 Month	₹1,10,71,156.80	$1,33,387.43
PHASE III	2 Months	₹7,50,000.00	$9,036.14
PHASE IV	3 Months	₹11,25,000.00	$13,554.22
PHASE V	6 Months	₹1,80,00,000.00	$2,16,867.47
PHASE VI	12 Months	₹4,60,95,156.80	$5,55,363.33
Grand Total		₹8,32,17,055.60	$10,02,615.13

Go to Market Milestones

There are 14 Districts, 78 Sub-Districts, and 5065 Pin-code Locations in Kerala. We have the following job roles planned for the entire operation:

1. Back Office Coordinators at the Sub-Districts, Districts, and State Levels.
2. Vendor Development Sales Coordinators at the Sub-District Level.
3. Field Sales Coordinators at the Pin-code Level.
4. Part-time volunteers with paid honorariums are assigned for household-level sales promotion in locations where sales volumes are not on par with others.
5. Part-time voluntary services of students and young volunteers will be enlisted to boost sales volumes in areas with weak sales, as well as for other voluntary activities benefiting society, such as cleaning and greening. They will receive an honorarium in cash, which will be deposited into their wallets for use within the ecosystem. Additionally, they will have the option to receive shares in the public limited holding company upon completion of the aforementioned transactions.

The estimated funding requirement of INR 8.32 Crores(US$1,000,000), allocated over a period of 30 months, will cover the expansion of the Platform and Integration, Field Trials, Pilot and Go Live phases, operational expenses, digital marketing initiatives, and salaries for the initial team of Vendor Development Coordinators, Back Office Coordinators, and Sales Coordinators. Additionally, we aim to engage young volunteers as interns for Field Sales across each PIN code region to promote our services to households. Upon successful completion of their internships, these interns will be offered full-time positions, with regular salaries and incentives that reflect their performance and adherence to established protocols.

The phased deployment of manpower for Vendor Sales and Back Office operations is planned. However, Sales Coordinators at the PIN code level will be on-boarded from day one immediately following the Pilot, as customer enrolment and transactions through the platform are critical for the project's success.

The Foundation will also provide all staff with access to an Online and Field Efforts Calculation App, similar to FieldSense  or Clockify  developed by the University. This tool will allow them to record their efforts, enabling them to earn incentives. Additionally, will facilitate a system for analysis of anonymized data sets, which will be made available through OpenData for universal participation by Local Communities. This data will be used to analyse and suggest ways to enhance overall processes.

The requirement for Go-to-Market Phase funding, in the form of  sponsorship, has been detailed in spreadsheets made available at DATAROOM.

Dashboard on the Foundation Website

1. Consumer Satisfaction by Platform Services and Location (State, District, Sub-District and PIN Code).
2. Community Sales.
3. Number of Customers.
4. Number of SHGs as Vendor Partners.
5. Number of Kudumbasree as Vendor Partners.
6. Number of JLGs as Vendor Partners.
7. Number of FPOs as Vendor Partners.
8. Number of Cooperative Societies as Vendor Partners.
9. Number of Vehicles and Type.
10. Number of Driver Partners by Type.
11. Number of Service Providers by Type.
12. Number of Delivery Partners per Platform.
13. Community Sales by Product Type.
14. Community Sales by Service Type.
15. Community Sales by Vendor Type.
16. Number of Goods Vendor Partners by Type.
17. Number and Type of EVs.
18. Number of Deliveries using Environment Friendly Methods.
19. Local Production and Consumption based on 5 Star preferences.
20. Microfinance Related Data.
21. Number of Senior Citizens Supported.
22. Audit Observations and Reports
23. Statistics of Open Street Map Updation for Delivery Efficiency.
24. SGST Collected and Paid.
25. CGST Collected and Paid.
26. Delivery Charges Collected and Paid to Delivery Partners.
27. Financial Parameters of Local Companies and Startups in which the Holding Company has subscribed to and holds shares.
28. Financial Parameters of Sales and Holding Limited Companies etc.

Note: The Dashboard will utilize Metabase as the technology.

The Offer

Welcome to the board of MITHRANJALI FOUNDATION. We welcome active involvement from a representative of the funding entity. The DATAROOM  will provide everything necessary for continuous due diligence as per the requirements of the Sponsoring Entity. This may include the following:

1. Login to ERPNext
2. Bank Statements till date and New Statements on 15^th and last date of every Month will be uploaded to the DATAROOM. It is also possible to give a standing instruction to our bank to send the monthly statements directly to the email ID of the Sponsoring Entity.
3. Copy of all Emails received and sent by info@mithranjali.org.in which is used to communicate officially with all including external agencies.
4. As far as disclosure as part of governance is concerned, there are only two pieces of data that are classified as highly confidential and which the foundation is obligated to keep. One is the information pertaining to customers, their private details, and what each customer buys. The other is information regarding what a vendor partner sold to which customer, which may infringe on customer preferences. This is part of the privacy policy for both the customers and the vendor partners. Excluding the above two, all information will be available to the public so that curious citizens of the communities can analyse and provide regular feedback for the continuous improvement of the ecosystem's processes.
5. The foundation is always open to suggestions and willing to make any necessary amendments if it can lead to a qualitative improvement in the lives of the communities around us by modifying our processes.

References

References on the Servers hosted with their Internet Links, online food e-marketplaces, the future of e-marketplaces, and the problems faced by various stakeholders, including consumers, food sellers, delivery partners, shareholders, and governments appended below:-

Web Server

Email Server

ERPNext Server

Document Server

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

The detailed project report, complete with signed documentation and spreadsheet workings, is available at PROJECT