Indore-based engineer Varun Raheja has developed IoT-enabled solar dryers to address India’s massive post-harvest losses, estimated at over Rs 1.5 lakh crore annually. Through his startup, Raheja Solar Food Processing Pvt. Ltd., he has supported more than one lakh farmers and reported revenue of Rs 14 crore in FY25.
India continues to face significant losses in fruits and vegetables due to inadequate storage and strict cosmetic standards in modern retail and quick commerce, where nearly 20–30 percent of produce is rejected for not meeting appearance benchmarks. Speaking about his journey, Varun said he was deeply affected by seeing farmers discard hard-earned produce, which motivated him to explore sustainable solutions.
While pursuing Mechanical Engineering at Medicaps University in Indore, Varun began experimenting with composting and solar drying techniques. In 2017–18, he built his first 20–25 kg capacity solar dryer on his terrace using savings of Rs 25,000–30,000. By 2019, he formally launched Raheja Solar as a social enterprise aimed at converting farm-level waste into additional income streams for farmers.
Initial adoption posed challenges, as many farmers did not view post-harvest loss as a pressing issue. Varun collaborated with Farmer Producer Organisations, NGOs and institutions to build trust and awareness. Mentorship under sustainability expert Janak Palta McGilligan further strengthened his understanding of eco-friendly dehydration practices.
Today, the company operates from a 43,000 sq. ft. integrated facility in Indore, housing manufacturing, research and development, quality control, processing, packaging and training operations. Raheja Solar has installed more than 8,000 foldable solar dryers across 26 Indian states and expanded its footprint to Kenya, Malawi, Indonesia and Bhutan.
The patented dryers, marketed under models such as Sahaj, Samagra and Agraj, function without electricity or chemicals and are sold to farmers, self-help groups and NGOs. The company also runs a direct-to-consumer brand, Bare Fruit, which converts surplus produce into preservative-free snacks. Farmers using the technology have reported income growth of 40–50 percent.
Raheja Solar’s revenue doubled from Rs 7.07 crore in FY24 to Rs 14 crore in FY25, with projections of Rs 25–28 crore in FY26. Varun also secured Rs 1.75 crore for 7 percent equity on Shark Tank India from investors Kunal Bahl, Peyush Bansal and Vineeta Singh, valuing the company at Rs 40 crore.
Looking ahead, Varun aims to empower five million farmers by 2030 and build a global movement focused on reducing food waste while enabling small farmers to become export-ready.
