Sea6 Energy began its journey 9 years ago in the IIT Madras campus. 4 enthusiasts – Sailaja Nori, Nelson Vadassery, Shrikumar Suryanarayan , Sayash Kumar and Sowmya Balendiran - started this company with a vision to make bio fuels using sea plants. That was and has been their larger goal, till date.
Whilst the path to bio fuel from sea plants is in the works, that alone would not fuel this foursome or their company. Pursuing only one goal could also mean Sea6 with not so much energy. They decide to research and come up with agricultural products that are sustainable, efficient and consistent in quality - products that are in line with the philosophy of the company. And so, they built and scaled up their company by creating other powerful agricultural products. They created products that looks promising enough to change the agricultural sector of India. When the world focused on external inputs, they dared to understand how to strengthen the plants from the inside.
“These products promote plant growth, control infections and crucial viral infections in plants. We have a range of products in this space. As a company, we also work on products like food ingredients and animal feed. We also have products for poultry, shrimp, etc.” says Sowmya.
Working on the cutting edge of bio technology for the agriculture interface, they have most of the products patented and tested from across the country and from many parts of the world too. Today, Sea6 Energy products are active across the country. In fact, one of their major marketing partners are Mahindra Summit Ltd. Whilst Mahindra does most of their marketing, they also have their direct presence in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala and they are gradually penetrating into Andhra Pradesh as well.
AGROGAIN - A PRODUCT THAT SPELLS UNIQUENESS
Looking at agriculture today, farmers, for many years now, have been focusing on using fertilizers, nutrients and plant protection chemicals like fungicides, insecticides etc. All of these are external inputs. Farmers give nutrients to the plant externally to kill diseases. There has been no emphasis on making the plants sturdy and more efficient to take up these nutrients and agrochemicals better. “Let me compare it with humans,” explains Sowmya. “It is not just about the food that we eat. There are a lot of pathways inside our body like our vitamin and hormonal mechanisms which need to be activated from the inside. There are specific molecules and receptors working on that. Agrogain, our product, does just that for plants. It activates the internal pathways of plants so that they can use the fertilizers/pesticides more effectively. There is no use of spending a lot of money and using a lot of fertilizers when the plant is not going to take it up.” All the products that Sea6 manufactures are organic and natural. When Agrogain triggers the internal systems of plants they develop more shoots and deeper roots. The more highly developed the root system is the more efficient will be the nutrient intake.
Another brilliant aspect is Sea6’s attention to detail and documentation. They have detailed data from the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) and other institutes to prove that Agrogain improves plants' nutrient efficiency. It ultimately leads to yield increase ranging from a min 10% to about 30% depending on the crops. Sowmya relates the path of research they took before the product actually took shape, “There has been many studies. We have done close to 15 different ICAR files. These are our country's premier institutions. To pick a specific example, we once did an All India Crop Coordinated Research Programme (AICRP), which is one of the best studies done by the government institutes across the country. We opted for paddy as the crop for study. This programme was carried out in 13 different locations and on 12 different crops. We got an average yield increase of about 10% across these areas. The research was done from East to West and North to South - all the leading institutes were part of it. It also showed that the number of tillers in the plant went up. Mostly importantly, bolded grains shoots up in quantity. The mutual uptake was also studied in parallel at IRI, Hyderabad. This study clearly proved that fertilizer uptake goes up with this product.”
THE UNIQUE TECHNOLOGY
Sea6 Energy makes their products from sea plants – not sea weeds - they employ sea plants. The difference?
Sea weeds grow by themselves on the sea floor. Many agricultural products, today, are derived from sea weeds. People harvest them and convert them into products. This is similar to walking into a forest, gathering whatever you need and making products out of it.
Sea plants on the other hand are grown and cultivated. This is similar to agriculture on land. These are plants, which are planted, monitored over a specific period of time because the quality of the raw material is maintained at a certain extent; and is then utilized to make products.
“We make a whole range of products,” elaborates Sowmya, “agricultural products are also a part of it. We also make animal feed and food products. Bio fuel is our long-term vision.”
THE RECOMMENDED USAGE PATTERN
“Our protocol recommendation is of various types. We recommend using it through the drip irrigation for drenching. We recommend it through soil application. Sometimes, when there is no drip, people use it directly on the bottom of the plant. We recommend using it through the fertilizers. They can mince it with fertilizers and broadcast our product. It can also be sprayed with the help of power sprayers or high-volume sprayers along with any insecticide or fungicide. It is quite competent to be used with any or none of the products.”
Coming to the anti-virus product, theirs is the first product to appear in Bangalore’s GKVK Package of Practices. The papaya ringspot virus was given comprehensive control. The Virology department of GKVK tested the product for three consecutive years and have suggested an integrated approach. “It is not just about the application of the product once in 15 days. There is also a complete programme that is suggested. If it is done in the recommended manner, you get to control the virus by 70-80 percent and more than the visual control, it is important that the yield doesn't go down from the PRSP infected plants. It is not widely popularized yet. We just got the recommendation last October- November and are yet to get through a full season. We are a start-up company and so our reach for these farmers are quite limited. Wherever we have worked with specific farmers, the results have been quite good.”
MARKET ENTRY SINCE 2015
Commercially, Sea6 Energy products have been in the market only for the last 2.5-3 years. On the marketing front, they work largely with Mahindra Summit. The first commercial agreement they had with Mahindra was in 2015 and hence, they were in full swing from the year 2016. They have also been selling directly since the last one year or so in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Purchasing the product depends on the geographical location of the farmer. “Our presence is quite prominent in the concentrated area of fruits and vegetables, i.e. in Bangalore and Kolar. We also have a prominent presence in the districts of Bellary and Raichur. It is the same with food grains in Bijapur and Belgaum. We have our presence in Shimoga, Hassan and Mysore as well. When I say presence, we have reached out through our distributors and retailers.”
THE TOUGH NUT - MARKETING
Whether with Mahindra or direct marketing, it is challenging to get your marketing right. It is a challenge reaching out to all those farmers because of the fragmented farm holding system in India. To amplify the benefits and compelling proposition to so many people is always a challenge. Also, when one goes through a channelized system, efforts get diluted with the channels having its own interests and goals. These marketing challenges is true for all products entering the market and Sea6 face no exception. The success of it all, they understand, depends on the disciplined implementation of their programs and amplification of their value proposition to targeted segments. Today, they are quite happy with farmers' feedback they have been receiving. There have been several repeat purchases, which also marks progress.
“To be precise, the tomato crops across Bangalore and Kolar; the watermelons, etc. have shown quite satisfying results. These farmers are repeatedly buying our products, be it Agrogain or the unique anti-virus product that we have launched last year. Both these products are gaining good traction. Farmers growing chillies, in various parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have also been reverting with good feedback. We recently launched a granule product for paddy in the delta area of Tanjore, which is also gaining traction.” They have achieved quite a lot and have a long way to go. Sea6 Energy is still a story in the making. Ever since they penetrated the market, things have been quite satisfactory in terms of market receptiveness from the target audience and their internal working style. The Sea6 Energy team is raring to go and scale up to do more.
CUTTING THROUGH THE NOISE WITH CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY
The market is such a noisy place with everybody offering similar outcomes, what does Sea6 Energy do to cut through the noise and reach the farmers?
“The market is always a crowded place and there will always be noise at the customer end. Customers must choose based on their understanding and judgement. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, always. Farmers are far more intelligent, particularly when it comes to scenarios where precision agriculture is gaining more traction. There is a segment of farmers whose attitude towards agriculture is not callous or complacent. They have this positive attitude. They look for good products and make choices based on personal experiences rather than getting lost in all that noise. Based on such experiences, there is sustained usage of our products. The only way to effectively reach farmers is through the available mediums and touch points.” Additionally, they plan on going to farmers and explaining their product. Demonstrating a product to a farmer is far more effective and beneficial to the farmer too.
SEA6 ENERGY Vs INDIAN AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITIES
Agricultural universities do a very comprehensive research. They have different functions of agriculture - pathology, virology, plant building, molecular biology, etc. - to cater to in terms of research. Sea6 Energy, on the other hand, focuses on research in molecular biology. They are part of the NCBS (National Center for biological Sciences) and CCamp (Center for Cellular and Molecular Platforms). So, they do research specific to biotechnology which is where they explore the sea ecosystem. They grow their sea plants and convert it into various products via research and development.
WHEN IN A CROWD – BE UNIQUE AND STAND OUT
Most products in the market today focusses on external inputs. But Sea6's products precisely does not carry any nutrients or fertilizers in the product. There are specific molecules which activates the plants' internal capability to utilize all the provided nutrients, sunlight, water etc. efficiently, to grow better. “The analogy I would use is,” explains Sowmya, “it is not just enough to place a plate of food in front of a child, the child has to feel hungry to eat it. Sea6 focuses on making the plant hungry enough to take up all the inputs that it receives, work it well and grow better. That is where we are different. Also, they are among the very few products certified by the IMO, the organic certification bodies. “All our products are certified by the IMO and we are also listed in the OMRI which is The US organic agricultural certification agency. These aspects can be appealing to farmers who understands and value the organic agriculture, IMO etc.,” hopes Sowmya. Sowmya is confident that they have a very solid product which is bio-efficient with a cost benefit ratio that is unmatchable in the market. “That is the story that we should take to the farmers.”
RECOGNITIONS AND THE SENSE OF FULFILLMENT
Sowmya feels proud that these products have opened up a whole lot of livelihood options to coastal fishermen and it helped farmers increase their agricultural productivity. “It helps two of the largest people in the economic pyramid of our country.” When asked if Sea6 Energy is pioneering in this work, Sowmya analyses, “Our product, Agrogain, is a patented sea plant extract. We've got patent granted in the United States of America and many of the other countries. It is a very unique product. We have brought out the best of technology. Yes, we can classify this as a pioneering technology for agriculture.” Sea6 Energy was awarded the first runner up in one of the most prestigious awards in Agriculture called the Agro Awards, held in London annually. They were also the runner up for the best biological product category, twice.
Whilst the path to bio fuel from sea plants is in the works, that alone would not fuel this foursome or their company. Pursuing only one goal could also mean Sea6 with not so much energy. They decide to research and come up with agricultural products that are sustainable, efficient and consistent in quality - products that are in line with the philosophy of the company. And so, they built and scaled up their company by creating other powerful agricultural products. They created products that looks promising enough to change the agricultural sector of India. When the world focused on external inputs, they dared to understand how to strengthen the plants from the inside.
“These products promote plant growth, control infections and crucial viral infections in plants. We have a range of products in this space. As a company, we also work on products like food ingredients and animal feed. We also have products for poultry, shrimp, etc.” says Sowmya.
Working on the cutting edge of bio technology for the agriculture interface, they have most of the products patented and tested from across the country and from many parts of the world too. Today, Sea6 Energy products are active across the country. In fact, one of their major marketing partners are Mahindra Summit Ltd. Whilst Mahindra does most of their marketing, they also have their direct presence in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala and they are gradually penetrating into Andhra Pradesh as well.
AGROGAIN - A PRODUCT THAT SPELLS UNIQUENESS
Looking at agriculture today, farmers, for many years now, have been focusing on using fertilizers, nutrients and plant protection chemicals like fungicides, insecticides etc. All of these are external inputs. Farmers give nutrients to the plant externally to kill diseases. There has been no emphasis on making the plants sturdy and more efficient to take up these nutrients and agrochemicals better. “Let me compare it with humans,” explains Sowmya. “It is not just about the food that we eat. There are a lot of pathways inside our body like our vitamin and hormonal mechanisms which need to be activated from the inside. There are specific molecules and receptors working on that. Agrogain, our product, does just that for plants. It activates the internal pathways of plants so that they can use the fertilizers/pesticides more effectively. There is no use of spending a lot of money and using a lot of fertilizers when the plant is not going to take it up.” All the products that Sea6 manufactures are organic and natural. When Agrogain triggers the internal systems of plants they develop more shoots and deeper roots. The more highly developed the root system is the more efficient will be the nutrient intake.
Another brilliant aspect is Sea6’s attention to detail and documentation. They have detailed data from the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) and other institutes to prove that Agrogain improves plants' nutrient efficiency. It ultimately leads to yield increase ranging from a min 10% to about 30% depending on the crops. Sowmya relates the path of research they took before the product actually took shape, “There has been many studies. We have done close to 15 different ICAR files. These are our country's premier institutions. To pick a specific example, we once did an All India Crop Coordinated Research Programme (AICRP), which is one of the best studies done by the government institutes across the country. We opted for paddy as the crop for study. This programme was carried out in 13 different locations and on 12 different crops. We got an average yield increase of about 10% across these areas. The research was done from East to West and North to South - all the leading institutes were part of it. It also showed that the number of tillers in the plant went up. Mostly importantly, bolded grains shoots up in quantity. The mutual uptake was also studied in parallel at IRI, Hyderabad. This study clearly proved that fertilizer uptake goes up with this product.”
THE UNIQUE TECHNOLOGY
Sea6 Energy makes their products from sea plants – not sea weeds - they employ sea plants. The difference?
Sea weeds grow by themselves on the sea floor. Many agricultural products, today, are derived from sea weeds. People harvest them and convert them into products. This is similar to walking into a forest, gathering whatever you need and making products out of it.
Sea plants on the other hand are grown and cultivated. This is similar to agriculture on land. These are plants, which are planted, monitored over a specific period of time because the quality of the raw material is maintained at a certain extent; and is then utilized to make products.
“We make a whole range of products,” elaborates Sowmya, “agricultural products are also a part of it. We also make animal feed and food products. Bio fuel is our long-term vision.”
THE RECOMMENDED USAGE PATTERN
“Our protocol recommendation is of various types. We recommend using it through the drip irrigation for drenching. We recommend it through soil application. Sometimes, when there is no drip, people use it directly on the bottom of the plant. We recommend using it through the fertilizers. They can mince it with fertilizers and broadcast our product. It can also be sprayed with the help of power sprayers or high-volume sprayers along with any insecticide or fungicide. It is quite competent to be used with any or none of the products.”
Coming to the anti-virus product, theirs is the first product to appear in Bangalore’s GKVK Package of Practices. The papaya ringspot virus was given comprehensive control. The Virology department of GKVK tested the product for three consecutive years and have suggested an integrated approach. “It is not just about the application of the product once in 15 days. There is also a complete programme that is suggested. If it is done in the recommended manner, you get to control the virus by 70-80 percent and more than the visual control, it is important that the yield doesn't go down from the PRSP infected plants. It is not widely popularized yet. We just got the recommendation last October- November and are yet to get through a full season. We are a start-up company and so our reach for these farmers are quite limited. Wherever we have worked with specific farmers, the results have been quite good.”
MARKET ENTRY SINCE 2015
Commercially, Sea6 Energy products have been in the market only for the last 2.5-3 years. On the marketing front, they work largely with Mahindra Summit. The first commercial agreement they had with Mahindra was in 2015 and hence, they were in full swing from the year 2016. They have also been selling directly since the last one year or so in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Purchasing the product depends on the geographical location of the farmer. “Our presence is quite prominent in the concentrated area of fruits and vegetables, i.e. in Bangalore and Kolar. We also have a prominent presence in the districts of Bellary and Raichur. It is the same with food grains in Bijapur and Belgaum. We have our presence in Shimoga, Hassan and Mysore as well. When I say presence, we have reached out through our distributors and retailers.”
THE TOUGH NUT - MARKETING
Whether with Mahindra or direct marketing, it is challenging to get your marketing right. It is a challenge reaching out to all those farmers because of the fragmented farm holding system in India. To amplify the benefits and compelling proposition to so many people is always a challenge. Also, when one goes through a channelized system, efforts get diluted with the channels having its own interests and goals. These marketing challenges is true for all products entering the market and Sea6 face no exception. The success of it all, they understand, depends on the disciplined implementation of their programs and amplification of their value proposition to targeted segments. Today, they are quite happy with farmers' feedback they have been receiving. There have been several repeat purchases, which also marks progress.
“To be precise, the tomato crops across Bangalore and Kolar; the watermelons, etc. have shown quite satisfying results. These farmers are repeatedly buying our products, be it Agrogain or the unique anti-virus product that we have launched last year. Both these products are gaining good traction. Farmers growing chillies, in various parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have also been reverting with good feedback. We recently launched a granule product for paddy in the delta area of Tanjore, which is also gaining traction.” They have achieved quite a lot and have a long way to go. Sea6 Energy is still a story in the making. Ever since they penetrated the market, things have been quite satisfactory in terms of market receptiveness from the target audience and their internal working style. The Sea6 Energy team is raring to go and scale up to do more.
CUTTING THROUGH THE NOISE WITH CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY
The market is such a noisy place with everybody offering similar outcomes, what does Sea6 Energy do to cut through the noise and reach the farmers?
“The market is always a crowded place and there will always be noise at the customer end. Customers must choose based on their understanding and judgement. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, always. Farmers are far more intelligent, particularly when it comes to scenarios where precision agriculture is gaining more traction. There is a segment of farmers whose attitude towards agriculture is not callous or complacent. They have this positive attitude. They look for good products and make choices based on personal experiences rather than getting lost in all that noise. Based on such experiences, there is sustained usage of our products. The only way to effectively reach farmers is through the available mediums and touch points.” Additionally, they plan on going to farmers and explaining their product. Demonstrating a product to a farmer is far more effective and beneficial to the farmer too.
SEA6 ENERGY Vs INDIAN AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITIES
Agricultural universities do a very comprehensive research. They have different functions of agriculture - pathology, virology, plant building, molecular biology, etc. - to cater to in terms of research. Sea6 Energy, on the other hand, focuses on research in molecular biology. They are part of the NCBS (National Center for biological Sciences) and CCamp (Center for Cellular and Molecular Platforms). So, they do research specific to biotechnology which is where they explore the sea ecosystem. They grow their sea plants and convert it into various products via research and development.
WHEN IN A CROWD – BE UNIQUE AND STAND OUT
Most products in the market today focusses on external inputs. But Sea6's products precisely does not carry any nutrients or fertilizers in the product. There are specific molecules which activates the plants' internal capability to utilize all the provided nutrients, sunlight, water etc. efficiently, to grow better. “The analogy I would use is,” explains Sowmya, “it is not just enough to place a plate of food in front of a child, the child has to feel hungry to eat it. Sea6 focuses on making the plant hungry enough to take up all the inputs that it receives, work it well and grow better. That is where we are different. Also, they are among the very few products certified by the IMO, the organic certification bodies. “All our products are certified by the IMO and we are also listed in the OMRI which is The US organic agricultural certification agency. These aspects can be appealing to farmers who understands and value the organic agriculture, IMO etc.,” hopes Sowmya. Sowmya is confident that they have a very solid product which is bio-efficient with a cost benefit ratio that is unmatchable in the market. “That is the story that we should take to the farmers.”
RECOGNITIONS AND THE SENSE OF FULFILLMENT
Sowmya feels proud that these products have opened up a whole lot of livelihood options to coastal fishermen and it helped farmers increase their agricultural productivity. “It helps two of the largest people in the economic pyramid of our country.” When asked if Sea6 Energy is pioneering in this work, Sowmya analyses, “Our product, Agrogain, is a patented sea plant extract. We've got patent granted in the United States of America and many of the other countries. It is a very unique product. We have brought out the best of technology. Yes, we can classify this as a pioneering technology for agriculture.” Sea6 Energy was awarded the first runner up in one of the most prestigious awards in Agriculture called the Agro Awards, held in London annually. They were also the runner up for the best biological product category, twice.
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