This Varanasi-based Startup Solves the Problem of Urban Pollution by Spreading Greenery Through Waste Management Method

Garden On Concrete was started with the philosophy “Join the culture of nature.” We are dedicatedly working to solve the problem of urban pollution by spreading greenery through waste management method. We are publishing an interview of Ms. Roopsy Sonkar – Assistant Director, Garden On Concrete:

Q.: Please tell us about the founders
Ans: Avishek Kumar is the Founder of our Company. The foundation stones of the company date back to the time when our Founder was pursuing his Graduation in Engineering and in his final year of his studies he had failed in the subject of Environment and that was the time he had decided that he would do something big in the field of Environment but he wasn’t sure as to what to do. Slowly and gradually he paved his way for it and eventually that’s how Garden On Concrete came into existence.

I have been associated with the Company for more than a year now and ever since then there has been no looking back from there and each day we are working together with all the determination to take the Company to new heights by serving the people and ensuring maximum customer satisfaction.

Q.: What is the problem you are trying to solve? Can you share with us any insights that led you to believe that this is a big enough problem?
Ans: Everyone knows how important plants and trees are for environment and there’s so much theoretical material on it, yet very few people actually work towards it in the practical way. The issue here is not the funds/finance because us humans often spend so much on the things that we don’t need but the major challenge here is the mindset. When I talk of mindset I refer to the common beliefs that people have related to plantation that it is time taking, it would make my hands and my place dirty and many more such notions. Today less trees are a problem big enough for the environment and our survival over any other issues. In order to change these myths we have started our workshops at the apartments and societies for the people so that we can make them aware regarding the real facts and help them break their myths and come forward to do their bit and contribute towards the environment in a positive way.

Q.: What is your USP?
Ans: Our Company is started with the philosophy of “Join the culture of nature”. The company has a vision of making garden on the rapidly growing concrete jungle all around us by maximum utilization of human waste to reduce the pollution involving all age group in the culture of nature so that they can have a healthy mind, body, surrounding and sustainable future. With our dedicated team, we try to:
• Make a trend of gardening as a daily festival, gardening as worship,
• Change a mindset that gardening could be done everywhere,
• Train and make habitat of gardening to our next generation
• Create employment in the field of garden solutions sector.
• Make kitchen waste productive
• Promote Garden Therapy for a healthy and happy life
• Fill the market gap of gardening business by making the gardening products, services and information easily reachable to public.
With these services we are aiming at bringing a revolution in the environment and take these as our USP.

Q.: Please tell us about the investors (if any)
Ans: We have started our business with zero investment and today we are adding to the profits each day.

Q.: What has been your biggest failure as an entrepreneur and what did you learn from it??
Ans: No such failures as an entrepreneur as of now.

Q.:How did you get your first customer?
Ans: Getting our first customer was simple. We went to a random house, knocked the door, explained them about what GOC is and asked whether they need gardening service and their response was yes. This is how we got our first customer for the garden maintenance and from then and there by far we have had almost 100 satisfied customers.

Q.: What is the big picture of your startup? Is this Product leading to something bigger? If so, how?
Ans: Few years from now there is going to be a drastic change in the respect how people see and work towards environment. With a rise in temperature, drastic climate change, melting glaciers and so many other environmental issues we are the ones who are considering it right now and working towards it. So it is the need of the hour and would also ensure future sustainability for each and every individual.

Q.: Since inception, give us a sense of the value of business done by your venture? Please explain in details:
Ans: Since the inception of our business venture we have started a program called Greenshala where in we provide training to youngsters relating to gardening and make them employable by imparting them the right skills. By now we have completed two batches of our Greenshala program and have employed a majority of them. Today they are working as gardeners, garden trainers and teachers. We are also taking gardening classes in the most reputed schools of the town. Under our program called Dil Se Hariyali we have planted around 100 plants and are looking after its maintenance.We also have more than 20 households who are our regular customers. We have crossed a turnover of Rs. 35 lakhs and each day we are outshining our own self. Recently we have also expanded our horizons and are functioning in Delhi as well.

Q.: List all the names of the core Team Members, along with their Designated Roles.
Ans: Sure. They are:

• Sidheshwar Pd. Mandal
  Director of GOC, Post Graduate in Arts, an active social worker, Former Principal at College and many more things, he is the brain behind GOC who believes in doing instead of saying and has planted 11,000 trees in a day. He has also worked on barren lands to make them fertile and productive and is of the strong opinion that if gardening can be done on barren lands then we can do it on concrete too.
• Avishek Kumar
  Founder of GOC, a graduate in Civil Engineering, he is a firm believer of Work is worship. Driven by the zeal of innovation and creativity he keeps the dynamic aura which motivates everyone to put their best foot forward. His vision is to bring agriculture and Gardening into corporate sector. He is already at the top of his game and each day he is striving to achieve excellence.
• Roopsy Sonkar
  Post Graduate in Commerce, Roopsy is our Assistant Director who makes sure that all the projects are met and complete before the deadlines and ensures that the organization runs effectively and efficiently. She keeps on bringing the innovation and is leading and handling everything and all the aspects of our Varanasi business with her sterling management skills. She is also an active social worker. An avid reader and a debater, she possesses keen interest in writing and also envisages to take GOC to the greater heights with the collective efforts of the team.
• Amit Prakash Maurya
  Trust our Site Manager to deliver you the best of the projects along with the best of the deals, for he knows how to use his knowledge of graduation in Commerce and knowledge about the market well. He prioritizes the customer’s satisfaction and delivers them the garden of their dream. He ensures that the things are complete within the stipulated time.

Q.: What would be your goal to accomplish in the next six months?
Ans: We are planning to double up our efforts so that we can scale up our business and also aiming at expanding our business dimensions other than from Varanasi and Delhi. Along with it we are also considering contributing more to the society and the environment to make the world a better place to live in for all of us.

Q.: What message do you want to convey to fellow entrepreneurs?
Ans: A message that I would like to give to the fellow entrepreneurs is that always believe in the power of your dreams and let nothing stop you. It’s okay if you fail in the initial stages but keep working on it until you make it and let not those failures define you rather turn them into the stepping stones of your success.
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Thanks Roopsy. Best wishes!