In 2019, tragedy struck Jaipur-based farmer Manish Prahlad when he woke up one morning to find all nine of his beloved buffaloes lying on the ground, gasping for their last breath.
The sudden and mysterious deaths of his prized animals left him devastated, as they were not only his primary assets but also held sentimental value — being a part of his family’s legacy.
Recognising the lack of accessible veterinary services and the dire consequences for farmers losing their only means of livelihood, he set out to create a solution that would provide holistic care for livestock.
In 2020, he founded ‘Verdant Impact’ to offer telemedicine facilities, virtual veterinary consultations, animal ICU services, remote monitoring, and cattle commerce solutions.
He also launched a mobile app that enables farmers to easily connect with veterinarians by uploading photos, videos, and descriptions of their animals for remote consultations.
In cases requiring immediate attention, farmers can utilise an SOS feature to request on-site visits from nearby veterinarians, ensuring timely and efficient care for their animals.
In addition to telemedicine services, Verdant Impact has introduced Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags to monitor the health, location, and movement of livestock.
Currently, Manish has set up more than 10,000 telemedicine centres and onboarded over 1,700 veterinarians and para veterinarians across the country.
The startup conducts over 2,500 telemedical consultancy calls per day, clocking an annual revenue of Rs 8.72 crore.
For Manish, the true reward lies in the transformation he has brought to farmer families. “With this, we have boosted farmer income by 40 percent. They are able to wed their daughters by selling good breed bovines,” he says.
“To be able to work for millions of voiceless animals and farmer families gives me immense fulfilment,” adds Manish.