Servals Automation Pvt Ltd is designed as a social enterprise. Based out of Chennai, Tamil, Nadu, Servals impacts the lives of people in low-income groups by providing them with sustainable energy solutions – to usher in an age of energy independence. With products such as Kerosene Burners & Stoves, Biomass Stoves, Plant Oil Stoves and Plant Oil Lamps, Servals’ innovations have the potential to transform rural India. Servals’ energy-saving technology has created energy dependency and cost savings for its customers.
Servals’ Awards & Achievements:
- 2010: Winner of the Sankalp award in the Clean Energy Sector – see video
- 2010: InfoDev featured Servals as 1 of 8 companies leading technology innovation for climate change.
- 2011: Nominated as a candidate for the World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer.
- 2007: Winner of the L-Ramp Innovation Award for “Award of Excellence- Enterprise Category”
- Identified as a “B Corp” rated company- recognized as part of a global movement of companies using the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. They were one of 500 companies to receive this rating.
In 2010 GBF made an investment in Servals to help the company expand its geographic presence in the kerosene burner market, set up distribution channels, and launch their new Top-Lift UpDraft (TLUD) Biomass stove. Servals have sold over 1.5M kerosene burners last year.
GBF BAS & SERVALS:
GBF’s Business Advisory Services (BAS) strengthen Servals’ performance to realize their financial and social promise. So far, BAS programs for Servals have implemented:
Financial Management: Budgeting & cash planning; Monthly/Quarterly reporting with dashboards; support for CFO recruitment to limit operational inefficiencies
Operations: ISO &ISI Certification Prep and R&D to enable in-house production optimization
Strategy: R&D for improved product offering; strategy for expansion to new markets; and assistance on the development of turnaround plan and effective tracking against milestones to achieve break-even
Corporate Governance: A strong advisory board of industry leaders to address challenges specific to the burners/ stoves industry
Environmental & Social (E&S): Social Impact baseline survey conducted to empower Servals to measure social impact and utilize information gathered to improve business performance; E&S review conducted to ensure compliance with local policies and regulations followed by assistance on risk mitigation
- Servals directly impact 175,906 users and employees over 45 workers over the past 12 months
- Servals’ products provide benefits to an estimated 703,624 family members in low-income households in rural and urban areas of India
- Servals partners with NGOs, Self Help Groups (SHGs) and rural entrepreneurs for the production and marketing of its products, providing employment opportunities to people in low-income groups across rural India
- Servals produced over $5.8M in cost savings / Economic Impact over last year
- Servals have established itself as a major player in the market and are currently the single largest manufacturer of kerosene burners in India
- Over 75% of the company’s employees including all the suppliers are women
CASE STUDY: Atmosfair is currently supporting a project with Servals on large-scale dissemination of efficient products such as the wood gas stoves that have relevance in emerging markets. GBF is working with the company to explore growth and expansion into other countries. more
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