‘Our product portfolio is focused on environmental sustainability and women empowerment’

Analumnus of IIMAhmedabad, he founded Greenway with the aim to enhance the welfare ofwomeninrural communities across the worldwith operations in India and Africa. Cookstoves from the stable of Greenway, were designed by the founder using patented technology.

- RITWIK MUKHERJEE

Greenway now is the largest manufacturer of sustainable cookstoves that are modern replacements for traditional mud chulhas.

Speaking to The Statesman, Ankit Mathur, Co-Founder, Greenway Grameen, shares his vision and insights on sustainability, environmental conservation and women welfare in rural areas in conjunction to optimal culinary methods.

Excerpts: Q:Whatwas the triggerwhen you started Greenway Grameen Infra?

A: We founded Greenway with a mission to design products that address specific challenges facedbythe rural households. Our initial focus was on lower to middle-income households in rural India, where we observed a lack of well-designed products catering to their unique needs. There was clearlyalack of accessibility and / or affordability of such products.

We set out to fill this gap by engaging directly with the rural households to understand their daily requirements and develop a tailored solution, the one with a lasting impact. One significant issue we identified early on was the widespread use of traditional mud cookstoves, which emit harmful smoke and contribute to health issues. This inspired us to create an affordable, energy-efficient cooking solution specifically designed for rural households, aiming to improve their quality oflife while reducing health risks. Q: You started in 201 l, so it has been 13 years now. How has been the journey so far?