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Aavishkaar Fund invests in Zameen Organics


February 25, 2010

B2R plans to set up clusters of rural BPO delivery centers in a hub-and-spoke model.

Aavishkaar Micro Capital Venture Fund has invested an undisclosed amount in rural BPO firm B2R Technologies. B2R plans to set up clusters of rural BPO delivery centers in a hub-and-spoke model to provide business support services to domestic and international clients. It plans to scale up to create up to 100 such 50-seater delivery centres in seven years.

This is the second recent investment in the rural outsourcing space. Earlier this month, Lok Capital invested in RuralShore Businessn Services, which also India’s largest mortgage lender HDFC Ltd as a strategic investor.

B2R, whose name represents bringing business to rural areas, has opened its first delivery center Uttarakhand at Orakhan in village Simayal, near Mukteswar with 34 team members. Dhiraj Dolwani, co-founder & CEO of B2R said in a release that literacy in the state at about 72%, which is significantly better than the national average.

B2R has also partnered with CHIRAG, a NGO in the region, to help establish and connect into the villages for the recruitment of staff. The company says its plans to invest one-third of its post-tax profits back into the community, through profit-sharing with employees, as well as village & community level projects.

“Considering cost pressures due to rising real estate prices & staff salaries as well as high attrition, there was a clear need to address many of the challenges faced in the urban context in an innovative manner,” said Venky iyer, co-founder of B2R.

In the last eight months, Aavishkaar Micro Venture Capital Fund has closed a number of deals which include Waterlife India Pvt Ltd, a water purification company; Zameen Organic, an organic cotton trading company; Swas Healthcare, a chain of naturopathy clinics and hospitals and Saraplast, a sanitation solutions provider.

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