A Nashik-based climate entrepreneur, Sony Adhav, is turning agricultural residue into renewable biomass fuel through her company, Edh Farms India Pvt Ltd. Founded to support the clean-energy transition while strengthening rural livelihoods, the venture works with farming communities to convert crop waste into fuel for industrial use.
The model has already supplied more than 800 tonnes of biomass fuel and engaged over 500 farmers, according to the company. One farmer, 45-year-old Vilas Anna Mulane from Dindori, said nearly 17.5 tonnes of corn cobs from his 25-acre maize farm, once treated as waste, became an additional source of income through Edh Farms. The initiative aims to reduce industries’ dependence on conventional fossil fuels while giving agricultural residue an economic value.
Adhav said her aim is to build “scalable climate solutions” that create economic opportunity, clean energy and sustainable rural livelihoods, while demonstrating the impact women-led entrepreneurship can have on environmental and social challenges.
From Waste To Income
For farmers, crop residue can often become a disposal challenge after harvest. In Dindori, Nashik district, Mulane’s experience illustrates how that equation can change when agricultural waste is connected to a market. The farmer had nearly 17.5 tonnes of corn cobs left over from his 25-acre maize farm. Instead of treating the residue as something that needed to be discarded, Edh Farms converted it into a source of income. “Through Edh Farms, this residue has become an additional source of income instead of a disposal problem,” Mulane said. He added that the experience had changed how he viewed agricultural waste, saying that nothing from his farm now needs to go to waste and that it can instead create value while contributing to clean energy.
Adhav’s company describes this approach as a circular economy model, in which agricultural residue is treated not simply as waste but as a potential economic resource. Edh Farms supplies biomass fuel to industrial users, offering an alternative to conventional fossil fuels. The company has so far supplied more than 800 tonnes of biomass fuel and engaged over 500 farmers, indicating an effort to connect clean-energy demand with rural supply chains. For farmers, the model can create an additional income stream from material that previously had limited economic value. For industries, it offers an alternative fuel source while supporting efforts to reduce reliance on conventional fossil fuels.
The industrial response has also been significant. Deepika Oberoi of Britannia’s boiler operations team said Edh Farms has consistently supplied quality biomass pellets that support efficient combustion and help reduce dependence on conventional fossil fuels. “Partnerships like these demonstrate that sustainable fuel alternatives can also deliver operational reliability for industry,” Oberoi said. Her statement highlights an important part of the transition: cleaner alternatives need to be practical and dependable for businesses if they are to become part of everyday industrial operations.
Building A Circular Energy Model
The story of Edh Farms began in the agricultural landscape of Maharashtra, where Adhav saw the potential of crop residue beyond its traditional treatment as waste. Her venture was created around the idea that agricultural communities and industries can both benefit when residue is collected, processed and converted into useful energy. Rather than allowing potentially valuable material to remain unused, the company seeks to build a link between farmers producing agricultural residue and industries looking for alternative energy sources.
This approach also places rural livelihoods at the centre of the clean-energy conversation. Adhav said her aim is to build “scalable climate solutions that transform agricultural waste into economic opportunity, clean energy, and sustainable rural livelihoods”. Her vision goes beyond supplying biomass fuel. It also positions women-led entrepreneurship as a way of developing solutions that address environmental challenges while creating economic opportunities in rural communities.
The model is particularly relevant because agricultural residue has traditionally been viewed primarily through the lens of disposal. When farmers have limited options for using or selling crop waste, the material can have little or no economic value. Edh Farms’ approach attempts to change that relationship by creating a demand for agricultural residue and connecting it with the energy needs of industry. Mulane’s experience demonstrates the potential impact at the farm level: residue that was once considered waste became an additional source of income.
At the same time, the company’s work reflects the broader challenge of moving towards cleaner industrial energy. Industries that depend on conventional fossil fuels require alternatives that can meet operational requirements consistently. Oberoi’s comments about the quality and reliability of Edh Farms’ biomass pellets point to the importance of making sustainable alternatives commercially workable rather than treating them only as environmental ideals.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Edh Farms shows how a problem as familiar as agricultural waste can be approached as an opportunity for both farmers and the environment. By turning crop residue into biomass fuel, the initiative creates an additional income stream for farmers while helping industries explore alternatives to conventional fossil fuels.
At The Logical Indian, we believe meaningful environmental change must also be inclusive, practical and beneficial to the communities at its heart. Solutions that connect sustainability with livelihoods can make the transition towards cleaner energy more grounded and lasting.
Could more such local, community-focused models help India turn everyday challenges into opportunities for positive change?
Also Read: How Dr. Shankar Lal Garg Built a Keshar Parvat with 40,000 Trees in Madhya Pradesh
