Nitin Gadkari’s strong belief in “Antyodaya” – i.e. raising the living standards of the lowest rung of society – made him believe that unless the purchasing power of farmers is increased, the society will not rise as a whole. Not one to limit himself to just believing and doing nothing, he embarked on an ambitious project of launching the Purti Group, which took up– sugar farming – sugar production – and utilised their by products as power and ethanol.

He has been lobbying hard for the use of ethanol as a blending ingredient in petroleum fuels. His aim is to reduce the large import of petroleum products by using 10-20% of ethanol in petrol and diesel, so that this saved outflow to foreign countries, will go to farmers thereby boosting the economy. He set up a retail chain of supermarkets under the brand Purti Superbazar to cater to urban middle class, with fair price and good quality products and which would also bridge the gap between the retailer and farm producers. He also initiated Purti Agrotech, – a packaging unit for farm produce for giving fair prices to farmers.

His other endeavours have helped farmers in getting better returns for the farm produce, particularly in the field of sugarcane, soyabean (oil) and rice (rice husk based power plants) in the central part of India.

In the past few years, the company has expanded its canvas much beyond the agriculture sector. Currently, it generates and distributes, more than 24.50 MW electricity through its co-generation plant. The company is engaged in the implementation of various projects in the field of generation and distribution of power.

The organisation is a pioneer in making use of the Renewable Energy sources for co-generation of power. As is known, India’s quest for energy security and sustainable development rests a great deal on our ability to tap energy from renewable sources and to use it extensively to meet our growing and diverse needs. With faster economic growth, the demand for energy will rise further, and the nation will need to supplement its energy requirements by harnessing renewable sources of energy.

The organisation has proved its tremendous potential by moving ahead in spite of the economic backwardness of this region. The spirit lies in its vision to be “best in the manner in which we operate, best in the products we deliver, and best in our value system and ethics.” It is for this reason that the Purti group has emerged as a key player in Maharashtra region in production of sugar, power, and absolute alcohol.

The organisation’s diversified status originates from its business strategy aimed at creating multiple drivers of growth, for the farmers and unemployed youth, anchored on its time-tested core competencies: unmatched distribution reach, superior brand-building capabilities, effective supply chain management and acknowledged service skills. Over time, the strategic forays into new businesses are expected to garner a significant share of the emerging high-growth market in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.

Undertaken with the dual aim of providing employment opportunities to the youth and an enhancement of the meager income of the farmer, the cultivation of sugarcane and the setting up of the sugar factory has raised the living standards of the people in the region.

The Purti Group has under its umbrella, various projects, which generate employment for the youths and income for different sections of the society. Every activity of the group is an able example of the foresight of its leadership and its desire to raise the living standards of the entire population of the region.