Brands
“TBOF adopted organic farming practices to prioritize sustainability and health”: TBOF’s Satyajit Hange
Mumbai: Two Brothers Organic Farms (TBOF), founded by fourth-generation farmers Satyajit and Ajinkya Hange, is making waves not only in the world of organic farming but also in the promotion of Indian farming traditions and healthy living. Their recent community outreach into the United States has opened up a fascinating narrative of determination, cultural exchange, and sustainable agriculture.
TBOF has trained over 16,000 farmers in organic farming and helped convert over 2000 acres of farmloand to organic and sustainable practices, and now employs over 300 local village men and women in its procesing facilities.
Under Satyajit’s leadership, Two Brothers Organic Farms has become a platform for organic farmers to take their produce to market under a common seal of trust. The company offers a range of natural products made from ingredients like Cultured A2 Ghee, Khapli Whole wheat atta, Groundnut wood-pressed oil, and Amlaprash. Two Brothers has a regenerative organic, ECOCERT-certified 21-acre farm in Maharashtra, which gives the company a supply chain advantage. The company has set up farmer institutions to teach local farmers about the benefits of organic farming and how to do it correctly.
Indiantelevision.com caught up in an email interaction with one of the founders Satyajit Hange, who shared some insights of their brand…
Edited excerpts
On the story behind the founding of Two Brothers Organic Farms
The journey of Two Brothers Organic Farms (TBOF) began when the two founders, Ajinkya Hange and I (Satyajit Hange), decided to leave our lucrative careers in banking to return to our roots and become farmers. We were inspired by our childhood memories of life on a farm and the allure of native, nourishing, and natural food. Despite warnings from peers, we chose to pursue farming as a noble and healing profession. TBOF is located in Bhodani, Maharashtra, India, and spans 23 acres. It is a Regenerative Organic Farm, ECOCERT Certified, focused on biodiversity and self-sustainability.
On your brand establishing a strong connection with consumers
TBOF adopted organic farming practices to prioritize sustainability and health. Our commitment to organic farming is driven by the desire to heal soil, improve soil nutrition, and create food that is free from chemicals and rich in nutrition. We have also focused on sequestering carbon from the atmosphere, contributing to efforts to combat desertification and climate change. TBOF’s work is guided by the principles of Regenerative Organic farming, and we aim to create a hopeful future for the planet by restoring soil and promoting rural livelihoods.
Moreover, organic certification is essential to building trust with consumers. At TBOF we follow a rigorous organic certification process from recognized bodies. These certifications validate the farm’s commitment to organic practices and ensure the quality and integrity of our products. The certifications demonstrate compliance with strict organic standards, further building confidence among consumers in TBOF’s organic offerings.
On any food alternatives that your brand has undertaken to promote eco-friendly practices?
Transparency is a core value for TBOF, and we maintain open communication with customers about our farming practices, sourcing, and production methods. We provide detailed information about organic farming techniques, natural fertilizers, composting, and crop rotation. We also emphasize our direct partnerships with small farmers across India who practice 100% natural farming and grow native variety crops. We use various communication channels, including our website and social media, to ensure transparency and build trust with customers.
On the International Year of Millets
The International Year of Millets is a global initiative that aims to raise awareness about the nutritional and environmental benefits of millets. Millets are drought-resistant, nutrient-rich grains that have the potential to contribute to food security and climate resilience. The significance of this initiative lies in promoting millets as a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to traditional grains like rice and wheat. Millets require less water and are well-suited to marginal and arid lands, making them a valuable crop for sustainable agriculture and addressing global food security challenges.
On future plans or innovations that your brand has in store for their brand and products?
We have developed a comprehensive set of plans to drive future growth and expansion. One key strategy involves a shift in our marketing approach, moving from selling directly to vendors to partnering with prominent retailers like Star Bazaar in malls. This transition is driven by the need for cold chain storage facilities to maintain the freshness of their food products.
As part of this strategic shift, TBOF has introduced new product offerings to cater to consumer preferences and market demands. For example, we have expanded our product line to include A2 Cultured Ghee as a prominent item. We have also transformed sugarcanes into jaggery and shifted our focus from selling groundnuts to marketing groundnut oil. Notably, our A2 ghee has gained significant popularity, positioning the business primarily as a business-to-consumer (B2C) firm. While B2B operations continue, we are now exclusively conducted in Dubai.
To further augment our growth prospects, TBOF is actively seeking strategic partnerships. These collaborations aim to extend TBOF’s market presence to the United States and Europe, allowing us to tap into new markets and establish a robust international footprint. By leveraging such strategic partnerships and expanding our product portfolio, we aim to grow our customer base, penetrate new markets, and continue our journey as a leading and innovative organic grocery brand.
Brands
Rakesh Menon joins Paytm as avp – lending
Fintech product leader takes on new role after building digital lending, payments and credit products across fintech ecosystem
MUMBAI: Rakesh Menon has joined Paytm as assistant vice president – lending, taking on a new role focused on strengthening the company’s lending and credit products.
Prior to this, Menon worked at Profectus Capital Pvt Ltd as chief manager – payments based financing and digital lending.
At Profectus, he designed and launched digital credit products for merchants with variable cash flows, including overdraft-linked and revenue-share lending models. He led end-to-end LOS–LMS API integrations with payment partners and aggregators, enabling real-time underwriting, disbursal and repayment workflows.
He also worked on funnel optimisation initiatives using journey analytics, improving onboarding, KYC and disbursal conversion by 35 per cent. He developed ecosystem partnerships for transaction-data-based credit assessment and automated settlement systems, and collaborated with credit and data science teams to strengthen risk models and early delinquency detection.
Menon standardised partner onboarding and API frameworks, reducing go-live timelines by 40 per cent and improving digital scalability.
Before Profectus Capital, he worked at PayU as senior manager – presales lead – enterprise business from August 2022 to August 2023. He set up a national presales function for fintech and digital commerce clients, aligning solutions such as EMI, BNPL, BBPS and offer engines to merchant requirements.
He also helped improve conversion rates by around 15 per cent through merchant persona mapping, demo frameworks and structured sales playbooks, working closely with product and go-to-market teams.
From April 2019 to July 2022, Menon served as business unit head – SMB – direct acquisitions at Worldline, where he built the SMB online payments vertical from scratch. The business scaled to Rs 2,500 crore in annual transaction volume, growing at 45 per cent year-on-year.
During this period, he introduced paperless onboarding processes including eKYC and eSign, developed partner dashboards and CRM automation systems, and integrated platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce and Tally to expand merchant adoption.
Across roles, Menon has worked across digital lending, payments and merchant financing, with experience in product development, ecosystem partnerships, API integrations and fintech-led growth strategies.
At Paytm, he will focus on scaling lending products and strengthening digital credit infrastructure within the company’s financial services ecosystem.
His appointment comes as fintech firms continue to expand their lending and embedded finance offerings in a competitive market.
