As a boy, Omidul Hasan watched his father’s agricultural machinery business struggle. It was first established in the early ‘90s in south-west Bangladesh and Omidul recalls how farmers were reluctant to mechanize, preferring traditional hand labor instead.
But when Omidul, now 23, took over as managing director, he turned to social media to educate potential buyers about the advantages of automation and his time-saving machines. Using YouTube and Facebook, he expanded the business, which makes and sells tilling, reaping and planting machines, to new regions, and eventually earned a national reputation for product development and quality maintenance.
With iDE’s assistance, Omidul also developed new relationships with creditors willing to loan him money to expand. Further modernizing the business, Omidul worked with iDE on workforce development training and gender-inclusive work practices.
What began in a small workshop with just eight staff now employs some 50 workers, 10 of whom are women. “People who saw us 10 years back are astonished by the transformation,” says Omidul. The business now builds more than 20 types of machines and has expanded further to supply government departments involved in agricultural research.
What's next for Omidul
As a young leader, Omidul generates new ideas for business expansion. One of his strengths is developing digital marketing strategies to grow revenue from online platforms in new geographic areas where Janata’s physical supply chain does not yet reach.
“iDE showed me the right pathway to learn about the vast agro machinery market beyond the border, import mechanism, access to financial services, and increased sales." — Omidul
Omidul's Details
Country
- Bangladesh
Sector
- Agriculture
Entrepreneur Impact
- Supporting Services
- Job Creation
- Availability of Technology
- Motivating Investment
Ecosystem Impact
- Food & Nutrition Security
- Local Economic Development
Country Profile
- 133/189
Human Development Index (HDI) Rank
- 14%
Poverty Rate
- 166 Million People
Population
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