Oorja Development Solutions Pvt Limited
Geographic Expansion & Site Selection Research Fellow
About the Organization:
Oorja is an award-winning social enterprise operating in Uttar Pradesh, India. We are on a mission to empower 1 million farmers globally by 2035 with the agricultural solutions they need to sustainably increase their income and quality of life. We are a Farming-as-a-Service company working at the intersection of sustainable agriculture and clean energy. Founded in 2016, Oorja aims to address the climate crisis by promoting clean solar energy in India through inclusive and affordable solar-powered irrigation solutions. Oorja leverages decentralised solar PV infrastructure to provide clean energy and climate-smart solutions that meet the needs of farmers and farming-based institutions. Our farmer-centric business models enable transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, thereby reducing carbon footprint, boosting productivity, increasing income, generating long-term savings, and enhancing the climate resilience of communities, contributing to the SDGs
Fellowship Description:
Oorja has proven its Farming-as-a-Service model across five districts of Uttar Pradesh and is now exploring where and how it should grow next. You will support this expansion agenda directly: examining how Oorja selects the sites it operates in today, researching agricultural and irrigation contexts across South and South East Asia, and assessing where the model could feasibly extend. This is a high-ownership research role suited to someone who is equally comfortable with rigorous desk research, translating findings into clear internal recommendations, and engaging early-stage conversations with potential partners.
The intern will report to the Strategic Partnerships & Site Selection team and work closely with Oorja's operations, farm advisory, and leadership teams to shape the organisation's geographical expansion strategy. Snapshot of the role Site selection & target zone analysis Agricultural and irrigation research across South & South East Asia Knowledge-sharing: learning documents and team presentations Feasibility analysis for new regions Partner mapping and early-stage outreach Partnership model design and strategic recommendations
Key Responsibilities:
A. Site Selection & Target Zone Analysis Conduct an in-depth review of Oorja's current site selection criteria — including agronomic, hydrological, socioeconomic, and infrastructure factors — and assess how well they predict site performance.
Analyse Oorja's existing key target zones against this criteria to identify patterns, gaps, and opportunities for refinement. Work with the Site Selection and Operations teams to document how criteria are applied in practice versus how they are defined on paper, and flag any discrepancies. Propose refinements to the site selection framework, supported by data and precedent from Oorja's existing footprint.
B. Agricultural & Irrigation Research (South & South East Asia) Research prevailing agricultural patterns and practices across target countries in South and South East Asia, including cropping calendars, land holding sizes, farmer income profiles, and prevailing energy sources for irrigation. Map irrigation types and requirements across the region (diesel, grid-electric, solar, canal/gravity-fed, etc.), including their relative costs, reliability, and adoption barriers for smallholder farmers. Investigate environmental concerns relevant to irrigation and groundwater use in each geography, such as groundwater depletion, salinity, and climate variability, and how these shape the case for solar irrigation. Identify regulatory, subsidy, and policy factors (e.g. energy subsidies, agricultural policy, import duties) that could affect the viability of Oorja's model in each market.
C. Knowledge Management & Internal Learning Synthesise research findings into clear, well-structured learning documents that can be referenced by the wider team. Present key findings and recommendations in internal forums, translating dense research into actionable insights for non-specialist audiences. Maintain a living knowledge base of country and regional profiles to support ongoing expansion decision-making.
D. Feasibility Analysis & Expansion Strategy Conduct feasibility analyses of Oorja's Farming-as-a-Service model in prospective new regions, weighing agronomic fit, market readiness, competitive landscape, and operational complexity. Build and maintain a mapping of potential partners for expansion — including NGOs, agribusinesses, financiers, government bodies, and technology providers — and support early-stage outreach and conversations. Support the design of partnership models for expansion (e.g. joint ventures, licensing, local implementation partners), outlining trade-offs of each approach. Develop clear, well-reasoned recommendations for next steps on specific geographies or partnerships, aligned with Oorja's broader organisational strategy on geographical expansion. Present findings and recommendations to leadership to support go/no-go decisions on new markets.
Desired Qualifications:
Currently pursuing or recently completed a degree in Development Studies, Agricultural Economics, Environmental Science, Geography, Public Policy, or a related field.
Strong research, analytical, and synthesis skills: able to draw structured, well-supported conclusions from disparate sources (academic literature, government data, market reports, and field input).
Excellent written English: capable of producing clean, professional learning documents and presentations without heavy editing.
Comfortable engaging in early-stage conversations with external stakeholders and partners.
High attention to detail, particularly when working with data, maps, and comparative frameworks.
Comfortable working with Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides); familiarity with GIS or mapping tools is a plus.
Genuine interest in smallholder agriculture, clean energy, climate resilience, and South & South East Asia.
Time Commitment: 30 hours per week