Building purposefully and sustainably through innovation: the strategic business transformation of East-West Seed India

Research methodology This case was developed from both primary and secondary sources. The secondary sources included industry reports, news articles, books and official company websites. The primary sources included interviews with Mr Dilip Rajan, Chief Operating Officer and member of the Managing Board along with senior leadership functionaries from the departments of Finance, Human Resources and Marketing. An interview with the representative of Knowledge Transfer activities at the company was also conducted. Besides the interviews, the Author attended meetings and visited the facilities at the company Headquarters in Bangalore. Case overview/synopsis The “Building purposefully and sustainably through innovation: The transformation at East-West Seed, India” case explores the strategies of revival and transformation by the innovative company East-West Seed India (EWIN to meet its sustainability goals. EWIN- was the Indian arm of the global leader in tropical hybrid vegetable seeds –the East-West Seed Group. Simon Groot, the winner of the World Food Prize 2019 and the Founder of East-West Seed Group, made it his life’s purpose and the mission of his company to serve the interests of small-scale and marginalised farmers through agricultural innovation. But when the Group’s Indian arm in the second largest vegetable market in the world faced a financial crisis in 2018, following stagnant growth for almost three years, it jeopardised the company’s ability to sustain itself and contribute to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDGs 8 (decent work and economic growth) and 12(responsible consumption and production). Dilip Rajan, the General Manager of East-West Seed India (EWIN) and now the Chief Operating Officer and member of the Managing Board at East-West Seed International, must address these problems at the company because they were debilitating the company’s innovativeness, critical for its success. Additionally, he must ensure that the company deepens the trust of its most significant stakeholder, the smallholder farmers. This will ensure that the company can achieve its social mission of radically improving the lives of marginalised farmers through agricultural innovation. Complexity academic level This teaching case is designed to expose learners to organizational hybridity in purpose-driven enterprises. Students navigate the practical and strategic challenges of balancing the dual goals of profitability and social impact. The case encourages analysis of these challenges within a competitive and dynamic market, using the lenses of strategic management, sustainability-oriented innovation, and corporate social responsibility for sustainable development. While most suited for postgraduate students, the case can also provide valuable insights for advanced undergraduate learners studying these courses.