Warana Group

Warana Group (Warana Nagar), situated on the banks of the Warana river, lies in a green valley about 35 kms  from the city of Kolhapur, and about 400 kms from Mumbai. The transformation of Warana from a barren to its current prosperous and fertile region began with the setting up of a cooperative sugar factory near the village of Kodoli in 1959.

The Warana Co-operative Complex was a forerunner of integrated rural development involving the cooperative movement that has had a classic ingredient of success—peoples participation. The Warana Co-operative Sugar factory initiated this movement that has resulted in the formation of over 55 cooperative societies related to sugar, milk, and poultry production. The total annual turnover of these societies exceeds $1.5 million (approximately Rs 6.5crores). Most of the societies are located within a radius of 4 kilometers. The complex has its own EPABX (Electronic Private Automatic Branch Exchange) facility for voice communication between various centers and societies. Some of the societies such as sugar and dairy have computerized their routine operations.

The sugar factory is the backbone of the Warana complex. The sugar factory has won several awards for its efficiency and productivity. The Warana paper mill was set up to utilize the waste products of the sugar factory. A distillery has also been set up in the complex. An electricity generation unit has been set up using the waste water of the paper mill and the distillery. The energy generated by the unit is used by the paper mill.

The Warana complex is designed to look after all the basic needs of the workers. They have been provided with living quarters, filtered water, inexpensive electricity, schools, physical training and cultural centers.

Warana Group consist of more than 55 organizations out of which some major organizations are as under:

  1. Shree Tatyasaheb Kore Warana Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Ltd.,
    (Warana Sugar Co-Operative )

  2. Shree Warana Sahakari Doodh Utpadak Prakriya Sangh Ltd. Tatyasaheb Kore Nagar
    (Warana Dairy, Milk processing Co-Operative)

  3. Shri Warana Vibhag Shikshan Mandal Warananagar (Group of Educational Institutions)

  4. Surajya Foundation.(NGO)

  5. Mahatma Gandhi Medical Trust

  6. Shree Warana Sahakari Bank Ltd.

  7. Shree Warana Vibhag Sahakari Grahak Mandal Ltd., Warananagar (Warana co-operative Bazaar)

  8. Shree Warana Bhagini Mandal .(Micro/small Scale women Industries)

  9. Shree Tatyasaheb Kore Warana Vibhag Sheti-poorak, Sheti Prashikshan Sahakari Sanstha Ltd., Warananagar (Warana co-operative Farm development, Supply & Training)

  10. Wired Village project

Warana Group is engaged in providing various facilities / benefits to the society people. In fact, farmers were suffering at the hands of unpredictable market forces during the period of 1950’s. But over a period of time with the emergence of above institutions, the socio-economic scenario have been changed and the members of the family of farmers – son, daughter and wife have been employed in Mahila Udyog, and sugar factories and allied activities and the overall standard of living is improved in the course of time. 

All these above activities are coming under the group named as “Warana Co-operative Industries and Educational Complex” which is nucleus of all-round development of  more than 78 villages in and around Warana  through its organizational setup leading towards Integrated Rural Development of  India. At Warana, the concept of integrated rural development finds expression in its true letter and spirit. 

After the sad demise of late Tatyasaheb Kore, an incredible person and his son late Vilasdada, Warana people put their trust with soul, life and breath in their mass leader Shri. Vinayraoji Kore, MLA. Under his able dynamic impeccable leadership, Warana finds confidence in its futuristic endeavors. As well, after late Tatyasaheb & his beloved son, Vilasdada who left behind a wealth of ideas and hopes, Shobhatai Vilasrao Kore   the daughter in law of Tatyasaheb and standing chairperson of Warana, have decided to keep alive these aspirations not with a monument but with a living pulsating institution  and  as a result, the Warana group has  reached a highest crushing capacity of sugarcane in India i.e., 20,000 Tons Crushing of Cane per Day including the crushing capacity of other three Sugar units taken on lease basis and the production of sugar per day is 24000 Quintals. The Warana group is awarded ‘First Rank’ for largest Exporter of sugar among Co-operative sugar factories in India for the year  2005-06, 2006-07 & 2007-08 by National Federation of Co-operative Sugar Factories Ltd., New Delhi. 

In the presentation at Warana, on Former President of India,  “Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s Concept of PURA” by Srijanpal Singh, an  Assistant and a former Gold medalist student of  IIMA, it is observed that there are strong similarities in the ideas of Warana and PURA. It would be a great moment  if we would be in a position to take further clues from Dr. Kalam’s idea.