Problem with Traditional ICS Distribution Process
Most Improved Cookstove projects struggle during the distribution phase. They don’t know exactly who should get the cookstove or where to carry out the distribution. So, they just go for bulk distribution and hope it works. But to make clean cooking project successful, you need proper data, planning and technology.

Digital Intervention in ICS Distribution Process
Digital intervention should begin much before the distribution. You should already know your beneficiaries before handing over the cookstoves. This is only possible if you do a 100% baseline survey in the beginning- not just a small sample. You need complete information like how people cook, what fuel they use, their family size and whether they are actually eligible for the ICS or not.

With this data, you can filter out those who are not eligible and focus only on those who really need the stove. This is where digital intervention helps the most. Using technology, you can easily manage this large data and make better decisions.

For example- During the distribution, we do digital verification of the beneficiary using the data collected earlier. This ensures that the right person is receiving the cookstove. It avoids any fraud or duplication and keeps the process clean and transparent.

This same data also helps to decide the best locations for distribution centres. Using the GPS data, we can select the best storage and distribution points close to the beneficiaries. This saves their time and makes logistics simpler.

At the distribution site, we also take a photo of the beneficiary with the ICS. Their agreement or consent is taken in a digital format as proof. All of this becomes a proper record- easy to verify and report during audits.

This is how the distribution process should be done- planned, verified and data-backed.
Not like the way where you enter a village with a truck full of cookstoves and start giving them away on the spot. That may look easy, but it creates confusion, misuse and poor results. Instead, with the right digital intervention and proper groundwork, every stove reaches the right person. So in the end, you’re not just distributing cookstoves- you’re building trust, transparency, and accountability into every step of your project.

At Anaxee, this is the approach we follow. If you also want to structure your clean cooking/ Improved Cookstove project in India better, connect with us at sales@anaxee.com