/english-betterindia/media/agency_attachments/2025/06/24/2025-06-24t114615552z-img_3553-meghna-bhati-2025-06-24-17-16-15.png)
/english-betterindia/media/member_avatars/uploads/2025/03/raajwrita-profile-pic-1741181374.jpg )
Follow Us/english-betterindia/media/post_attachments/uploads/2025/08/Blue-and-Yellow-Modern-Business-Workshop-Facebook-Ad-2025-08-19T124839.880_11zon-1755587948.jpg)
Ashok Tapaswi cultivates Annatto in Fatehpur, turning its red seeds into pure sindoor.
Ashok Tapaswi left behind the comforts of urban life in Pune to pursue an unconventional path, which is sindoor farming, on his ancestral land in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh.
His journey began when he saw Indian markets flooded with synthetic sindoor containing harmful chemicals like lead and mercury, which can cause skin irritation, hair loss, and even baldness. Disheartened, he turned to Ayurveda for a safer alternative.
There, he discovered Annatto, a medicinal plant with red seeds traditionally used to make natural and chemical-free sindoor. With no existing model for sindoor cultivation in his region, he started experimenting on his own.
Starting with just five to six saplings, he revived his barren land using organic practices and Ayurvedic research. After years of trial and error, the farm flourished with over 400 Annatto trees.
The bright pigment extracted from the seeds is now used to produce not just sindoor, but also lipstick, fabric dyes, and food colour. Priced at Rs 500 per 10 grams, Ashok’s pure, plant-based sindoor has earned him over Rs 45 lakhs. But his mission extends beyond profit.
He is leading a movement to revive natural farming and safeguard health. He distributes saplings to farmers across India, and plans to reach 1 lakh soon.
His work has not only created a sustainable income model but also reintroduced a traditional Ayurvedic practice into the modern wellness market. For Ashok, it is about more than farming; it is about cultural revival, environmental care, and empowering rural livelihoods, one sapling at a time.