Meet TBI Showcase ‘Agri Changemaker’ Who Is Empowering 2 Lakh Farmers Across India

More than seven decades after independence, farming still sustains over half of India’s population. Yet in recent decades, millions have left villages for uncertain jobs in cities.

Defying this tide, Bihar’s Abhishek Kumar made the opposite journey. In 2011, he quit his corporate banking job in Pune and returned to his ancestral land in Barauli village, Aurangabad. His mission: to build a profitable and replicable farming model that would make agriculture viable again for small farmers.

Shining the spotlight on Abhishek Kumar

Starting with 20 acres, Abhishek experimented with soil testing, polyhouse farming, and micronutrients, while diversifying into aromatic and medicinal crops like tulsi, lemongrass, turmeric, and moringa. He became the first in Bihar to cultivate gerbera using tissue culture — opening doors for commercial floriculture in the state.

In his very first year, horticulture earned him Rs 6 lakh. Soon, he introduced medicinal plants that could thrive with little irrigation, withstand harsh weather, and resist animal damage. His innovations gave farmers resilience against both climate and economic shocks.

Winner of the ‘Agri Changemaker of the Year’ (category sponsor: Kalpavriksha) at Optum Presents The Better India Showcase, supported by the M3M Foundation, Abhishek’s story underscores how grassroots leadership and innovation can revive agriculture in rural India.

From one farm to two lakh farmers

Today, Abhishek mentors over two lakh farmers across Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. He works with more than 95 Farmer-Producer Organisations (FPOs), helping small and marginal farmers access markets, reduce dependency on middlemen, and diversify into profitable crops.

His flagship product, ‘Teatar Green Tea’ — made from tulsi, moringa, and lemongrass, processed in Barauli using solar dryers — has built a customer base across India. Through the Aurangabad Kadambini Farmer Producer Company, 500 farmers now grow and process the tea, earning steady incomes.

As a business development lead at agritech startup Kissanpro, Abhishek is also connecting 40,000 farmers to real-time weather data, sustainable production methods, and both national and international markets.

The impact is visible: higher incomes, reduced distress migration, and growing trust in farming as a dignified livelihood.

While Abhishek Kumar was among the winners at Optum Presents The Better India Showcase, supported by the M3M Foundation, we believe true recognition is what comes even after the applause. And so, we will be highlighting stories of the winners across categories for the next few weeks.

Read about the other winners here.

Edited by Pranita Bhat