Meet the New-Age Indian Farmer Who Quit Google to Grow Chemical-Free Food
Celebrating the New Indian Farmer This Kisan Diwas
Photo Credit : File Image
Celebrating the New Indian Farmer This Kisan Diwas
Once a Google techie. Now an organic farmer. Meet the new-age Indian farmer Mantaj Sidhu, who chose soil over screens — and built a sustainable food system along the way
Before taking up farming, Mantaj worked as an account manager at Google in Dublin. He had the global exposure and the kind of stability most people don’t walk away from easily.
In 2022, he quit his job to tackle a problem he saw everywhere: unsafe, chemical-heavy food. He wanted to deliver a real solution.
Upon his return to India, he partnered with his cousin, Dr Baljeet Singh Gill. Together, they imagined organic, transparent, farm-to-family agriculture where people understand how food is grown.
That vision became Gill Organics, a subscription-based organic farming model that connects families directly to chemical-free produce — grown with care, not shortcuts.
Mantaj explains that Gill Organics allocates small plots of farmland to urban families, growing up to 18 seasonal vegetables on their behalf with full traceability, farm visits, and home delivery options.
The farm uses cow dung and in-house vermicompost as fertilisers. Sprinkler irrigation and micro-greenhouses help conserve water and protect crops.
He says the idea is to make clean, organic food accessible to city families. Today, it serves 145 families across Chandigarh (including Panchkula), Ludhiana, and Patiala
Customer retention remains a challenge as people adjust to seasonal variability, while logistics, operations, and clear communication require continuous effort.
To bridge the gap between farm and family, Gill Organics is now building its own app to improve communication and manage operations.
A pilot is underway to expand into Jalandhar and Amritsar, working with a local farmer to test a franchise-style model — learning early, so future mistakes are avoided.
The success of Gill Organics shows us that farming can be modern, ethical, and scalable. Young Indians can build food systems rooted in responsibility.
One who returned not out of nostalgia, but with intent, innovation, and responsibility — growing food, trust, and hope for the future.
Read more about him here