Farming

From tech professionals to traditional farmers, meet five individuals who turned their passion for flowers into thriving floriculture businesses, earning profits and transforming lives.

Take a walk down a lane in Tarluwada village near Visakhapatnam. At first glance, it may seem like any other orchard. But hidden among these trees is an astonishing secret: a mango fruit that can endure frost, and travel oceans.

Retired SSB officer Utkrisht Pandey from Bhadauna village in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, is growing white sandalwood, black turmeric, and native crops on his organic farm, Rishigram Organics. His sustainable model is empowering rural communities and gaining global attention.

SK4, a high-yielding turmeric variety developed by Sachin Kamlakar Karekar, is transforming farming in 13 states across the country.

Excessive chemical use is degrading India’s soil, reducing fertility, and releasing carbon. Sustainable practices such as composting, agroforestry, mulching, and crop rotation restore health, boost yields, and capture carbon sustainably.

In Wayanad’s Ambalavayal, avocado cultivation has grown from a single tree in 1947 to hundreds of thriving orchards. Meet the farmers, researchers, and innovators turning this Kerala village into India’s avocado capital.

From rural healthcare to groundwater conservation, these innovations prove how homegrown tech can deliver affordable, scalable solutions to India’s toughest challenges.

Indian farmers are embracing frontier technologies like AI-powered sprayers, IoT sensors, and drones to cut costs, boost yields, and build climate resilience. Innovations once seen as futuristic are now mainstream, reshaping agriculture into a more sustainable and data-driven practice. Institutions like NITI Aayog are helping scale these solutions nationwide.

A former engineer, Lokesh Patade switched careers to introduce geranium cultivation in Chhattisgarh—creating eco-friendly air fresheners and inspiring rural change.

They said the Desert Rose was too exotic. Too delicate. Not worth it. Jalandhar proved them all wrong. From a small village in Tamil Nadu, he built a blooming business around a plant that requires almost no maintenance, just sun, water, and love.