apple farming

After serving in the Indian Army, Colonel Divya Thakur returned to his family orchards in Manali with a new mission — to heal the soil. Using natural farming and army precision, he revived tired land into a flourishing organic apple haven, harvesting 11 tonnes in July 2025.

From quitting his corporate job to growing exotic crops, engineer-turned-farmer Vikrant Kale defied odds by cultivating apples in Maharashtra’s 44°C heat.

Aprajita Bansal runs Phal Phool, a startup that sells apples and other products grown on her family orchard in Banon, Himachal Pradesh.

After working in the corporate world, Vikrant Kale turned to his farming roots in Maharashtra. Interestingly, he transformed apple farming by cultivating up to 16,000 kg of apples annually in Maharashtra’s scorching 44°C heat.

Aprajita Bansal runs Phal Phool, a startup that sells apples and other products grown on her family orchard in Banon, Himachal Pradesh. By reducing dependency on middlemen, she has ensured that her father earns three times the profit for the produce sold online, while customers get farm fresh apples.

Ashish Negi runs 'Kayang' to empower local farmers by directly supplying Kinnauri apples to customers, eliminating middlemen and other exploitative market practices.