In May 2023, homemaker Shubha Bhatnagar shared an unusual dream during a dinner table conversation. At 63, she wanted to cultivate saffron indoors while creating employment opportunities for rural women.

“I wanted to put my time and life to good use,” she reflects. With her children settled and her responsibilities behind her, Shubha was ready to pursue self-reliance and a meaningful new chapter.

Shubha’s son and daughter-in-law, both engineers, were intrigued by her idea. They quickly began exploring how to make her vision a reality. Her husband, who ran a cold storage business, also offered his support.

The family delved into research, focusing on how to replicate Kashmir’s unique climatic conditions for indoor saffron farming.

Shubha’s son, Ankit, took the lead in developing the technology, combining aeroponics and IoT (Internet of Things) sensors to monitor and control the environment needed for saffron farming. To ensure quality, Shubha and Ankit travelled to Kashmir to learn directly from saffron farmers.

“We met about 25 to 30 farmers and spent many days with them. We wanted to learn about the kind of soil they use, the process of cultivating saffron, how long it takes, and which temperatures saffron thrives in. We also bought the bulbs from them,” says Ankit.

After returning, Shubha set up a 560-square-foot cold storage room and began with 2,000 kgs of saffron bulbs. By August 2023, they had planted the authentically sourced bulbs in the chamber, and just three months later, they celebrated their first harvest.

Behind this success was meticulous planning. Shubha and Ankit studied 10 years of saffron production data from Kashmir and replicated the optimal temperatures of the 2015-16 record harvest. With IoT devices, their efforts bore fruit, and the first saffron flowers bloomed in just 60 days.

Today, Shubha oversees the business, managing everything from technology to sales. She smiles proudly as she says, “There’s no age limit to learning.”

Shubhavni SmartFarms sells saffron at Rs 750 per gram and aims to expand production. The family is also exploring the possibility of achieving two harvests per year, a rarity in saffron farming.

This comes from the significant space efficiency of indoor saffron farming. “A farmer would typically sow 2,000 kg of saffron in 1.5 acres of land, while we are able to do the same in 560 square feet,” Ankit explains.

The labour-intensive process of saffron cultivation also provided an opportunity to empower rural women. From drying and aerating bulbs to harvesting and packaging, every step requires precision and care.

For women like Geeta Devi, a mother of five, the business provides a dependable income. “We were taught everything about saffron cultivation and earned more than we did in the fields,” Geeta says.

Shubha’s dream is to empower more women through self-reliance and help them provide for their families. “Never underestimate yourself and your dreams. Self-reliance gives immense confidence. Even starting a small business will boost your morale,” she says.