Hydroponic farming has been a game-changer for farmers across the country, helping them earn impressive sums. Whether you're a farmer or just curious about trying it out but don’t know where to start, we've got you covered. Here are five farmers who turned their lives around with it.

Founded by IIT-Bombay graduates Amit Kumar and Abhay Singh, Eeki Foods is revolutionising agriculture with its medium-less farming techniques. Driven by Abhay’s quest for a more sustainable and health-conscious method of food production, the startup employs hydroponics to cultivate vegetables without soil.

Their technology conserves 80% of water and enhances growth rates by 75%, utilising climate-controlled chambers with nutrient delivery systems for plant roots suspended in air. Eeki Foods operates in Haryana and Rajasthan with a mission to make farming both sustainable and affordable.

Raised with the belief that stable, secure jobs were the way to go, Shailesh Modak always felt a strong pull towards entrepreneurship. He left a 13-year career behind to invest Rs 10 lakh in a hydroponic system for growing saffron in Pune.

He developed a hydroponic system that grows saffron in Pune with 95% less water and allows for year-round production. His first saffron crop yielded 875 grams, earning him Rs 5 lakh.

In 2017, Ramesh Gera began cultivating saffron to address India’s 70% market reliance on imported saffron. Drawing from his engineering background and advanced farming insights gained in South Korea, he invested Rs 6 lakh in a 100-sq ft greenhouse in Noida, including the cost of saffron seeds from Kashmir.

His investment paid off, with saffron fetching up to Rs 3.5 lakh per kg in retail and Rs 6 lakh per kg in exports. Encouraged by the profitability, he founded the Akarshak Saffron Institute in Noida, where he has trained over 370 individuals, earning him a monthly income of Rs 3.5 lakh.

A chance TV programme on Israeli farming innovations sparked Dheeraj Verma’s interest in hydroponics. Frustrated by the poor sales and limited results of traditional farming on his 10-acre farm in Barabanki, he decided to explore hydroponics.

After investing Rs 12 lakh in a 3,500 sq ft hydroponic strawberry system and undergoing training in Madhya Pradesh, Dheeraj achieved remarkable results. In just two months, he harvested five tonnes of strawberries, earning Rs 3 lakh and experiencing a fivefold boost in production efficiency.

With a goal to reconnect with his farming roots and explore cutting-edge agricultural practices, Sandeep Kannan turned to hydroponics. While his classmates aimed for careers in urban settings or government positions, Sandeep focused on hydroponic farming during the COVID-19 lockdown.

He started small, experimenting on his terrace with PVC pipes and nutrient-rich water to grow leafy greens and lettuce. His success encouraged him to scale up and supply local supermarkets and residential areas in Tirupati. Sandeep now enjoys a monthly income of Rs 54,000.