As a horticulture scientist in Lucknow, Kamini Singh often felt her research wasn’t reaching farmers or making a real difference in their lives. This realisation motivated her to bridge the gap.

After 17 years of research in institutions like the Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (CISH), she turned to farming.

In 2017, she leased a land in Lucknow to experiment with moringa, which proved highly successful.

“By switching to moringa farming and value addition, farmers could earn Rs one lakh from just one acre of land, compared to traditional crops that would only fetch them Rs 25,000 annually,” she says.

Starting with a small group, Kamini helped form a network of over 1,050 farmers across the region.

Kamini’s enterprise, Doctor Moringa Pvt Ltd., and its Farmer Producer Organisation help centralise sales, reducing middlemen and increasing farmers’ profits.

The growing demand for moringa helped her grow her business from a small Rs 9 lakh loan to a turnover of Rs 1.75 crore.

Today, Kamini offers a diverse range of moringa-based products, including soaps, tea, and oils, expanding the impact of her work via value addition.

"Becoming a job creator has allowed me to support farmers directly and combine science with rural development," she says.