Located in the misty hills of Solan, Himachal Pradesh — also known as the Mushroom City of India — a new venture is blending tradition with innovation. Famous for its mushroom production, Solan is now becoming a hub for fresh entrepreneurial ideas.

Gaurav Sabharwal, 36, from Solan, is changing the farming narrative. “I know that many people believe that farming is not profitable but it depends on what you are growing,” he says. Gaurav grows saffron using aeroponics in a 300 sq ft setup.

Gaurav’s journey began with a humble dream to expand his father’s shoe business. “After completing my graduation, I decided to join my father in running the family business,” he recalls.

Four years ago, Gaurav’s life changed when his father passed away. “There was a debt on our family that we had to pay, and our shoe business was not making much profit,” he shares. Burdened with this responsibility, he started searching for new opportunities.

With the mushroom market saturated, Gaurav sought more profitable ventures. His online research led him to saffron, known as ‘red gold’.

“Everyone knows how expensive saffron is and how profitable it can be. But I always assumed that it can only be grown in Kashmir,” Gaurav admits, adding that he started researching on the internet if there were ways of growing it in Himachal.

He then discovered aeroponics, a technique where plants grow without soil. “Aeroponics can help plants grow faster, use less water, and be more resistant to diseases compared to traditional methods,” he explains.

Inspired by this innovation, Gaurav connected with others who had successfully grown saffron using aeroponics and sought their guidance. Realising the potential and determined to bring this idea to life, he began exploring ways to fund his venture.

With no funds of his own, he sought help from the government and secured a Rs 10 lakh loan under PM Modi’s startup scheme. With the right funding, he set up his farm lab, ‘Shoolini Saffron’.

“The greatest factor to consider was that the temperature needed to grow saffron was only in Kashmir in India. So I had to mimic that here in Solan,” Gaurav explains.

Initially, he faced setbacks when his first crop caught fungus. “I was taken aback,” he admits. He managed the situation by drying the affected plants and separating them from the healthy ones.

After eight months of hard work, Gaurav harvested 500 grams of saffron. “I was very tense because this was a leap of faith for me. Earlier, I had no intentions of doing anything and seeing those buds flower was a great feeling,” he shares.

His saffron sold for Rs 500 per gram. “The market rate was Rs 300 but those are not pure and are usually chemically grown. I had them tested, and my produce was sold for more than the market price,” he beams.

Gaurav says, “The best thing about using this technique (aeroponics) is that it does not require me to follow the seasons. This makes the produce available to you throughout the year.”

“A lot of people in my city have shown interest in learning how to use aeroponics,” adds Gaurav, who plans to expand the production and reach more customers.