Want to grow plants at home but have no time and space? Mumbai resident Snehal Ambekar faced the same challenge.

Her early attempts failed due to the formation of mould. But things changed when she met Sayak Gupta while pursuing a BTech in food technology, entrepreneurship and management from the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management - Kundli (NIFTEM-K) in Haryana.

Sayak, passionate about nutrition, aimed to develop a product that would make healthy eating more accessible from the comfort of one’s home.

The shared experiences of Sayak and Snehal led to the creation of a portable, soilless microgreens cultivator called ‘Half Inch Garden’ through their venture, SS AgriQulture Innovations.

While growing microgreens is not a new concept, traditional methods are often cumbersome, as they require a lot of time and space.

The duo started working on a tech-to-table model during their college years. In January 2023, they won Rs 1 lakh at IIT Bombay’s business model competition, Eureka.

They used this prize money to work on the first prototype of their cultivator, the Half Inch Garden. “It is a garden that fits perfectly on your dining table or coffee table,” says Sayak.

Over the past two years, they’ve received over Rs 18 lakh in grants from institutions like the Massive Earth Foundation, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), IIT Roorkee, IIM Kashipur, and more. The startup is also recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), a central government body.

The Half Inch Garden is a soilless cultivator and comes with seed patches, which are thin sheets embedded with seeds. The sheets are made using biodegradable fibres and agricultural waste.

“The sheet itself acts as a growing medium for the microgreens, providing essential nutrients. There are no pesticides required. We have formulated and manufactured this sheet,” explains Sayak.

The machine uses hydroponic technology and comes with a grow light that mimics the wavelength of the sun. It also has two exhaust fans inside to circulate the airflow and an automatic irrigation system.

“All one has to do after getting the machine is to fill the water container with 2.5 litres of water. You can place four seed patches at a time in the slots provided. Switch it on and forget about it! After five to eight days, your harvest will be ready,” says Snehal.

After seven prototypes, the entrepreneurs have zeroed in on their final version and hope to start production soon. They have tested and validated eight varieties of microgreens — including beetroot, broccoli, green mustard, chia, clover, and wheatgrass.

They plan to launch the automated cultivator next month. Their motive is to make Indians include microgreens as part of their daily diet. “Eat your vitamins before you have to start taking supplements,” Snehal advises.