Ajay Gopinath, a Kerala resident, describes how he started a profitable business by growing microgreens in a small space at home. Superfoods are often used to describe nutrient-dense microgreens. These are young, growing vegetables or herbs that are higher in nutrients than fully mature vegetables.
From a former bank employee to a successful entrepreneur
Ajay Gopinath, a former bank employee, had no idea until he noticed the small greens on his plate while eating at a Bengaluru restaurant. He became curious about them and discovered that they were not only a food garnishing ingredient, but also highly nutritious.
When Ajay left his banking job to return to his hometown of Kochi, he decided to try his hand at microgreen farming. “Roughly around 2017 or 2018, I began growing them on a limited scale for research purposes. After two years of study and testing, I was able to figure it out even though I wasn’t certain of the proper procedures. Then I began cultivating them commercially,” the 50-year-old claims.
15 different types of microgreens
Ajay currently grows about 15 different types of microgreens in an 80-square-foot room. He harvests about 5 kg of greens per day and sells between Rs 2 and Rs 3 lakh per month. Ajay got started with microgreens by watching YouTube videos. “I tried using tissue papers to cultivate microgreens from the green gram. However, the outcome fell short of my expectations. This led me to realize that most videos were fake and did not show how to grow microgreens properly,” he says.
He looked for an appropriate method. Through a friend who lives in the UK, he made contact with a microgreens specialist. “He taught me about growing microgreens because he was a farmer. Not all seeds can grow into microgreens, he informed me. These are the only Non-Genetically Modified Organism (GMO), non-hybrid, treated, and open-pollinated seeds available.”
After talking with him, Ajay realised that there was a lot more to growing microgreens than what he had read online. He began acquiring seeds in Chattisgarh, Pune, and Bengaluru.
Ajay has been growing microgreens for three years and has tried about 30 different varieties. “The world today offers over 150 different forms of microgreens, of which I am currently cultivating 15 different kinds,” he concludes.
