Rambutan and Bhedaghat

Dear Reader,

Most people choose their profession under parental or societal pressure or because of bright financial prospects. In the minority are those who dare to follow their heart – it could be by opting for a field of study that interests them or giving up a job to pursue their passion. These people are successful and continue to work in their twilight years because of the joy they derive from their work.

To my mind, it’s never too late to make a fresh start. It is also what Chethan Shetty did. While working as the South India sales head for Clear Edge Filtration, he developed a keen interest in his family's occupation of farming. Beginning with helping his father in his free time, he quit his job in 2017 to become a full-time farmer.

He now grows spices and exotic fruits at his farm in Mangaluru using organic farming methods. Chethan sells pepper, mace, turmeric and over 4,000 kg of rambutan, mangosteen, avocado and other fruits annually under the Manjanna Shetty Family Farms brand. My back-of-the-envelope calculation showed his annual income from rambutan fruit alone at around Rs35 lakh (he sells rambutan and mangosteen at Rs 350 per kg).

Chethan told me he also helps farmers who are unable to access the market directly by selling their produce under his brand. The fruits are couriered across India and he has expanded his ancestral 4-acre farm to 10 acres now.

My colleague Niroj wrote a very interesting piece on another engineer, Subrat Kumar Nath who has created a mini forest of rare flower and fruit plants at his home in Odisha. Subrat works for Cushman & Wakefield (C&W) and he has been in love with plants since childhood. Among his treasured plants is the Miyazaki mango which sells for Rs2.5 lakh per kg and the Sahasradala Padmam, a lotus with over 1000 petals, which has a strong fragrance and also finds a mention in the Puranas.

Subrat uses organic manures and also shares plants with nature lovers, helping in biodiversity conservation. He supports the gardening and afforestation efforts of the local administration and is a role model for many.

Last week, we put together an interesting piece on five profitable businesses that can be started with an investment of just Rs5,000. Each business idea also gives examples of two successful entrepreneurs in the segment. Do look it up!

Our Sunday piece is on Bhedaghat's Marble Rocks that turn magical under moonlight. The place is also on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

In the Money section, my colleague Karan gave seven retirement planning tips for women because they need to plan their finances differently from men.

Happy Reading!

Warmly,

Rashmi