Banker quits job to grow microgreens; earns Rs5 lakh monthly from just a 64 sq ft room

During a lunch with friends in a Bengaluru restaurant in 2017, Ajay Gopinath, a banker with Citigroup, was intrigued to see the salad platter garnished with a few microgreens. Curious about them, he began researching microgreens -- vegetables, grains and herbs harvested at the seedling stage when only their seed leaves have developed. 

Three years later, in December 2020, 48-year-old Ajay resigned and returned to his home town in Kochi to grow microgreens. He registered “Grow Greens” as a proprietorship with an office in Ernakulam. 

Learning through trial and error

“I extensively searched for YouTube videos to learn about microgreen cultivation. I found some growing methods that used tissue paper and newspapers to make microgreens of mustard, fenugreek, green gram etc. However, I was not satisfied with these basic techniques and decided to delve deeper, including the sourcing of seed, food grade trays, and cocopeat for sowing the seeds,” says Ajay. 

Finally, he got the basic information on microgreens from a friend in the UK and followed it up with his own research through trial and error. 

“Microgreens (harvested within seven to ten days after sprouting) have immense health benefits. However, there is little awareness and they have not been incorporated in our diet adequately, although some elites have been consuming them and five-star hotels often toss them in salads,” rues Ajay. 

Also Read: How this teacher-cum-urban farmer built a successful microgreens business in Gujarat

Microgreens are developed from vegetables, grains, and herb seeds. They carry a stronger flavour than sprouts and come in a wider selection of leaf shapes, textures, and colours. They deliver a concentrated dose of nutrients and are a rich source of polyphenols, a class of antioxidants linked to a lower risk of heart disease. 

Investment and returns

“I wondered if the cost was the main reason why people were refraining from tapping this superfood. That is when I decided to begin cultivating microgreens on a commercial level to make it available to the average middle class,” he notes.

Ajay invested around Rs5 lakh from his savings for R&D, procuring manufacturing materials, and organic microgreen seeds. He currently sources organic seeds from farmers in Uttarakhand and Srinagar.

“I began microgreens farming in my 64 sq ft (8ft x 8ft) bedroom. I started with just one rack, and now I grow them in four racks, producing seven to eight kg daily. The medium is cocopeat, which is changed after every harvest. The greens are harvested daily and sent to customers,” Ajay says.

Microgreens are sold in boxes of 80-100g, with prices starting from Rs150. “We do mix different varieties in one box to maximize nutrition,” he says. The cheapest varieties are sunflower, radish white and mustard green, priced at Rs150, while the costlier ones include amaranths, corn, broccoli, red cabbage, beets, at Rs250 per box, says Ajay.

Ajay has also launched a franchise model for microgreens farming, helping set up more than 30 plus units in individual brand names. “I support them by giving training and supplying seeds and other accessories for a one-time fee,” says Ajay. 

His annual turnover was Rs40 lakh in FY 24 and he is targeting Rs60 lakh in the current fiscal from sales and training. 

Hailing from the small village of Ambalapuzha in the Alleppey district of Kerala, Ajay completed his early schooling at his village, before moving to Thiruvananthapuram for high school and college from where he completed BSc in mathematics. 

Also Read: Kerala farmer harvests 6000 kg rambutan per acre with high-density farming

Marketing microgreens

Ajay prefers B2C sales, although he also has a B2B model, which is working very well. “I have hired two women to help me in production, two delivery boys, and one person for marketing and accounts,” he says.

“My client base ranges from a welder, who helped in setting up the farm racks to health-conscious people, restaurants and star hotels. My goal is to establish units across India, even villages so that the superfood is accessible to everyone.”

Ajay sells microgreens through 25 channels, including hospitals that have included them in patients’ diet plans. Sanjeevani Ayurveda Hospital in Kerala is one of them.

He is keen to change the image of microgreens from 5-star food and take it to the common man's platter. “People often believe that microgreens should only be consumed with salads or served as garnishing, but they can also be incorporated into our traditional diet. I tried raising awareness during my initial stages by including them in bread toast, omelette, dosa, idli, upma, biryani, even in curries such as sambhar and rasam, and the traditional Kerala breakfast recipe puttu (pound rice steamed in a cylindrical vessel layered with grated coconut),” he says.

Also Read: Kerala: How this 12th-pass woman turned her organic food processing home business into a successful start-up

“Most of the people with whom I shared the photograph had never heard of microgreens. Microgreens should never be cooked and it is preferable to consume it in raw form,” Ajay points out.

Some of the celebrities who buy microgreens from Ajay include actors Mammooty, Nivin Pauly, Samyuktha Varma and  Kukku Parameswaran.

Process of growing microgreens 

“I use native untreated seeds, not hybrids. Our ancestors used to store original seeds for sowing in the next season. They knew how to preserve the seeds using natural methods. I use the same technique,” he adds. 

Ajay follows indoor vertical farming, which requires ambient lighting, humidity, air circulation, temperature, water, and darkness for the seeds to germinate etc. 

“A sapling that grows in these ideal conditions has a higher nutrient value than when grown outdoors,” he points out.

Many people asked him if the plant would have any nutritional value since it is not growing under the sun. “A microgreen is only seven days old and cannot withstand intensive heat or heavy wind. The plant needs sunlight for photosynthesis during future growth into a full-fledged plant, but we harvest when the leaf turns green by supplying artificial lighting. So the energy we get from the plants is not because of photosynthesis but from the quality of the particular seed.” 

Also Read: Himachal farmer grows saffron in 300 sq ft unit; sells at Rs5 lakh/kg

Accordingly, he keeps the temperature below 25 degrees Celsius, provides adequate airflow, and maintains the pH of water between 5.5 and 6.5, while humidity is regulated by a dehumidifier at 40-60 percent.

The time taken from seed germination is three to four days and it is four to eight days under light. Some microgreens like amaranths need a few more days to become microgreen. 

“I mainly cultivate white, red, Chinese, and purple radish, pak choi or bok choy, green and yellow mustard, sunflower, beets, amaranths, corn, broccoli, red and green cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi green, purple kohlrabi or turnip cabbage, pea, cilantro, red and green kale.”

The growing medium is only cocopeat. He does not use soil to avoid any pathogens. “Microgreens remain fresh for seven days when stored in the refrigerator.  Harvested microgreens can be shipped only in cold containers since they are highly perishable. I supply long distances by placing ice gel in thermocol containers. We also deliver microgreens with roots in small containers, leaving it to the consumer to cut whenever needed,” says Ajay. 

“We are in the process of developing value-added products with microgreens.” Not surprisingly, the microgreens produced by Ajay are sought after by gyms, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, individual customers, supermarkets, yoga centres, and schools, all in Kochi.

With absolutely no background in farming, his father is an ex-Navy man and his mother is a homemaker, Ajay has always loved plants since childhood. Ajay lives in Kochi with his wife, 26-year-old son and 22-year-old daughter.

(Rama Devi Menon is a Hyderabad-based independent journalist, bird conservationist and animal rights advocate)

Also Read: Maharashtra professor turns mushroom entrepreneur; clocks Rs4 lakh monthly turnover

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