Bhopal woman grows exotic mushrooms in 200 sq ft; clocks Rs 5 lakh monthly turnover

After completing her BSc, Dr Basu Choudhary wanted to start her own enterprise in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. However, resources were limited, and she did not want to take up any business requiring heavy investment. 

“Having studied science, I knew mushroom farming could be done on a small scale. In 2011, I ordered 5 kg of spawns (seeds) of oyster mushrooms from Solan in Himachal Pradesh. They cost me Rs 400 (Rs 80 per kg). I procured wheat straw and put up 50 bags of mushrooms in a room in my house,” Basu tells 30Stades.

Wheat straw is packed into bags and then inoculated with mushroom mycelium (spawn). This process allows the mycelium to colonise the straw and produce oyster mushrooms. The trial yielded 150 kg of mushrooms, and Basu sold them fresh in the local market at Rs 200 per kg, earning Rs 30,000. 

Trial to entrepreneurship

“In 2013, I enrolled for MSc (Biotechnology) to learn more about mushrooms. Alongside, I continued cultivation on a small scale,” she says.

Also Read: Engineer couple builds Rs 15 crore business of exotic mushrooms; first to grow wild gucchi indoors

The same year, she purchased 20kg of spawn, and the oyster mushroom output was 600 kg. “Apart from selling locally, I also dried them for use at a later stage as the powder has a long shelf life,” Basu says.

During her post-graduation, Basu did her internship in tissue culture and mushroom farming and understood the requirements for a mushroom lab apart from cultivation.

“In 2014, I took a loan to set up a mushroom spawn laboratory over 100 sq ft. I received a subsidy of Rs 2 lakh from the state government towards lab equipment,” she says.

Today, Basu has increased her lab area to 200 sq ft and clocks Rs60 lakh annual turnover by selling exotic mushrooms and their spawn to customers across India. She grows shiitake, king oysters, lion’s mane, reishi, cordyceps and other varieties, which are in high demand due to their nutritional and medicinal properties.

Mushroom spawn labs are a growing business in India. The nutritional value and versatility of mushrooms in cuisine are driving this growth. Basu also provides training in mushroom cultivation. 

Once the lab was set up, the word spread and Basu started supplying oyster mushroom spawn to local growers. “I also began training rural women and gave them spawn free of cost so they could add mushrooms to their family diet and improve protein intake,” says Basu, who received a doctorate in social work for her contribution to society.

Expanding to high-profit-yielding exotic mushrooms

“As I gained experience, I began preparing spawns of the button and then milky mushroom varieties. This ensured that my lab worked throughout the year,” she adds.

Also Read: Schoolboy starts mushroom farming at 17; reaches Rs 18 lakh annual turnover in 4 years

Basu continued her research on newer mushroom varieties gaining popularity in India. “I decided to expand and prepare spawns of exotic mushrooms like shiitake, king oysters, lion’s mane, reishi, cordyceps, and chanterelles. So I increased my lab space from 100 sq ft to 200 sq ft,” she says.

“In 2017, I procured a culture of Cordyceps militaris mushrooms from Thailand and multiplied it in my lab. The results were good,” the woman entrepreneur says. 

Cordyceps has medicinal properties and is found in the Himalayas. Known as ‘keeda jadi’ in Hindi, it is now difficult to see in the wild due to over-harvesting. 

Most medicinal supplements use lab-grown cordyceps, which sell between Rs 90,000 and Rs 3.5 lakh per kg, depending on demand and supply. 

“I harvest cordyceps every three months. The annual yield is 20 kg. I sell it at Rs 3 lakh to Rs 3.5 lakh per kg in retail directly to customers. I also sell them wholesale to pharma companies at Rs 75,000 to Rs 1 lakh per kg,” Basu says.

She also prepares cordyceps culture and sells it in test tubes.

“A set of two tubes is sold at Rs 5,000. Every month, I sell cordyceps culture worth around Rs 70,000,” she says.

Apart from this, Basu also grows shiitake, king oysters, lion’s mane, reishi and chanterelles on an order basis. “The mother culture for any mushroom variety can be retrieved from mushrooms in the market where a cross-section of the mushroom is cut to get the fungus,” Basu says. 

Also Read: Homemaker grows cordyceps mushroom in 200 sq ft room; earns Rs 30 lakh annually

She prepares 500 kg of oyster mushroom spawns monthly. The number varies for other varieties. “For selling culture and spawns, I work on an order basis. I don’t prepare spawns and wait for sales. The majority of my orders are fixed,” Basu adds.

She also sells shiitake and ganoderma mushrooms directly in dry form to buyers across India. “Exotic mushrooms are more flavorful and have unique textures, aromas, and nutritional properties. Their demand is increasing and mushroom entrepreneurship can be a good option for youth,” Basu says.

(Rashmi Pratap is a Mumbai-based journalist specialising in financial, business and socio-economic reporting)

Also Read: This engineer quit L&T for mushroom farming; clocks Rs70 lakh annual turnover

Look up our YouTube Channel