Ex-HR head grows saffron in 320 sq ft in Indore; clocks Rs8 lakh from first crop

On a family vacation to Kashmir in 2023, Anil Jaiswal saw the vast fields of saffron in Pampore. While he knew about the world’s costliest spice, he had seen the flowers blooming for the first time. Intrigued, he stopped to ask the local farmers about it.

“Having worked with the pharmaceutical industry for 20 years, I knew the medicinal uses of saffron. My interaction with the farmers prompted me to research more on indoor saffron farming,” Anil tells 30Stades. 

He found that Kashmir’s climate could be replicated in the heat of Indore, Madhya Pradesh, by controlling parameters like temperature and humidity. 

“I studied the climatic data of Pampore for the last ten years before starting indoor aeroponics farming of saffron,” says Anil, who worked in the engineering and pharma industries for 35 years before becoming an agripreneur.

Preparing for saffron cultivation

In aeroponic saffron cultivation, nutrients are supplied to plants through mist sprays without soil or other medium. The bulbs or seeds of saffron are put in vertically stacked trays for growth.

He prepared an insulated unit of 320 sq ft on the first floor of his house. “I used PUF panels for insulation and installed two chillers of three tonnes each and two humidifiers (one each for backup in case of a technical glitch). I also put up exhaust fans and other equipment to monitor the parameters,” says Anil.

He put up 300 trays spread over six layers for indoor farming and installed LED lights. 

“I did not put up grow lights because LED lights in three colours can replicate sunlight well. Plus, I leave the lab door open for natural light for some time every morning and evening,” he adds.

The total investment was Rs6.5 lakh, though it can be cut down by not installing the backup infrastructure. 

Also Read: Chennai’s urban farmer sets up low-cost microgreens unit; earns Rs 1 lakh monthly from 300 sq ft

“It is important to buy saffron bulbs (seeds) only from Pampore when you start farming because their quality is the best and Kashmiri mogra saffron is valued globally,” Anil emphasizes.

Process of indoor saffron farming and training

In August 2024, Anil purchased 1 tonne or about 1,000kg of saffron bulbs. “But out of them, around 300 kg were small daughter bulbs that could not be used. Any bulb weighing less than 7gm will not yield saffron,” he explains. 

Anil, his wife Kalpana and their son Kalpnil first put the bulbs under the fan for two to three days to remove any traces of fungi or moisture. They then treated the bulbs with organic neem oil. 

“We immersed the bulbs for a few minutes in neem oil mixed with water and again kept them for drying for three days,” the urban farmer says.

The bulbs were then graded and put in sanitized plastic trays. “Growers must use only plastic trays as the chances of contamination are much lower than in wooden trays,” Anil says.

The bulbs were put up in the first week of September and began yielding flowers in October-end. “Saffron farming requires monitoring four major parameters – temperature, humidity, lighting and CO2. With these parameters, you can grow saffron in any part of the world without soil,” he says.

Also Read: Nagpur couple grows saffron in 400 sq ft room; annual revenues at Rs40 lakh

Anil harvested saffron threads for about three weeks beginning October 27. 

“These 700 kg bulbs yielded 1kg and 600 gm of saffron, which I sold at Rs500 per gm and earned Rs8 lakh,” says Anil. He has named his firm Kalpnil Saffron.

Anil used his circle of friends and social media for sales. “The total production was sold within Indore. There was no stock left,” he says.

Saffron petals after harvesting the threads are used in the cosmetics industry and can add to the grower’s income. “I did not explore that option in my first attempt,” Anil adds.

After harvest, the bulbs are put for multiplication so the farmer does not have to buy them again. 

“I put the bulbs for multiplying in a medium of vermicompost, soil and sand. They are watered once a week. I also provide them with nutrients through fertigation,” he says.

Once the leaves of the bulbs turn yellow, they go into dormancy and do not require any sprays. “They remain dormant till July and the awakening stage begins in August. They will again be sanitized and put in the trays for the next harvest.

Each mother bulb yields two or more daughter bulbs. “However, only well-grown bulbs above 7gm are planted again because smaller ones do not yield saffron,” Anil adds.

He also provides aeroponics saffron cultivation training online and at his office in Indore. “There is a huge demand-supply gap in saffron. Indoor farming is one of the ways to bridge this gap and create entrepreneurial opportunities,” he adds.

(Riya Singh is a Ranchi-based journalist who writes on environment, sustainability, education & women empowerment).

Also Read: Ex-banker grows saffron in a room in Dehradun; sells at Rs5 lakh per kg

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