Five women mushroom farmers who started from a room and now earn lakhs

Indoor farming is rapidly gaining traction in India, with mushroom cultivation being the top for its low initial investment, quick crop cycle, rising market demand, and suitability for small spaces. 

Since mushroom farming can be started from a room or balcony in the house, it especially appeals to women who cannot go out to work due to family commitments or are interested in a home business. 

Some of the most successful women mushroom entrepreneurs initially operated from small rooms or balconies at home, gradually scaling up to earn substantial monthly revenues.

According to them, starting a mushroom farm requires an investment of less than Rs 500. Mushroom spawn typically costs between Rs 100 and Rs 120 per kg, with one kg giving at least ten mushroom bags. Depending on the type of mushroom -- oyster mushrooms use wheat straw, milky white mushrooms use paddy straw, and button mushrooms use compost -- the spawn is mixed with the medium before bagging.

After approximately 45 days, oyster mushroom production can yield around 30 to 32 kg. At a wholesale market price of approximately Rs 300 per kilogram, this translates to an income of about Rs 10,000 from an initial investment of less than Rs 500. Profits can then be reinvested to expand production by increasing the number of mushroom bags. The numbers are almost similar for the other two varieties as well.

Here are five women mushroom entrepreneurs who began from a room in their house and are now achieving monthly turnovers in lakhs of rupees:

1. Nidhi Katare, Madhya Pradesh

When the college where Nidhi Katare worked as an assistant professor of biotechnology was shut down, she began growing mushrooms at home. “We did not have too much money for investment. So we took second-hand instruments to start our mushroom spawn lab,” she says. Today, she earns Rs 3 lakh a month from oyster and button mushrooms, their powder and spawns (seeds).

Here’s Nidhi’s story: How this Gwalior professor became a successful mushroom entrepreneur

2. Pratibha Jha, Bihar

Pratibha Jha, married at 16, began growing milky mushrooms in her house in Darbhanga in 2016 after reading a newspaper article on button mushroom cultivation. Today, she is a master trainer who prepares mushroom spawns (seeds), grows milky, oyster and button mushrooms, and trains others to become entrepreneurs. 

Her initial investment of Rs1,000 has resulted in a business generating Rs2 lakh per month. 

Here’s her story: From Rs 1000 investment to Rs2 lakh monthly turnover, how this Bihar housewife scripted a mushroom success story

3. Trupti Bhushan Dhakate, Maharashtra

When Trupti, a professor from Maharashtra, began growing oyster mushrooms, there were no buyers. She would make mushroom curry, visit the vegetable markets in Baner, Kothrud and other areas in Pune and ask people to taste it.

Slowly, demand picked up. Today, Trupti’s zero-waste enterprise Quality Mushroom has a monthly turnover of Rs 4 lakh and she has trained hundreds of people in mushroom farming.

Here’s her story: Maharashtra professor turns mushroom entrepreneur; clocks Rs4 lakh monthly turnover 

4. Chitralekha, Kerala

In 2009, when mushroom farming was little-known in Kerala, Chithralekha ventured into it with nothing more than curiosity. What started as a humble experiment with a Rs 35 investment in her house balcony has transformed into a thriving business that not only supports her family but also inspires a growing community of mushroom farmers in her locality.

Her farm in Vengad Panchayat, Kannur, is a flourishing enterprise that produces fresh oyster mushrooms, spawn, and value-added products. She clocks over Rs1.5 lakh a month and continues to train others.

Here’s how Chitralekha did it: From Rs35 investment to Rs1.5 lakh monthly turnover, how this Kerala woman scripted a mushroom success story

5. Rama Kumari Pandey, Bihar

Unable to find mushrooms in her village in Muzaffarpur after living in Pune, Rama thought of cultivating them for her family. She ordered a kg of oyster mushroom spawns (seeds) online in 2021 for Rs120 and harvested 12 kg of mushrooms at her home. 

Encouraged by the results, she took training in cultivating button mushrooms. She now grows button, oyster and milky white varieties and sells their spawns to farmers across north India. Her monthly turnover is Rs3 lakh.

Here’s Rama’s story: With Rs150 investment, how this housewife built a mushroom business earning Rs3 lakh per month

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