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

Sometime in 2018, Divya Lohakare Holey and her businessman husband Akshay Holey were looking to start an enterprise. Akshay was already in the garment business and the couple decided to venture into something new that could bring them consistently high income.

“We wanted to integrate agriculture with technology and produce a non-perishable product with a good market demand. These factors could ensure good returns and the least likelihood of unsold inventory,” 30-year-old Divya tells 30Stades.

The couple researched for almost 1.5 years and zeroed in on the aeroponic cultivation of saffron under which the world’s costliest spice is grown in a room with controlled parameters like humidity, lighting and temperature.

Plants grow without soil and receive nutrients from a mist of water droplets that contain nutrients. The mist is sprayed onto the roots of the plants, which are exposed to the air. 

High demand, low production of saffron

“Saffron cultivation using aeroponics met all our criteria. Moreover, the domestic production in Kashmir is minuscule compared to saffron demand, making it a valuable product,” says Divya.

According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, “the annual demand for saffron in India is 100 tonnes but its average production is only about six to seven tonnes per year.” 

So it is imported from Iran and Afghanistan, making indoor saffron farming a lucrative option for growers. 

The couple decided to visit Kashmir to understand the processes better. Between 2019 and early 2020 (before COVID-19 hit), they travelled to Kashmir multiple times, spending 3.5 months in total, learning about traditional saffron farming from local farmers.

Also Read: This woman grows saffron in 100 sq ft room, sells at Rs10 lakh per kg

“We combined the traditional knowledge with new-age aeroponics and decided to experiment in an 80 sq ft room in our house (in Dhule where the couple lived at that time),” Divya says.

In 2020, the couple procured 100 saffron bulbs from Kashmir, put up an air conditioner and made a humidifier at home for indoor farming. 

Out of the 100 bulbs, 80 seeds gave flowers. “It was a success and we decided to continue,” she says.

Expansion, costs and training

In 2023, Akshay and Divya shifted to Nagpur. “Here, we started with an 80 sq ft room on our terrace and planted 250 kg seeds (bought at Rs800 per kg) with proper equipment. The total investment including preparing the room, equipment and seeds was Rs8 lakh,” she says.

They harvested 1600 gm saffron, sold it at Rs630 per gm and made around Rs10 lakh, fully recovering their investment in the first harvest. 

Around this time, their work came to the notice of people and they began asking for saffron farming training. “We were flooded with requests. So we decided to pursue both – cultivation and training -- under Shaya Enterprises,” she adds. Akshay and Divya set up a 400 sq ft saffron production unit in Nagpur in 2023.

Also Read: Pune man grows saffron on terrace, sells at Rs 6 lakh per kg

Divya says about 200 to 250kg of bulbs can be planted in trays over 150 sq ft. The saffron bulbs are put in vertically stacked trays near which grow lights are put up to replicate sunlight.

Saffron bulbs are put in the lab in August. Bulbs develop buds, which grow into flowers under optimum lighting, humidity and temperature. They are ready for harvest in three months, by the first week of November. 

“We started with around 750 kg bulbs bought for Rs7.5 lakh at (Rs1000 per kg) and put them in the lab in August. The saffron yield after three months was 4.3 kg, which we sold at Rs630 per gram,” Divya says.

This resulted in revenues of Rs27 lakh. “We also offer training in saffron farming, where we offer three packages to learners. The rates start from Rs7000 and go up to Rs15000 depending on the services chosen,” Divya points out. 

The couple takes two to four batches of five participants each per month. On average, the income from training is around Rs12 to Rs13 lakh, taking the total revenues to Rs40 lakh per year.

Divya says after saffron is harvested, the bulbs are put into a soil medium in the lab. “We have replicated the Kashmir soil, which is required for bulbs to multiply. The bulbs are put in the soil trays in November. One seed or bulb yields four to five daughter seeds, which are ready for plantation by July,” Divya explains.

They are planted in August and harvested again in November. As the number of seeds continues to increase annually, indoor farmers can either expand their labs or sell them to other growers.

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

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