This former royal of Odisha grows exotic vegetables using hydroponics; annual turnover at Rs 30 lakh

Samendra Singh Deo, a member of the former royal family of Hemgir in the Sundargarh district of Odisha, is growing exotic vegetables using hydroponics. His work has created employment opportunities in the remote village of Hemgir and is helping meet the rising demand for exotic vegetables in the state.

“I wanted to provide a source of regular income to the villagers of Hemgir. So I decided to start hydroponic vegetable farming under shade nets. It has created employment for local people as exotic vegetables are grown throughout the year,” he tells 30Stades.

Samendra began construction of the shade net in 2022 and added climate control equipment, tubing pipes and other installations. “We used the services of the locals at every step of the project,” he says.

Today, the polyhouse over 1.4 acres produces many exotic vegetables. They include Chinese cabbage, lettuce, bok choy (also pok choi), celery, coloured bell peppers, cherry tomato, cucumber, and herbs like basil, thyme, mint, dill, rosemary, and parsley, among others.

In hydroponic farming, vegetables are cultivated in a nutrient-rich water solution instead of soil in a greenhouse or shade net. This allows for controlled environments, leading to faster growth and higher yields compared to traditional farming. The vegetables are free of pesticides and grown without harmful chemicals.

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Why exotic vegetable farming is profitable

Samendra says the idea to cultivate exotic vegetables under protected farming came from the various videos he saw online. “Hydroponics uses technology to prevent losses due to pests, natural disasters and other variables. Moreover, it provides consistent income to the grower and good quality vegetables to buyers. That’s why I went ahead,” says Samendra, 32.

The Indian exotic vegetables market reached 2.4 billion dollars in 2024, according to research agency IMARC Group. It expects the market to reach 6.7 billion dollars by 2033.

While the initial investment is higher compared to conventional crops, the high market prices and lower competition can lead to significant profits in exotic vegetable farming.

Exotic vegetables are cultivated in greenhouses and net or polyhouses and sell at higher prices than native vegetables. The shifting consumer preference towards international cuisines and a significant growth in India’s food and beverage sector are leading to a high demand for exotic vegetables, making them a good option for farmers.

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Marketing exotic vegetables

The daily production at Samendra’s farm is around 100 kg of exotic vegetables. They sell at an average rate of Rs 100 per kg, resulting in a daily turnover of Rs 10,000. The exotic vegetables are sold across Odisha and in some nearby states.

“We sell the produce mostly B2B (business to business). They are in high demand in restaurants, hotels and among caterers,” he says.

The farm generated a revenue of Rs 25 lakh in 2023-24and it increased to Rs 30 lakh in 2024-25. The revenue projection is around Rs 1.5 crore by the completion of five years of the project. 

Samendra has collaborated with Tfarms Pvt Ltd, a hydroponics farming company, for the unit. The project was set up with an investment of Rs 1.3 crore under the Mukhyamantri Krishi Udyog Yojna (MKUY) with support from the State Bank of India.

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Under the MKUY scheme of Odisha, Samendra received a Rs 78 lakh loan from the State Bank of India, Jharsuguda, and invested the remaining amount from his end. After applying for a subsidy under MKUY, he will receive around 40 percent of the fixed capital cost.

This is the first commercial hydroponics project in Odisha. The exotic vegetable cultivation in Hemgir has proved successful, and the demand is rising.

“Our produce sells in Bhubaneswar, Rourkela, and Berhampur in Odisha besides cities in adjacent states -- Raipur, Bilaspur, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Visakhapatnam, etc,” Samendra says.

Pragyanlok Priya Pradhan, Assistant Horticulture Officer, Hemgir, says as a royal family member, Samendra’s efforts to create employment opportunities in a remote village are praiseworthy. 

“He is an inspiration for the youth. Others must also start such farming projects and avail of the subsidy under government schemes like MKUY,” said Pragyanlok Priya Pradhan, Assistant Horticulture Officer, Hemgir.

(Malay Ray is a Rourkela-based journalist. He writes on social issues, human interest stories, startups, the environment, women empowerment and tribal life)

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