Mushroom MBA and Terrace Gardening

Dear Reader,

The more I interact with people, the more I realise that many bright young professionals living away in big cities harbour an invisible desire - to return home, to their own people and the familiar lanes where they grew up. But the comfort of fat pay cheques is often a deterrent.

Some eventually go back after retirement, while others never do. And then there are those who choose heart over head, quit their jobs, and return home.

Amit Kumar belongs to this last category. An MBA working in the IT sector in Pune, he went home during COVID-19 and never returned to his MNC work routine. He now grows mushrooms in Lakhisarai, Bihar. His wife Deepika, with a bachelor's in computer applications, uses them in cakes, cookies, biscuits, and buns, writes my colleague Riya.

The couple sells oyster and button mushrooms, runs a bakery, and trains people in mushroom entrepreneurship. They clocked Rs24 lakh last fiscal. Amit and Deepika are happy not only because their business is doing well, but also because they have helped hundreds of people become micro-entrepreneurs in Bihar.

From Odisha, my colleague Niroj wrote a heartwarming story about Sabai grass craft transforming the lives of tribal women in Mayurbhanj. Traditionally, the women made only grass ropes from sabai. Now, through training and effective marketing by state agencies, women’s groups earn a reliable income from decorative and utility sabai grass items.

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They are part of Mayurbhanj Sabai Farmers Producer Company Ltd, which clocked Rs 70 lakh in turnover last year. The products are eco-friendly, biodegradable and help reduce plastic pollution.

These initiatives in tribal belts are significant because they create pathways to economic empowerment, preserve rich tribal heritage, and are an excellent alternative to distress migration.

With a rising demand for handmade products, a wave of young Indians is quitting jobs to take up craft entrepreneurship. My colleague Anu has put together a piece on three engineers and a banker who are reviving crafts and empowering artisans while earning very well for themselves. Do look it up.

Riya’s weekend piece this time is about urban gardeners using smart watering methods that conserve water and save time. From self-watering pots to capillary mats and drip irrigation, she has given five practical ways to grow thriving balconies and terrace gardens sustainably.

Happy Reading!

Warmly,

Rashmi

MBA quits job to start mushroom business with wife; clocks Rs24 lakh in Bihar village

How Mayurbhanj’s tribal women handcrafted a Rs70 lakh enterprise from sabai grass

Three engineers and a banker who quit jobs to build thriving craft businesses

Five ways to save water and time in home gardening