The ‘organic’ growth: a farmer’s journey to creating Rs 100-crore turnover firm

“In 2014, I made the decision to quit my job. At that time, my package was Rs 13.50 lakh per annum, but by then I was earning much more from farming and wanted to dedicate myself full-time to it,” he said.

This shift marked the beginning of what would become a multi-faceted farm to table empire, which includes grocery stores and ‘organic, gluten free, vegan food restaurants’.

He started taking land on lease in various districts and expanded ‘organic’ farming to 200 acres. (Express Photo)

“Of the 200 acres, which I took on lease, I have orchards of lemons, guavas, pears, and apples on 100 acres. The remaining 100 acres are devoted to seasonal crops such as wheat, pulses, basmati rice, maize, turmeric, sugarcane, and vegetables,” says Bikramjit.

But Bikramjit didn’t stop there. Recognizing the potential of agriculture sector, he ventured into contract farming, and now around 600 farmers cultivate organic crops across a sprawling 8,000 acres for his company. His business model was designed not only to convert these farmers to organic farming but also to ensure they received prices significantly above the Minimum Support Price (MSP) offered by the government.

Organic farming became a stepping stone for Bikramjit to further diversify his business by setting up company called ‘Generation of Farming’ with its motto of ‘For the Farmer By the Farmer’ which supports farmers in transitioning to organic farming. Under this initiative, he provides all the necessary support, including practical setups, organic certification, and everything related to organic farming.

Utilising his banking and MBA experience, he ventured into self-marketing by opening grocery stores under the brand ‘Healthy Earth’. These stores, currently numbering six, offer over 216 organic products, including dairy, grains, and horticultural produce. The goal was not just to farm but to create a direct-to-consumer model and offer organic produce at competitive prices compared to chemically grown food.

For instance, the company purchases Basmati rice from farmers at Rs 4,500 per quintal, compared to market prices that can range from Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000. This approach ensures that local farmers have a sustainable livelihood while producing healthy, chemical-free food.

Farmers associated with him also share their satisfaction with his model of contract farming. (Express Photo)

“My vision was never just about farming for profit. I wanted to make farmers self sufficient, and give people access to healthy food, free from harmful chemicals. To expand my vision, I entered the restaurant business two years back, opening four organic food outlets under the name Healthy Earth. These restaurants offer a diverse menu focused on organic, gluten-free, and vegan food, catering to the growing demand for healthier eating options. The star of the menu is millet, a gluten-free grain known for its nutritional benefits, which I view as key to combating micronutrient deficiencies in the population,” says Bikramjit.

He says that though he has been running the grocery stores for the past four years, opened the restaurants, the company was formally founded only two years ago and is already turning over Rs 100 crore. “We are planning to open a chain of 100 restaurants in Punjab through franchising, along with a similar number of grocery stores. This will support the livelihoods of hundreds of farmers, create jobs in the agricultural and retail sectors, and provide healthy food to the people,” he says, adding that soon he will be opening labs along with restaurants to conduct free of cost health test of people.

“While my cousins and uncles are abroad, I wanted to create something significant here in Punjab. I wanted to create opportunities here and encourage the youth to stay back and work hard to earn even more than they would abroad,” says Bikramjit, adding that he has helped stop hundreds of youth from going abroad in the past couple of years.

“Under our company, we have now set up survey teams to assess how much food, including pulses, edible oil, spices, grains, and millets, Punjab requires, and what the shortages are. Based on this, we will focus on growing all these items here, and that too, organically and export the surplus.”

Utilising his banking and MBA experience, he ventured into self-marketing by opening grocery stores under the brand ‘Healthy Earth’. (Express Photo)

Farmers associated with him also share their satisfaction with his model of contract farming.

Farmer Kiranpreet from Manki village in Ludhiana says that he started growing potatoes for Bikramjit’s company this season. He cultivates organic potatoes on 22 acres of land, a practice he has followed in the past as well. He sells his potatoes to the company at Rs 1,100 per quintal, which is a good price compared to the market, where rates fluctuate between Rs 200 per quintal to Rs 800-1,000 per quintal. “Here, we have a guaranteed price for our crops. Now, we are planning to grow more crops for him,” he added.

Farmer Dalveer Singh from Gehlewal mentioned that he has been growing Basmati 1121 variety rice and potatoes under contract farming for Bikramjit Singh for the past five years. He has been using vermicompost and other organic manures to cultivate his crops. Since then, the yield has not only matched that of chemical farming but has surpassed it. Dalveer Singh receives Rs 4,500 per quintal for Basmati and Rs 1,400 per quintal for potatoes, with rates based on potato varieties. He also mentioned that he has certification for organic production, and their products are tested in labs periodically. He noted that they no longer need urea and DAP, as their yield exceeds that of fields where chemical fertilizers are used because their soil has become healthy after eliminating chemical inputs.