Abhinav Singh took a job offer from Microsoft after completing his B.Tech and then relocated to England to live a comfortable and luxurious lifestyle. But, after some time he realized while enjoying all the comforts of a luxurious life, he missed being near to his family and friends.
Even though he used to go throughout Europe on weekends to party, and it all felt like a dream to him, he never felt accomplished and satisfied with his life.
How did Abhinav enter into farming?
In 2015, he moved back to India after realizing that his heart was always in India. After nearly a year of working in Microsoft's Gurgaon branch, Abhinav knew what he wanted to do next. So, in contrast to visiting his relatives in Varanasi, he explored the potentiality of pursuing agriculture as a career.
Except for his father, his entire family has been engaged in agriculture for centuries. In Chilbila, his original hamlet in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, he owned a few acres of farmland. So he thought, why not take advantage of it? That's how he started studying about what he should plant and eventually, he settled on gerbera horticulture.
Why did he choose Gerbera cultivation?
The Gerbera plant is perennial, and its flowers are popular in Uttar Pradesh and are in high demand, especially during the wedding season, when they are sourced from Pune. Gerbera is available in almost hundreds of colors and also stays fresh for a longer time. All these things contribute to making Gerbera the world's fifth most popular cut flower after rose.
Abhinav chose to get his Gerbera plants from Pune, which is well-known for its flower gardening. He built a polyhouse for Gerbera farming on 4,000 square meters (about an acre) of land in his hamlet since the flower cannot thrive in extreme heat and requires a regulated atmosphere.
He now sells over 2,000 gerbera flowers every day and earns Rs.1.5 lakh per month. Furthermore, his agri-business employs hundreds of people in his hometown.
