Sowmya Balasubramaniam’s journey began in the IT world, despite being born into an agricultural family. After completing her B.Tech in Information Technology, she worked in the corporate sector. However, the struggles of farmers, the sight of fallow fields, and the disconnect between food and its origins stirred her heart. The turning point came when she realized that while she was coding, the true essence of life—seeds, soil, and farming—was fading away.
Determined to match her career to her purpose, Sowmya took a bold step. She quit her IT job and pursued her studies at India's leading social work university, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. She topped her class not only academically but also bagged a gold medal in Social Work with a specialization in Livelihoods and Social Entrepreneurship. Her scholarly distinction was only the starting point for a far more profound mission.
From the Himalayas to Kerala: A Search for Forgotten Seeds
After completing her studies, Sowmya embarked on a path that no one would ever dream of taking. For eight years, she walked from the snow-capped mountains of the Himalayas in the North to the green cane fields of Kerala in the South. Wherever she went, she searched for the old seeds that once nourished generations but were now facing extinction.
In a far-off Himalayan village, she was surprised to come across an elderly lady who was able to identify more than 40 types of rajma (kidney beans) cultivated in a single area. This encounter transformed Sowmya's life. She realized that old seeds were not mere agricultural artefacts, they were the bearers of nutrition, climate resilience, and cultural heritage. Inspired and deeply moved, she decided that her life’s work would be to save these seeds and bring them back into the hands of the people.
Hooga Seeds: Cultivating Hope and Heritage
This passion gave birth to Hooga Seeds, a social enterprise working directly with small farmers from Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. On the farm, Hooga has Sowmya train the farmers to become guardians of biodiversity. Farmers learn to grow native varieties, save their own seeds, and earn decent livelihoods by producing seeds. Rather than falling into debt purchases of hybrid seeds, farmers see the wealth already present in their own soil.
Hooga's collection of seeds is a treasure house of forgotten foods: antioxidant-rich black carrots, miniature pumpkins that produce dozens of fruits without refrigeration, air-grown potatoes, and over 18 varieties of brinjal whose tastes the supermarkets of today know nothing about. Every seed holds a tale, a taste, and a remedy for an endangered future that looms under the specter of climate change and nutritional erosion.
Planting Dreams in Young Minds
Sowmya believes that the future of seed preservation is not just in the hands of farmers but also in the hands of children. She has initiated India's first school seed clubs, beginning with Kanjikoil Government School and Angels Matric School in Jammu and Kashmir. Students through such clubs learn to preserve seeds, learn about biodiversity, and reconnect with nature. By making young minds learn to respect and conserve traditional seeds, she is planting a future generation of seed keepers.
Breaking Barriers, Building Legacies
Being a woman venturing into the male-dominated world of farming and seed preservation, Sowmya encountered her dose of disbelief and resistance. Women were not even considered farmers in most villages. But Sowmya's quiet determination, supported by strong academic preparation and practical know-how, overcomes these barriers. She demonstrated in her actions that women could not only cultivate land but head a movement that would transform the way communities approach food and farming.
Her advice to others is simple yet profound: listen to your heart, but ground it in knowledge, effort, and patience. She emphasizes the importance of identifying real problems, testing solutions through pilot models, and learning from failures to grow stronger.
From Local Fields to Global Platforms
Sowmya's relentless work has received international acclaim beyond Indian shores. Hooga Seeds is now a part of the global platform Climate-U, which unites game-changing climate projects from across the globe. Sowmya was recently invited to London on behalf of Climate-U to present Hooga's efforts on seed conservation in traditional ways. Speaking to global audiences, she shared the stories of India’s native seeds and the resilience of its small farmers, demonstrating how local initiatives can make a difference at the global level.
A Mission That Matters More Than Ever
Now, with climate change threatening food systems and agricultural diversity diminishing at alarming speeds, Sowmya Balasubramaniam's task has become increasingly important. She has already saved more than 200 traditional varieties of seeds and has impacted the lives of thousands of farmers and students. Yet for her, this is just the beginning.
In her own words, "Saving a seed is saving a future. It is preserving a piece of life itself." Sowmya, through Hooga Seeds, is not merely preserving biodiversity—she is showing resilience, nutrition, culture, and hope for future generations. In each tiny seed that makes its way back to the earth, there is a guarantee of a fuller, more colorful tomorrow—a guarantee Sowmya has promised, and still fulfills, with unwavering faith.
