How I Left My 17-Year Tech Job To Build a New Future for Farmers

Summary

In this insightful discussion, Sashi Kumar recounts his transition from a 17-year tech career to founding AKA Kalpa, an initiative aimed at rejuvenating agriculture in India. He highlights the critical need to engage youth in farming, addressing the challenges faced by the aging farming population. Sashi explains how AKA Kalpa connects farmers to markets, ensuring their sustainability through innovative practices like establishing dairy units for daily cash flow. Emphasizing the importance of building consumer trust and fostering self-sufficiency, Sashi envisions a future where agriculture thrives through youthful involvement and sustainable practices, ultimately aiming for long-term ecological balance.

Takeaways

• 🌱 Sashi Kumar left a successful tech career to promote sustainable farming in India.
• 🚜 Aka Kalpa aims to connect young people with farming and provide them with the necessary support to become successful entrepreneurs.
• 👨‍🌾 The initiative addresses critical challenges in agriculture, such as cash flow and soil management.
• 💡 Sashi's journey was influenced by early experiences in his farming family and a desire to combat rural poverty.
• 📈 Over 14 years, Aka Kalpa has supported around 1,200 young entrepreneurs, significantly increasing their monthly incomes.
• 🌍 The program emphasizes the importance of building trust with consumers through direct engagement and transparency.
• 🚀 Sashi identified the need for innovation in agriculture, particularly attracting younger generations to the profession.
• 🥛 Aka Kalpa began by establishing sustainable dairy units to ensure consistent cash flow for farmers.
• 🔍 The initiative is focused on solving fundamental agricultural problems across diverse climatic regions in India.
• 🌟 The long-term vision for Aka Kalpa is to create a sustainable farming ecosystem that can thrive for generations.

Q & A

What motivated Sashi Kumar to leave his 17-year tech career?

Sashi Kumar was motivated by a desire to make farming a sustainable career for the youth of India. He wanted to address the problems faced by farmers and help young people engage in agriculture.

What is Akay Kalpa and what does it aim to achieve?

Akay Kalpa is an initiative that aims to connect young people to farming by providing them with support to become farming entrepreneurs and linking them to markets for their products.

How did Sashi Kumar's upbringing influence his career choices?

Growing up in a farming family, Sashi experienced the struggles of farming life. His father's desire for him to pursue an engineering career initially led him away from farming, but witnessing the challenges in agriculture drew him back to it.

What role did Dr. JNS Reddy play in the genesis of Akay Kalpa?

Dr. JNS Reddy introduced a program called Nava Chetana, which aimed to keep young people in farming. This inspired Sashi and his colleagues to fund the program and eventually led to the establishment of Akay Kalpa.

What were some of the initial challenges faced by Akay Kalpa?

Initial challenges included understanding the complexities of farming, such as policy issues and agronomy. They also struggled with market linkage and faced financial difficulties, including cash flow problems.

How does Akay Kalpa ensure a sustainable income for farmers?

Akay Kalpa establishes dairy units for farmers, providing daily cash flows and supporting them in managing their soil health through sustainable practices.

What unique approach does Akay Kalpa take to engage young people in farming?

Akay Kalpa engages young people by providing them with the necessary support to become farming entrepreneurs and by setting up role model farmers who can inspire others in their communities.

How did Akay Kalpa initially market its dairy products?

The initial marketing involved selling 18 liters of milk directly to consumers in Bangalore and building trust by allowing them to visit farms and see the production process.

What strategy did Akay Kalpa use to reach consumers effectively?

Akay Kalpa adopted a direct-to-consumer model through an app for ordering products, partnered with e-commerce platforms, and placed products in retail stores to expand their market reach.

What are the future goals of Akay Kalpa?

The future goals of Akay Kalpa include deepening their focus on fundamental farming issues such as soil health, productivity, and ecological diversity, with a vision to sustain the organization for 100 to 200 years.