After retirement, Ramesh Gera (65) began cultivating Kashmiri saffron in a small room of his home in Noida. He additionally teaches an internet course on tips on how to earn by rising saffron in small areas.

Kashmir is named the world’s second-largest producer of saffron. However removed from the valley, the world’s most costly spice blooms in a tiny room of Ramesh Gera’s home in Noida.

In 1980, after pursuing electrical engineering at NIT Kurukshetra, Ramesh labored for a number of multinational firms for over three many years, as a part of which he travelled extensively. “In 2002, I travelled to South Korea for work. Throughout my six-month keep, I learnt about superior farming methods equivalent to hydroponics, microgreens, and indoor saffron cultivation. I used to be actually impressed by these experiences,” he tells The Higher India.

“In the meantime, I got here to know that India imports 70 p.c of saffron from Iran as a result of restricted availability throughout the nation, and Kashmir solely meets 30 p.c of the home calls for. This hole between demand and provide is a big market in itself,” he provides.

So, the 65-year-old engineer determined to take up saffron cultivation after his retirement. In 2017, he began rising saffron in a 100-square-foot room in Sector 63, Noida. He spent Rs 4 lakh to assemble a greenhouse to create an appropriate setting to domesticate saffron inside a synthetic construction. He spent a further Rs 2 lakh to acquire saffron seeds from Kashmir.

Ramesh informs that aside from the one-time preliminary funding, one solely must pay the electrical energy payments, which price round Rs 4,500 a month, and the labour prices, rounded as much as Rs 8,000 a yr.

“Saffron has a very good charge available in the market. You possibly can earn as much as Rs 2.5 lakh per kg in wholesale markets and Rs 3.5 lakh per kg in retail markets. You may also earn as much as Rs 6 lakh per kg if you happen to faucet into the export enterprise,” he shares.

After reaping substantial earnings from gross sales, Ramesh ventured into coaching others in indoor saffron cultivation. At the moment, he runs the ‘Akarshak Saffron Institute’ in Noida, the place he has efficiently educated over 370 people so far. His two-day on-line coaching course, priced at Rs 12,000, presents complete steerage and mentorship for a yr to learners. This endeavour yields him a formidable month-to-month revenue of Rs 3.5 lakh.

In the event you too wish to be taught saffron cultivation, you’ll be able to contact Ramesh right here.

Edited by Pranita Bhat. All photographs: Ramesh Gera.