In Haryana, brothers Naveen and Praveen Sindhu have turned a 225 sq ft room into a successful saffron farm, selling the world’s costliest spice for ₹5 lakh per kg.
Their journey began when Praveen, while pursuing his MTech, read about indoor saffron farming. After training in Thailand and visiting Pampore, Kashmir, they decided to cultivate saffron at home.
In 2018, they converted an unused room on their roof for this purpose, using aeroponics—a method that allows plants to grow in air or mist without soil. They invested around ₹6 lakh to set up the lab, purchasing saffron bulbs from Kashmir.
Despite initial setbacks with damaged seeds, they persevered and successfully harvested 2 kg of saffron in one season, earning ₹10 lakh.The brothers carefully manage the growing conditions with temperature control, humidity, and grow lights.
They plant saffron bulbs in August and harvest the flowers in November. After harvesting, they can use the bulbs again for future planting, reducing costs significantly.
Their brand, Amaratva, not only caters to the domestic market but also exports to countries like the US and UK. By diversifying their farming with mushrooms during off-seasons, they continue to increase their earnings.
