Manish Kumar, an engineering graduate from Jehanabad district in Bihar, chose a path very different from most of his peers after finishing his degree. Instead of looking for a job, he built his career around chemical-free farming, and today his venture has grown into a business with an annual turnover running into lakhs of rupees. His goal was never limited to earning a living for himself, he wanted to give farmers and ordinary people access to healthier, chemical-free food as well.
A question from his engineering days, then his father's death changed everything
Manish was studying engineering when a question first crossed his mind, why not work on chemical-free farming. Around that time he visited a place where work was being done on desi cow milk and ghee. It was during this same period that his father passed away due to diabetes. The loss shook Manish deeply. He kept wondering how his father could have developed the disease when he had always eaten nutritious food. Searching for an answer, he came to believe that the root cause of most illnesses lies in what people eat. This made him think about the diets and long lifespans of his ancestors, and he decided to grow and prepare food the way it used to be done in earlier times. That decision marked the beginning of a journey that would eventually turn into a full-fledged startup.
Financial support from the central and Bihar state governments
Manish Kumar's startup is registered with both the central government and the Bihar state government. To help the venture grow, it received financial assistance of 20 lakh rupees from the central government, along with a grant of 10 lakh rupees from the Bihar state government. Manish is now using this support to expand his business further. His aim is not just to build his own enterprise but to promote environment-friendly farming so that farmers and society at large get a better, healthier alternative.
Jaggery from dates and palm, and other chemical-free products
Today Manish gets a range of products made and supplies them to the market. These mainly include jaggery made from dates and palm (tar), desi khand, taal mishri, kalanamak rice and wheat, all produced without chemical fertilisers. All these products are prepared with the help of local women and men, which has created direct employment within the community itself. Manish has built his own platform to sell these products, reaching local customers through phone calls and WhatsApp, while orders from distant areas are fulfilled through an online website. According to him, these products are now reaching several parts of the country.
A shift in strategy after his father's death, now a turnover in lakhs
Manish says this work around food habits began after his father's health deteriorated and he eventually passed away from the disease. Manish says, "We will work to ensure no one else falls victim to such an illness." With that thought, he began promoting environment-friendly farming. He believes many illnesses are caused by sugar, an ingredient used in almost every household, and felt there was a need to offer people an alternative so they could avoid such diseases by switching away from sugar. That is what led him to start making jaggery from palm and dates, and from this single product he has gone on to develop several others. These products are now in demand across the country, and the business has built up a healthy turnover as a result.
