Bhubaneswar: Merging agriculture with innovation, young farmer Ashish Mohanty has successfully established Odisha’s first indoor hydroponic farm by growing vegetables without soil or sunlight. At a time when many young people are turning away from farming, Ashish has left a high-paying job to create employment opportunities in the agricultural sector.

Ashish hails from Sujang village in Jagatsinghpur district. A science graduate from SVM College in Jagatsinghpur, he completed his post-graduation in chemistry from VIMSAR, Burla. Despite securing a job in a reputed company in Hyderabad, Ashish wanted to be self-reliant.

Discovering Hydroponic Farming

During his research, he discovered the concept of soil-less farming and decided to explore it further. After gathering knowledge through YouTube, he experimented with hydroponic farming on his rooftop in 2019, planting 2,400 exotic leafy greens over an 800-square-foot area. Seeing both success in cultivation and growing market demand, he decided to expand his venture.

Ashish then set up a climate-controlled polyhouse near his home and planted 5,000 saplings over 230 square meters. He supplied fresh produce to restaurants, star hotels, and individuals in Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Puri, and Keonjhar. However, due to climate change, his farming was limited to only rainy and winter seasons, leading to significant losses

Setting Up Odisha’s First Indoor Hydroponic Farm

To overcome this challenge, he adopted a new approach and started an indoor hydroponic farm in a rented 1,250-square-foot space in Bhubaneswar’s Pandara area. While his earlier polyhouse farm accommodated 3,400 plants over 2,500 square feet, his new indoor setup now supports 10,000 plants in half the space using RO water and grow lights.

His farm cultivates around 15 varieties of exotic leafy greens, including lettuce, kale, pak choi, basil, Italian basil, arugula, Swiss chard, microgreens, edible flowers, parsley, and spinach. Compared to traditional farming, this method saves 90% of water.

Bringing Farm-to-Plate Concept

Ashish said these exotic vegetables were earlier imported from cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Pune, often losing freshness. Now, customers visit his farm to hand-pick fresh produce, ensuring better quality and nutrition. He has also introduced a ‘farm-to-plate’ concept where fresh salads are prepared and served instantly, gaining popularity among health-conscious consumers.