When the Covid-19 pandemic brought their studies abroad to a halt, Ayush Gupta and Rishabh Gupta decided to try something completely different. The two brothers from Agra returned to India and entered the farming business, choosing mushrooms as their first big venture. Ayush was studying BBA in London, while Rishabh was in Dubai when the pandemic turned the world upside down. By the end of 2020, both brothers decided they would not go back abroad and would instead start something of their own.
The idea of farming came from their family. Their father and grandfather had always been interested in agriculture. "When we were young, my father even tried his hand at polyhouse farming but was not able to take it through. Since then, my brother and I have been interested in the field," Ayush told The Better India.
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With their father's support, the brothers used their savings and took a loan to start a polyhouse farm in Agra. They also received a 40% government subsidy for the project. Their first crop was English cucumber. After getting their first harvest, they started growing more vegetables and slowly expanded the farm.
They soon started exploring mushroom farming. Ayush already had some experience with mushrooms from a small business he had started in Delhi several years earlier. He had then bought mushrooms from farmers, packed them and sold them.
What began as a new idea slowly turned into a full-fledged business in 2022. The brothers started A3R Mushroom Farms and Gupta Organic Farms, where they grow mushrooms on a large scale. They focused on organic mushrooms and gradually increased their production.
Today, the brothers reportedly produce around 40 tonnes of mushrooms every month. Their farm also produces about 45 tonnes of vegetables every month. They now use around two acres for mushrooms and another acre for vegetables such as cucumber, tomatoes and potatoes.
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The brothers run their businesses under the names Gupta Organic Farms and A3R Mushroom Farms. Their products are supplied to businesses and direct customers in Agra and Delhi. According to Ayush, the business has an annual turnover of around Rs 7.5 crore.
The brothers say they focus on organic farming and do not use chemical fertilisers for their vegetables and mushrooms. They also sell mushrooms that do not meet their usual quality standards to food processing companies.