Mumbai (Commonwealth Union)_ For some people, food and farming can matter more than a secure technology career. Shashi Kumar’s journey is one such example. An engineer who spent years in the technology industry, Kumar walked away from a comfortable job to pursue an idea he had held onto since his college days: building a better future for farmers. Kumar, a Bengaluru University alumnus, later completed his postgraduate studies at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. He went on to spend 12 years at Wipro, eventually working as a lead architect in the US. But despite his successful career in technology, his interest in farming never disappeared.
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Kumar’s connection with agriculture began in 1991, when he asked his father if their ancestral land could be turned into a natural farm. His father rejected the idea and encouraged him to build a career in software instead. Years later, Kumar chose to follow that original ambition. In 2010, he left his corporate career and started Akshayakalpa, initially with a broader goal than simply selling organic food. He wanted to understand why younger people were moving away from farming and find a way to make agriculture financially attractive again.
The early years were very difficult. According to reports shared about his journey, the company came close to bankruptcy several times. Kumar’s wife, Shilpa G, put Rs 30 lakh from their savings into the business, while his uncle, Dr Muni Reddy, contributed another Rs 10 lakh. Kumar has said that the Rs 40 lakh helped keep the venture alive during its most difficult period. Akshayakalpa eventually focused on dairy because milk could provide farmers with a more regular source of income. Over time, its activities expanded to soil management, beekeeping, poultry, banana cultivation, manure production and other areas of farming.
The business has since grown into a large agricultural enterprise. Kumar says Akshayakalpa now works with around 2,800 farmers across numerous villages. About 1,200 of those farmers are women, while the average age of participating farmers is around 32. The financial picture has also changed dramatically. Kumar says the average monthly payout to a farming family was Rs 1.28 lakh in the last financial year. He has also stated that the company generates significant profits, while social media posts about his journey have described the venture as a Rs 600-crore-a-year business.
The transformation has attracted attention online. A post recounting Kumar’s journey on X received thousands of views and drew praise from users, with some sharing their own experiences with Akshayakalpa products. But the larger story goes beyond the company’s reported numbers. Kumar’s journey highlights a different side of entrepreneurship: the willingness to leave a predictable career, endure years of financial uncertainty and challenge traditional ideas about farming. What began as a young engineer’s interest in natural agriculture has evolved into an attempt to make farming a more viable and profitable profession for a new generation.
