Kerala Man Quits Banking Job And Starts Growing Microgreens In His House; Clocks Rs 3.5 Lakh Monthly Revenue

Have you ever had a meal in an exotic hotel and noticed small leaves used as garnish for your dish? You might have decided to put them away at the side of your plate. 

Well, those were most likely microgreens. 

Microgreens are young and edible seedlings of vegetables and herbs that are immediately harvested after their second set of leaves emerge.

And you know what you missed out on when you tossed these away from your plate?

A nutrient-dense food that has a host of benefits from fighting against free radicals, regulating blood sugar levels, lowering cholesterol, minimizing the risk of heart disease, helping your gut remain healthy, and even fighting cancer.

“I am not a fan of gatekeeping things. My small home-run small business stands on that very principle. I want to make microgreens a common thing in people's kitchens—not something that they can only have at exotic hotels and restaurants,” Ajay Gopinath, founder of Grow Greens Store, tells Startup Pedia in an exclusive interview. 

He grows microgreens in a small 64-square-foot room in his house and clocks a monthly revenue of Rs 3.5 lakhs from it. 

While it may seem like an easy feat, the farming entrepreneur went through a lot of learning and unlearning in the process.

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THE BEGINNING 

Ajay Gopinath (now 52 years old) hails from Alleppey in Kerala. He worked as a banker for almost 14 years. 

One day, he suddenly quit his well-paying, stable job. 

“I just woke up and decided I didn't want to go back to work. It was an impulsive decision. I didn't even have any plans to do something specific after quitting,” shares Ajay Gopinath who is currently settled in South Chittoor, Kochi, Kerala. 

After quitting his job, Ajay would spend his days in leisure. Life had slowed down, but it was exactly what he wanted. 

In 2017, he came across microgreens. He was dining at a Bengaluru restaurant when he found them on his plate. 

He grew curious about these garnishing leaves and started reading about them. 

“I realized that microgreens aren't just for flavour and garnishing. They're packed with nutrition,” he tells Startup Pedia. 

Around 2018, Ajay Gopinath decided to experiment with growing microgreens at his house.

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CHALLENGES 

Farming entrepreneur Ajay Gopinath began spending a lot of time researching, reading on the Internet, and watching microgreen cultivation tutorials on YouTube. 

Based on what he had learned, he tried growing microgreens from green gram and used tissue paper. But the result wasn't good. 

“It took me a while to finally accept that most people giving online tutorials didn't know about microgreen cultivation themselves. They were spreading wrong information about how to grow them,” the business founder explains. 

After an unsuccessful attempt at starting microgreen farming from his house, Ajay decided to consult experts. 

Through a friend, he met an experienced microgreen farmer based in the United Kingdom. 

The farmer made a revelation that changed the entire course of how Ajay was conducting his microgreens business.

“The farmer told me that there are special kinds of seeds that can be microgreens. They are non-GMO (non-genetically modified), non-treated, non-hybrid, and open-pollinated,” says Ajay Gopinath.

After two years of trial and error, the farming entrepreneur finally saw things moving in the right direction. He procured seeds from across India.

He planted the microgreens in small trays in a 64-square-foot room in his house. The set-up was created after a lot of thought and research.

“For microgreens cultivation, water matters a lot. The plants need a little acidic water. So I had to adjust its pH value from 5.5 to 6.5,” the microgreens business founder shares.

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AJAY GOPINATH’S MICROGREENS HOME-RUN BUSINESS

One fine morning, things clicked. From a single tray in the room, Ajay Gopinath saw an output of 400 grams. 

“It was a lot. I knew I wouldn't consume more than 25 grams. So I started giving it out to my friends and relatives,” he tells Startup Pedia. 

One of Ajay’s friends who worked as a pianist at a 5-star hotel advised him to meet with the hotel's head chef. He said the hotel uses microgreens in their dishes and might be interested in getting a regular supply. 

“When I met the chef, he was very excited. He told me what I was growing was original quality produce. Earlier, the hotel had been using an imported quality of microgreens and wanted to switch to 100% natural. That became my first commercial sale,” the microgreens business founder explains. 

Eventually, Ajay Gopinath’s microgreens started gaining a lot of word-of-mouth publicity. Customers started flocking to his place to buy microgreens. And the Grow Greens Store started in full swing. 

Today, the farming entrepreneur sells 4 boxes of microgreens for just Rs 600 on a subscription model. He also provides free delivery to people located in nearby areas. This single box is enough for one person to consume throughout the month.

In the first month of selling the microgreens, Ajay Gopinath clocked a revenue of Rs 20,000. In the next month, he gradually increased production and sold microgreens worth Rs 45,000. 

Fast forward to January 2025, and the microgreens business founder clocks a monthly revenue of Rs 3.5 lakhs. 

“I've also set up another room to increase the production. Right now, there's more demand than I am able to supply. But I am actively working towards fulfilling it,” he tells Startup Pedia. 

Ajay Gopinath employs five workers who help him with microgreen farming. Three of them are housewives. 

“For a small business like mine that started from my house and still operates from my house, it feels very good to generate sustainable employment for people,” he remarks.

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SPREADING AWARENESS ABOUT MICROGREENS

As a microgreens farming entrepreneur, Ajay Gopinath produces microgreens and then sells them to hotels, restaurants, gyms, hospitals, and the general public under the brand Grow Green Store. He is also on a mission to raise awareness about microgreens as a nutrient-dense food. 

He highlights a few points that everyone should know about microgreens:

1. Microgreens are incorrectly thought to be expensive. One kilogram of microgreens cost Rs 1,500. However, a person can consume only 15 to 20 grams of microgreens every day. Spread out over the month, that comes to approximately Rs 50 per day. 

2. Microgreens are a great source of vitamins, fiber, minerals, and antioxidants. 

3. They fight against free radicals, lower cholesterol, minimize the risk of heart disease, and help with constipation and other gastrointestinal issues. 

4. Owing to their rich content of iron and magnesium, microgreens are great for hair health. 

5. Microgreens are also considered to be a superfood that fights cancer and Alzheimer’s and protects vision. 

“I want microgreens to be something that everyone consumes. They shouldn't be restricted to hotels and restaurants only. Recent studies are showing they’re great for pregnant women as well. They're nutritious and highly, highly beneficial to the human body. You'll even find references to sprouted seeds in Ayurveda,” Ajay Gopinath tells Startup Pedia. 

After having discussions with the Kerala government, Ajay Gopinath played a major role in introducing microgreens as a separate concept in seventh-grade textbooks.

The microgreens business founder also provides consultancy services to budding farmers across the country on cultivating microgreens and generating a sustainable income.

“I am very glad that I quit my job. It's not like I get to relax all day now. Sometimes, I still work long hours. But I feel like there's a more concrete purpose to my life now,” Ajay Gopinath signs off.

Ajay Gopinath can be reached at +91 73062 99044.

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