This Bollywood editor left Mumbai to become a beekeeper, started a 100% natural honey brand Amar Honey, and now clocks ₹ 35 Lakhs annually

“I didn't want to get caught in the rat race of city life, where you're so busy that you don't realize you've become 50 years old…." These are the words of Brijesh Kalariya, a Gujarat-based Bollywood editor turned honey entrepreneur who left his high-paying, glamorous career in Mumbai to seek rural life and support his family when they needed him most.

According to the IMARC Group, the apiculture market reached Rs 28,394 million in 2024 and is projected to grow to around Rs 68,182 million by 2033. Around 2015-16, when honey bee farming was just beginning to trend in Gujarat, Brijesh Kalariya recognized this emerging opportunity. This was when he launched Amar Honey, determined to capture the growing demand for pure, naturally-produced honey.

About Brijesh’s Background

Hailing from Gondal in the Rajkot district of Gujarat, Brijesh completed his Bachelor of Computer Applications in Pune, Maharashtra, in 2010.

He later pursued a two-year course in cinematography and animation, which led to a career in Mumbai’s media industry specializing in film editing and studio production. 

His primary work involved editing raw footage and creating animated characters. He claimed to have contributed to the 3D conversion of the iconic film Titanic, which was released in India in April 2012. 

Additionally, he worked on several other Hollywood projects, Mentos advertisements, and the creative development of the 'Bade-Chote' characters for 9XM’s show Bakwas Band Kar. 

Despite this success, he felt his life there was empty, realizing that peace and satisfaction matter more than money or status.

“I didn't want a life where the days just passed by and you suddenly realized you'd turned 50. I wanted a life that felt satisfying. Whatever work I did, I wanted to do it happily and with genuine interest." Brijesh shared with Startup Pedia in an exclusive interview. 

Brijesh’s Family Story and His First Steps Towards Apiculture

Brijesh’s father has been operating an electronics and home appliances business for nearly 40 years. 

The family also owns ancestral agricultural land. While his father traditionally farmed this land, it rarely yielded any significant income. 

Observing this struggle, combined with the pressure of a hectic life in Mumbai, Brijesh decided to return to his hometown around the beginning of 2013. 

In 2013, a turning point came for Brijesh. He started looking at farming from a business mindset rather than just a traditional perspective and realized that people today aren’t getting good-quality food and agricultural products. If they could produce quality agricultural products with good income potential, there was definitely a market for them.

He began researching alternative ways to increase their agricultural income, primarily using YouTube as his source of education.

“My first teacher was YouTube,” Brijesh recalls. “I spent 18 straight hours over two days watching videos about increasing our income. From those videos, I gained nearly 70% of the foundational knowledge needed to enter the apiculture industry,” Brijesh shared with Startup Pedia.

Also Read: This Couple Quit their Successful IT Jobs in Bengaluru to Grow Affordable Organic Food on their Ancestral Land in Kanpur

Brijesh’s Initial Experiments with the Agroforestry Model

At one point, Brijesh discussed with his father whether selling their land and investing the money in a bank for 10-15 years would be a better option. However, they soon realised that even though the land was not generating income, selling it was not the right choice. Instead, they felt it should be used productively, especially at a time when food quality and nutrition were steadily declining.

Around 2014-15, they began experimenting with an agroforestry model. They planted around 800 trees, including Melia, Sheesham, and Neem. Through this, they discovered that tree plantations could generate carbon credits and supply raw material for the plywood industry. This model offered partial returns within five to six years while also supporting environmental sustainability.

Alongside Melia and Neem, they experimented with fodder crops, sandalwood, seedless lemon, drumstick, black haldi, and black turmeric. Some crops performed well, while others did not, which was expected during the early learning phase.

Expansion and Learning

Different crops had different maturity cycles. Some took three years, others six, and some even ten to fifteen years to reach full value.

For example, trees cut after two years could only be used for firewood, while those cut after six years were suitable for plywood. Trees grown for 10–15 years produced premium-quality wood. They eventually harvested the trees after six years and sold them at Rs. 10 per kilogram. The plywood industry collected and processed the wood, generating around Rs. 4.75 lakh in revenue. To diversify income, they also began honey farming. 

The Story About Amar Honey

Brijesh started honey farming in 2016 when very few people in the state were aware of its significance and ability to generate high income. He produces and sells honey under his brand name ‘Amar Honey’, and almost all business is conducted over WhatsApp and word of mouth marketing. 

“95% of educated, successful people don't even know what real honey is. Our job is not to sell honey - our job is to tell you the reality.", Brijesh shared with Startup Pedia.

Speaking further, he emphasises the importance of identifying the true nature of real honey. According to him, one of the biggest misconceptions in India is that crystallised honey is fake. 

“If honey crystallizes, it means it is pure and contains natural glucose from the flowers. This process is 100% natural and is an indicator of purity. When it crystallizes, it is proof of its purity and high glucose content. This is a good sign, not a bad one.”, Brijesh added.

Also Read: From Garments Business To Becoming Full-Time Honey Farmer, This 45-YO Odisha Man Is Earning Around ₹5 Lakhs/Year

Investment and Early Growth

Brijesh started Amar Honey with 10 bee boxes, investing around Rs. 40,000 in total. The boxes were placed in agricultural land where tur (pigeon pea) crops were growing, as flowering availability is important for honey production. Bees depend entirely on nearby flowers, and their productivity changes with seasons and crop types.

After the first successful harvest, Brijesh finally felt confident that he was on the right path. From the initial 10 bee boxes, he extracted around 18 kilograms of honey within 15–20 days. He sold this honey at Rs. 600 per kilogram, earning Rs. 10,800. 

Expansion of Amar Honey

As production increased, he began moving the boxes to different flowering zones. Bees needed fresh flowers to produce quality honey, so the boxes were shifted every few days depending on crop cycles. He then slowly expanded to 50 and then 120 boxes. 

At this stage, managing everything alone became difficult. He hired and trained multiple people who helped with daily operations like shifting boxes, monitoring bee health, and extracting honey. This allowed him to focus on quality control, customer communication, and long-term planning.

Revenue, Business Model & Current Capacity

Amar Honey is sold directly to customers via WhatsApp and personal networks at Rs. 600-800 per kg, significantly higher than market honey (Rs 300-450/kg). Beyond honey sales, revenue comes from bee box sales through colony multiplication, pollination services, and farmer training.

Brijesh manages 500 boxes despite a capacity for 6,000-7,000, prioritising quality over scale. From these boxes, he produces approximately 5,000 kg of honey annually, generating Rs. 35-40 lakhs in revenue.

“We could manage 6,000-7,000 boxes, but what is the purpose? You have to keep the boxes in sync with market demand. We've always focused on that from the start because there's no point in giving people the wrong thing or an inferior product.”, Brijesh shared with Startup Pedia.

Also Read: This Haryana Man Was Called “Crazy” For Starting A Beekeeping Biz In 2001; His Natural Honey Venture Clocked Rs 3 Cr Turnover In FY25

Achievements and Recognitions

Over the years, Brijesh’s work in honey production has earned recognition at both state and national levels. 

• Recognized at the Gujarat level in 2017 by then Chief Minister Mr Vijay Rupani for his innovative approach to agriculture and sustainable farming practices.

• Honoured with the Best Agriculture Startup Award under the Startup India initiative in 2024 for his contributions to honey farming and agricultural innovation.

• Listed as a promising agricultural entrepreneur on the MCDC/Startup India platform, enabling wider collaboration and knowledge-sharing across the sector.

• Appointed as a Bee Trainer under the Gujarat Horticulture Department, where he trains farmers in modern beekeeping practices.

• Recipient of the Agriculture Science Award for excellence in special farming practices and for maintaining high standards of purity and transparency in honey production.

Looking Ahead

Going forward, the plan is to work with select farmer groups, help them adopt the same practices, and slowly increase production without compromising purity. At the same time, the goal is to educate more people about real honey, soil health, and sustainable farming.

Additionally, he is willing to expand into other honeybee-derived products such as beeswax, bee venom, royal jelly, propolis, and bee pollen. These by-products hold strong medicinal, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical value and allow better utilization of the entire beekeeping ecosystem.

To conclude, Brijesh advised aspiring honeybee farmers that agriculture demands a bond with the natural world.

“Agriculture is a field where you can’t work only with money. No matter how strong your financial condition is, agriculture is deeply connected with nature. If you don’t have experience working with nature, you should not enter agriculture directly. That experience takes nearly ten years to develop.”Brijesh said.

Also Read: This Man’s Shrimp Farming Biz, Started In 2005 Generates Rs 100 Cr Turnover; Helps & Motivates Fishermen & Youth To Become Entrepreneurs