This ex-IBM Engineer quit her job to turn her barren ancestral land into an organic farm, despite family resistance; clocking ₹3Cr revenue

Since childhood, Roja Reddy, the founder of Nisarga Native Farms, has been deeply interested in the farming practices her grandfather used to cultivate pomegranates. 

Over time, as newer generations took over, the family gradually shifted towards chemical farming from organic and natural farming methods. This transition caused significant damage to the soil and adversely affected long-term productivity.

Between 2016 and 2018, during her college vacations, Roja would visit her village and feel distressed by the condition of the land that her grandfather had once nurtured through traditional farming. 

Witnessing this decline, she eventually decided to change the course by reviving the land through natural and organic farming practices.

In 2020, she and her friend Dattathreya Sanjeev co-founded Nisarga Native Farms.

Located in the drought-prone Challakere–Chitradurga region of Karnataka, Nisarga Native Farm operates under extreme water scarcity and harsh climatic conditions. 

Today, the farm stands as a working model of commercial organic farming built on data-driven decisions and soil biology.

About the Founders of Nisarga Native Farm

Roja Reddy comes from a traditional farming family in the Chitradurga district of central Karnataka, near the Andhra Pradesh border. 

She completed her Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Communication from a local college in Bengaluru in 2018. After graduation, she worked as a software engineer at IBM Bengaluru. 

Following the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Roja returned to her village and began exploring organic farming, driven by her passion for healthy, natural food and equipped with an analytical mindset and a problem-solving approach.

"Organic farming is a disciplined lifestyle. Imagine waking up at 5:00 AM every day to practice yoga, followed by breakfast and lunch at proper times while managing work. It sounds difficult, doesn't it? Yet that is exactly how I lives," Roja tells Startup Pedia in an exclusive interview.

The co-founder of the farm, Dattathreya Sanjeev, is from Udupi, a coastal temple town in Karnataka, also known for its strong educational legacy. 

He completed his Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2016.  

After graduation, he chose to gain corporate experience. However, he found the environment uninspiring and limiting, recalling it as "pathetic." 

From a young age, he was encouraged by his family to do something different from others, and this led him to reconsider his career path.

How did Roja and Dattathreya, the founders of Nisarga Native Farm, meet?

Roja Reddy and Dattathreya Sanjeev met in 2018 through Roja’s brother. They discovered a shared interest in quality food and sustainable living. At the time, Roja’s family was cultivating pomegranates using chemical farming methods. 

This attracted Dattathreya, who was not interested in farming itself but in developing technology that could improve the process. He became fascinated and began visiting their home regularly.

“We met and eventually became friends. I started taking an interest in their farming. Then I realised something was missing. They were doing everything right, but they still weren’t making any profits,” Dattathreya tells Startup Pedia.

Through his conversations with Roja, they realised that shifting to organic farming could be the best path forward, as the yield was low and the family was unable to make any profit.

Both founders also recognised the need for hands-on experience, which led them to take up farming full-time.

Initial Motivations in Beginning Nisarga Native Farm

Sanjeev credited Roja for stepping out and starting the farm, as her motivation was far stronger than his. Roja believes in eating clean, wholesome food, and she dislikes relying on supplements to meet her nutritional needs. She has always wanted to get nutrients naturally.

“I believes that nutrition should come from natural food rather than supplements. Many people rely on lab-made vitamins such as B12, C, and D, but these can sometimes have side effects,” Roja tells Startup Pedia in an exclusive interview.

"Excessive calcium tablet consumption may lead to calcium deposits in the body, which can create serious health risks,”she added further.

During her vacations in 2016-18, Roja would visit home and observe the farm’s condition, which had been severely affected by chemical farming. The land suffered from low yields, degrading soil health, and polluted water. 

She ultimately decided to switch to organic farming. However, this decision led to a serious confrontation within her family, especially with her brother, who was initially against organic farming and viewed it as costly and time-consuming.

Challenges Faced by Roja Reddy and Dattathreya Sanjeev

When Roja and Dattathreya started Nisarga Native Farm, they had very limited knowledge of farming. 

Dattathreya was initially completely inexperienced, while Roja had some understanding of pomegranate cultivation, but her knowledge of vegetable farming was limited. 

“We were amateurs back then, and we didn’t realise it wasn’t enough. Later, we were introduced to cow-based farming, which many people call zero-budget natural farming,” Roja tells Startup Pedia.

To overcome this gap, the founders studied organic farming extensively through YouTube and reached out to experienced farmers for guidance. 

Roja learned techniques such as preparing organic fertilisers and natural pest repellents, such as Jeevamruth, Neemastra, and Agniastra.

“Since we were educated, we wanted to use our potential to contribute to farming. Initially, we didn’t plan to get directly into farming ourselves. Instead, we wanted to introduce techniques and solutions that could improve farming processes,”Dattathreya says.

The farm’s location also posed challenges related to water availability, as Chitradurga receives some of the lowest rainfall in the region, and water scarcity is prevalent. 

Additionally, since Roja’s family had practised chemical farming for years, the soil contained chemical residues. 

To tackle this, they dug two small pits to capture and store rainwater, which could be used for irrigation throughout the year.

To reduce chemical residue and restore soil health, Roja used organic soil amendments such as Jeevamruth and adopted practices like intercropping and mulching, which helped rebuild soil fertility naturally.

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Roles of the Founders

At Nisarga Native Farms, Dattathreya oversees technical aspects such as soil management, nutrient management, weed control, crop diversification, and water management. 

Roja, on the other hand, manages ground-level farming operations and execution, including marketing and client communication.

About Nisarga Native Farms

Nisarga Native Farms is located in Donnehalli village, Challakere taluk, Chitradurga district, Karnataka. It is spread over 50 acres. 

The farm cultivates a diverse range of crops suited to low-rainfall conditions. 

This includes over 40 varieties of vegetables such as tomato, brinjal, beans, carrot, beetroot, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, chilli, cucumber, and leafy greens, along with fruit crops such as pomegranate, banana, and guava. 

Since the farm is located in a drought-prone region, it follows a multi-layered water management system. This includes

• borewells as the primary source

• drip irrigation

• rainwater-harvesting ponds

• interconnected check dams

• pit systems that slow runoff and improve groundwater recharge

• 10-metre live-fenced buffer zone planted with trees to retain moisture and support biodiversity.

"As a drought-prone region, the Challakere–Chitradurga area receives some of the lowest rainfall in South India, making water a major challenge. We did not have any other water source, so we created small ponds across the farm and carried out extensive plantation work,"the co-founder says.

The farm focuses on carbon–nitrogen ratio optimisation, microbial activity, and biocontrol agents such as Jeevamrut and Gana Jeevamrut. 

Pest and disease management relies on preventive, farm-made formulations like Dasha Parani Arka, neem-based sprays, and buttermilk-copper solutions.

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On-Farm Organic Inputs and Soil Health Management

To maintain long-term soil health and ensure consistency in commercial organic farming, Nisarga Native Farms produces its own organic inputs, such as vermicompost and manure, by integrating non-hybrid desi cows. 

The founders consider this practice fundamental to sustaining soil fertility and maintaining quality at scale.

Through extensive study, Dattathreya found that standard vermicompost, which typically has an NPK ratio of around 3:2:1, is not nutritionally adequate on its own for commercial-scale farming. 

To improve nutrient availability and uptake, the farm enriches its vermicompost with carbon-rich materials and biocontrol agents.

“Through my R&D, I found that even high-quality vermicompost typically provides an NPK ratio of around 3:2:1. So, if a farm needs a significant amount of nitrogen, the quantity of vermicompost required becomes impractical,” the Karnataka-based agripreneur says.

Investment

Roja and Dattathreya invested approximately Rs. 81 lakh in building infrastructure, restoring soil health, and stabilising operations during the initial phase between 2018 and 2020. The investment was self-funded, supported by personal savings and family backing.

Key Investment Areas

• Boreholes: Around 50 boreholes were drilled at an average cost of Rs. 50,000 each, amounting to nearly Rs. 25 lakh. However, most of these boreholes failed due to extreme groundwater depletion, making this one of the most costly setbacks.

• Vermicompost Procurement: Before establishing their own cattle-based system, the founders spent approximately Rs. 12 lakh on purchasing vermicompost. 

• Soil Amendments: Around Rs. 12 lakh was invested in soil restoration using inputs such as Jeevamrut and Gana Jeevamrut to rebuild microbial life after years of chemical exposure.

• Cattle: Around Rs. 8 lakh was invested in purchasing multiple native cows.

• Drip Irrigation: Around Rs. 15 lakh was invested in drip irrigation systems. Given the severe water constraints, installing drip irrigation was essential to ensure efficient water use.

• Farm Vehicle: A vehicle worth Rs. 9 lakh was acquired to manage logistics, including input transport and movement.

Business Model and Distribution Channel

Nisarga Native Farms operates on a B2B model. Initially, the farm sold produce directly to consumers through farmers’ markets, organic bazaars, and individual sales. 

While the response was positive, the model proved unsustainable due to high time, manpower, and logistics requirements.

Its B2B partners include:

• A major contract farming buyer

• Zepto (one of its largest buyers)

• Instamart

• Jhatko

• Other organised retail partners

The farm primarily supplies to Bengaluru, with additional distribution to Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kochi through partner platforms.

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Pricing and Annual Revenue

The pricing model of Nisarga Native Farms follows a B2B approach, where prices are highly dynamic and may vary daily depending on the crop, season, demand, and prevailing market rates. 

Since the farm does not sell directly to end consumers, pricing is largely aligned with wholesale and institutional buyer benchmarks.

The farm typically sells its produce at around 40% higher than conventional produce prices. 

For example, if conventionally grown tomatoes sell at Rs. 30 per kg in the market, Nisarga Native Farms would price its organic tomatoes at approximately Rs. 40–42 per kg, depending on demand and buyer agreements. 

Similar pricing dynamics apply across other vegetables and crops.

In FY22, the farm generated a revenue of around Rs. 3 crore with a modest profit due to high input costs. In FY23, revenue reached Rs. 4 crore with significantly improved profitability after cost optimisation.

In FY24, it further increased to Rs. 6 crore, though profits dipped due to market price fluctuations. In FY25, it dipped to Rs. 3 crore due to increased competition.

Looking Ahead

To counter market volatility and price fluctuations, the farm plans to launch value-added products like tomato purée and begin exporting produce to international markets, including Gulf countries, Europe, and the USA.

The farm also aims to build a community farming network inspired by African models. This initiative will focus on providing farmers with training, inputs, and standardised practices.

“I’m very ambitious. When I say this, you might laugh, but we want to uplift farmers’ living standards and ensure their children receive the right education. It shouldn’t be that only kids in cities like Mumbai or Bengaluru get access to life skills and better opportunities,” Dattathreya says.

“Many children in farming communities don’t have those chances. That’s why we’re building a community farming model to improve farmers’ lifestyles, not to modernise everything, but to make sure they at least have the basics,” he added further.

After facing a labour shortage in 2025, the farm also plans to adopt automation and mechanisation by leveraging Dattathreya’s background as a mechanical engineer. This includes introducing robotics and process automation into farming operations.

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