To the 35-year-old Pradeep Singh, his farmlands are his second home. Despite having worked as a marketing manager in the corporate sector for more than eight years, he went back to his village in Rohtak to get back into agriculture and animal husbandry. However, he did not just want to make a living out of agriculture. He made up his mind to make agriculture a profitable and sustainable activity and started Bagri Milk Parlour.
Manager To Founder of Agri- Start up
‘Milk which was once considered Amrit for one’s body has become the most abused food product nowadays’, says Pradeep. He further adds that how people in our country consume hygienic milk but at the cost of its nutrients. Acknowledging his experience of working with grand corporate, including Berger Paints and Havels, he says that he gained a lot while working with brilliant minds. The skills he learnt helped him to develop a business model with highly efficient forward and backward linkages. After extensive research, in June 2018 he quit his job as a manager and decided to start agripreneurial venture.
Bagri Milk Parlour Private Ltd.- What’s Different?
In December 2018, Mr Singh and his younger brother founded Bagri Milk Parlour Private Ltd. The venture sources milk and Bilona Ghee directly from farmers around Rohtak through contract dairy farming. Also, they train and educate farmers on various aspects of cattle nutrition, including feeding them chemical-free fodder so that the milk received is rich in nutrients. Moreover, they help them in getting benefits of PKCC, Pashu Bima, and other government schemes.
Training Farmers To Produce Better
The business model of this three-year-old start-up has provided direct employment to 10 people. Indirectly, it has created employment opportunities for around 15-17 people. Started with a noble cause of helping unemployed youths and farmers, it has an annual turnover of about 40 lacs today. It has also been awarded by Government of Haryana, PUSA, IARI, New Delhi, CCS HAU, and Hisar. Mr Singh plans to involve 700 farmers in his venture within the next three years. The company, providing 20% better price to farmers, is working to increase their income. Above all, it offers unadulterated and nutritious milk and milk products to consumers.
India needs individuals like Pradeep who go beyond traditional norms to find innovative solutions for critical agricultural issues. Though start-ups are on a boom in India, agripreneurship still needs a boost to encourage more people to enter this sector.