How does a hardcore programmer look at farming? For them, or at least for Sachin Darbarwar, it is all about eliminating variables like the quality of soil and climatic conditions. No wonder Sachin, along with wife and Chief Marketing Officer Shweta Darbarwar, took to hydroponic and precision farming in 2013 with Simply Fresh India. After three years of research in Sydney, Australia, where the duo was based out of earlier, they came back to their roots in Hyderabad and started this AgriTech start-up.
We are talking about them now because Simply Fresh India's new 150-acre farm close to Siddipet in Telangana is bursting with life. Literally! After successfully implementing hydroponic and precision farming at their 10-acre farm in Shamirpet, this start-up took two years to set up their Siddipet farm and started sowing just last month. "Very soon, we should be ready for harvest," says Sachin, who pursued his Master's in Project Management, IT from Sydney University. Now what stands out about their greenhouses is that they use simple evaporative cooling technology, as opposed to chemical-based cooling systems to control the climate inside.
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Then there is the elevated roof, UV shields and so on that help with the job. "We even have sensors which measure leaf moisture because if they remain wet for long, there are chances of them catching diseases," says Sachin, informing us that their farm makes full use of AI and ML to ensure that they're plants grow hail and hearty. They import equipment from seven different countries for their greenhouse and built it as per European standards. And what is also different about them is that they grow medicinal plants too. "It was curiosity. Why does Nizamabad turmeric have only one to three per cent of curcumin in its turmeric as opposed to nine per cent in the turmeric that comes from Mizoram? We spent a lot of time studying this. Now, the highest levels of curcumin we have achieved is 11 per cent," says the Founder and CEO. They also grow 60 varieties of medicinal plants and successfully supply it to eight to ten nutraceuticals, we are told.
Microgreens, edible flowers, berries and so much more, exotic, thy name is SImply Fresh India. Does the name ring a bell by now? It is the same brand that you see stocked up at over 150 supermarkets in Hyderabad including Ratnadeep. Taking their tech savvy-ness a step further, each package of theirs has a QR code. Scan it and find out the complete backstory of the product, from when the seed was sown and who harvested it. Now wouldn't it be cool to have that kind of information? And though they haven't gone into door-to-door delivery, their produce is available on Big Basket, Amazon Pantry, Dunzo and more.
The goal for Simply Fresh India, as the name suggests, has been to keep things simple, affordable and safe. And no matter how much they expand, they want to stick to these basic tenants.
What they grow, benefits us:
- Gymnema Sylvestre: Reduces sugar cravings by making sweet foods taste less appealing
- Centella Asiatica: Prevents nervous disorders and helps with memory improvement
- Amaranth: Rich in significant micronutrients and is good for bone health
- Shatavari: Helps in improving female reproductive health and has antioxidant effects
For more on them, check out simplyfresh.co.in
