A doctor’s warning acted as a wake-up call, changing the lives of a Delhi couple forever. Struggling with deteriorating health, Roopika Anand and her husband Rakesh Anand decided to leave behind the fast-paced city life in search of a healthier future.
According to Startup.pedia, in 2016, Roopika Anand was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, a serious lung fibrosis condition and doctors told her she had only five years to live. Hearing that, Roopika and her husband left behind their comfortable lifestyles and turned to organic farming.
Founded in 2018, Organic Theo started as a small experiment on two bighas of land in Noida and today it has transformed into a 15-acre organic farming enterprise across Bulandshahr and Pilakhua in Uttar Pradesh.
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Before embracing agriculture, both Roopika and Rakesh had carved out successful careers in the corporate sector, 30Stades reported. Rakesh, who is an IIT Bombay graduate, used to work with a multinational exhibition company in Dubai, while Roopika built her career at Emirates Bank.
Life took a complete turn, and the couple left their comfortable jobs to start farming. With no formal agricultural background, they turned to experienced local farmers for guidance on organic cultivation.
Encouraged by the success of their harvest, the couple expanded rapidly in 2019 and just as they were preparing for their first commercial harvest, the COVID-19 lockdown brought markets and transportation to a standstill. Instead of letting the fresh produce go to waste, Roopika distributed it within their housing society, and the response was overwhelming, the report stated.
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The unexpected success allowed their business to achieve a new feat. Today, the couple grow a diverse range of vegetables, grains, pulses, millets, spices, medicinal crops, and fruits as well as produce cold-pressed oils, traditional pickles, desi cow ghee, speciality flours, ketchup, honey, and preservative-free fruit creams made from farm-grown ingredients.
They also produce paneer, khoya, bakery products, herbal powders, and wellness products, among other natural offerings.
The farms produce around 9-10 tonnes of crops annually, helping their business generate around Rs 47-48 lakh in annual revenue, according to Startup.pedia.
