How organic herbal farmer Rakesh Chowdhary's firm now earns over Rs 10 crore annually

Rakesh Chowdhary, a 40-year-old farmer hailing from Rajpura village in Nagaur district of Rajasthan, founded his own company, Vinayak Herbal, in 2017. The company now has farms all across the country and provides employment to thousands of farmers engaged in organic medicinal farming.

The firm deals with the cultivation of medicinal and herbal plants. But initially, when Chowdhary expressed his intention to switch from traditional farming to medicinal farming, he encountered opposition from his friends and family. Having been raised in a farming family, agriculture was deeply ingrained in Chowdhary’s upbringing. Even when he left his village to pursue a BSc degree in Jaipur, he remained dedicated to his family’s farming profession.

Unlike many other young people who choose to seek employment after completing their education, Chowdhary had a distinct vision. He was determined to return to his family farm, and he followed through on that plan. He began cultivating herbal and medicinal plants, eventually establishing his own company called Vinayak Herbal, which now generates an annual income of Rs 10 crore.

Chowdhary’s success in medicinal farming did not come easy, it was a result of persistent effort. He stumbled upon the government’s scheme of contractual farming for medicinal plants, which provided subsidies to farmers and found it to be a promising opportunity. However, his family and community were initially apprehensive about deviating from traditional farming methods, and he faced resistance from them.

Despite the obstacles, Chowdhary remained resolute in pursuing this new venture. He sought guidance from officers in the medicinal plant department, who advised him on cultivating highly profitable medicinal plants. In 2004, he took the plunge and sowed his first crop of mulethi and flame lily on a portion of his family’s farms.

However, he faced a significant hurdle due to the lack of resources and funding. Being a small farmer, he had no collateral to mortgage and struggled to obtain loans. To overcome this, his wife had to take a loan by pledging her jewellery, and they also had to sell some of their cattle to gather funds for the initial investment.

Despite these formidable challenges, Chowdhary remained steadfast in his pursuit. His hard work eventually paid off, and in 2017, he founded his own company, Vinayak Herbal. Since then, he has effectively partnered with farmers all over the country to cultivate medicinal plants, which he then supplies to pharmaceutical companies and dealers.

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