Ruchit Garg, a former Microsoft employee, left behind a high-paying job to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams in agriculture. Garg, who reportedly earned a staggering Rs 1 crore annually, felt unfulfilled at the tech giant and decided to take a leap of faith in 2011, according to MoneyControl.
“Boredom and a sense of not belonging” were Garg’s reasons for leaving, as he expressed a long-held desire to run his own business. Fueled by a passion for making a difference, Garg returned to India and founded Harvesting, a startup dedicated to empowering small-scale farmers and revolutionizing the agricultural sector.
Inspired by his farmer grandfather from Uttar Pradesh, Garg envisioned a platform that would connect farmers directly with consumers, eliminating middlemen and boosting profits for these smallholders. “Harvesting empowers these farmers to earn more,” he explained, comparing his venture to a “next-generation Amul.” The startup offers farmers comprehensive support, from cultivation assistance to online and offline sales channels for their produce.
Garg’s path from corporate executive to agricultural entrepreneur is a testament to his resilience. He overcame a challenging upbringing marked by financial hardship after losing his father at a young age. Books, especially the Harvard Business Review, became his source of solace and inspiration. It was within the walls of the Indian Railways library in Lucknow, where his mother worked, that Garg’s entrepreneurial spirit blossomed.
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