Musings of a farmer's daughter... With a golden touch - Suvarna Bhat

I believe that any business or venture will find success provided the person at the helm of affairs has sincerity, a zeal to succeed and a diehard attitude. My entrepreneurship started with me extending my belief in holistic living and starting an Ayurvedic centre at Hyderabad. I thoroughly improved my skills, learned the trade practically and succeeded in the venture. I was always passionate about fine tuning the way one lives: understanding the limitations and capabilities and framing alternatives. Agricultural activities, holistic living, ayurvedic practices, living with nature without interfering with it are some of the good practices in my view.

The humble women farmers that I came across in my childhood were the biggest influence in my life. The Bhoomiputris of India are the ones who influenced me to do my bit, however little it may be. Women play a vital role in the agricultural sector and also in the development of rural economies and yet they are the silent and unsung workers of the sector. They participate in all the activities of agriculture ranging from ploughing land, sowing seed, transplanting, weeding and harvesting. Women are predominant at all levels of the agricultural value chain. However, they are not recognised as the primary producers. They continue to face constraints in accessing land, credit, technology, agricultural inputs, services, and market opportunities. Generally, women are also not a part of the decision making in their families. It is high time that we take up this issue in the right spirit and turn the focus on villages where the most important Agripreneur is active.

I have been involved in some of the more innovative projects such as farm tours and tribal tourism. Being a daughter of a farmer myself, I am aware of the hardship faced by farmers. The uncertainty in weather conditions and middlemen make the journey tough for farmers. Most of the farming in India is traditional in nature and the same is practiced over generations. There is a definite need to adopt a more scientific approach. Through the Bhoomiputri initiative, we aim to bridge this gap and contribute our bit in supporting the farmers and society as a whole.

My advice for the budding Entrepreneurs is that do not hesitate to take risk. Never think failure means lack of capability on your part. Try discussing with people who have seen the area that you are trying to explore. Do not hesitate to open up about your difficulties. Reach more to serve more. Success doesn’t necessarily come from breakthrough innovation but from flawless execution. Keep up your effort and as Krishna says in Bhagavad-Gita, leave the rest.