The next natural step for farming

​The more things change, the more they stay the same. Farming has undergone many changes over the years, from the widespread use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to hydroponics and organic farming, which is essentially chemical-free. Yet, despite India ranking No. 1 globally in organic farming, only 2 to 3 percent of cultivable land is under such practices.

The reason is not difficult to understand. As the Sri Lankan experience has shown, although organic farming is healthier, yields are often 20 to 30 percent lower than chemical farming, even though the price of the produce is higher.

It was against this backdrop that Pradneesh, who was studying agriculture in Kolhapur, connected with Sanket, who came from a farming family but was pursuing a chartered accountancy degree. When the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a halt, the two returned home to Pune. Around the same time, Pandurang Pable, a family friend of Pradneesh with over two decades of experience in process automation, digital marketing and business expansion, also found himself back in his village.

Farming was the common thread that brought them together. As he began to study the facts on the ground, what he discovered was deeply worrying. As Pradneesh explains, “Most small farmers, especially those with one to three acres of land, were operating at a loss without realizing it. They were stuck in a cycle of taking loans from local shops, repeatedly purchasing fertilizers and pesticides, repeatedly facing crop issues and ultimately repaying the loan after the harvest and being left with little or no profit.”

Labor added another layer of stress. When the trio prepared a reasonable profit and loss statement, including the cost of land and family labour, it became clear that most farmers were running at deep losses. Only large farmers managed to remain profitable, mainly because they could store the produce and sell it at the right time.

This led them to a simple but powerful question: If chemical inputs were a major contributor to losses, could reducing them change the equation?

Determined to find the answer, he decided to run his own experiment. As Pandurang recalls, he started with a small plot of land, about 1,000 square feet, to test non-chemical farming methods first-hand.

Pandurang says, “We started using Jeevamrit, a natural fertilizer made from cow dung, cow urine, jaggery and gram flour, which gets fermented in a few days. Along with this, we revived the practice of co-farming by growing crops like cucumber, cluster beans, okra, fenugreek and coriander together.”

These plants with roots at different depths support each other and make better use of the soil. In total, he cultivated about 20 different vegetables.

“Modern farming has largely moved towards monocropping with heavy chemical inputs, causing traditional practices like companion farming to disappear,” says Pandurang.

Soil, he explains, doesn’t like to be naked; It will grow something or the other regardless. Again, the idea is to grow crops that benefit both the land and the farmer, rather than allowing weeds to take over.

The results were shocking. His small plot gave a yield about 25 percent higher than chemical farming along with better taste and quality. To them, this was proof that natural farming was not only viable but also highly effective.

By the time he completed this phase of the experiment in 2023, his conviction had become stronger. Natural farming not only reduced input costs, but also had the potential to outperform traditional monocropping. To deepen their understanding, Pradneesh and Pandurang went to Hyderabad to study permaculture.

After completing the course, he traveled to cities, connected with consumers and studied market dynamics closely. As Pradneesh explains, he found that natural vegetables were difficult to find, grains, when available, were often very expensive, and there was a clear gap between demand and supply. This was accompanied by a lack of trust, with consumers unsure whether products were truly chemical-free.

After identifying the gap, they moved forward to create a solution. He started working with farmers in his network near Solapur. Since only a small section practiced natural farming, they initially collaborated with those following organic methods using Jeevamrit.

To test consumer reaction, he designed another experiment. They selected 80 families in Pune and offered them food kits containing staple food items like jowar, wheat flour, pulses – enough for a family of four.

Their research revealed that many organic brands were overpriced, leading to the perception that healthy eating was unattainable. In fact, the extra cost just paid off ₹from 10 ₹12 per person per day.

Packaging presented its own set of challenges. Determined to avoid plastic, he used paper bags for the dough, carefully adjusting the thickness to manage moisture.

“Fresh flour was packed only after the order was received and distributed immediately to prevent moisture. These were kept in cloth bags stitched from reused sarees, which added a durable layer but also increased operational complexity,” says Pandurang.

Despite the challenges, the response was encouraging. 80 families experienced a change in mindset, recognizing that the slight increase in cost was justified by the improved taste, quality, and potential health benefits. The price of their stone-ground wheat flour is ₹72 per kg, almost 50 percent more than mass-market alternatives.

Still, power alone was not enough. Trust remained a significant barrier. To address this, the trio began batch-wise testing using rapid testing methods to ensure that their produce was indeed free of chemical residues.

to measure

Looking to the future, the founders are preparing for big experiments. As Pandurang explains, “Our plan is to grow crops like jowar along with pulses like matki and moong, without using any fertilizers, even natural fertilizers.”

This approach depends entirely on rainfall, mirroring traditional farming practices, with results expected after the monsoon.

They aim to expand farming to 60 acres by 2027, combining family-owned land and current holdings. Currently, they are already experimenting with natural farming on six acres using zero external inputs.

There is an emphasis on scalability.

Pandurang says, “We are documenting the processes so that they can be replicated as they scale. We support farmers by covering essential expenses, providing training, managing sales and sharing 40 percent of the profits, reducing risks and creating a more sustainable model.”

Registered in October 2025, Satvaveda Life LLP was established with clear principles: ethical practices, complete transparency and zero use of plastic. Sales began in January 2026, with Pandurang leveraging its experience in digital marketing to accelerate growth.

Like most early-stage ventures, challenges remain. Delivery costs remain high relative to the size of the order, and maintaining freshness, especially for fruits and vegetables, requires tight controls on production. As Pradneesh says, expanding one’s own farming operations is the logical next step

Grant

So far, the three founders have self-funded the venture, and invested more ₹1.2 million. They are preparing to lift now ₹Rs 1 crore to scale up operations in five cities and strengthen their natural farming initiatives. As Pandurang explains, this will help improve supply sustainability, ensure quality control, and make natural food accessible on a larger scale.

Future

His long-term vision is to take natural farming to a larger scale while restoring its economic viability. Inspired by the low-cost farming model of Bhaskar Save and the philosophy of Pandurang Shastri Athawale, he believes that farming will no longer be loss-making if unnecessary expenses are reduced.

In the near future, they plan to expand their network by collaborating with more farmers, supporting daily expenses and ensuring a risk-free model by sharing profits after sales. Their objective is clear, to make natural food accessible, make farming profitable and free farmers from the debt cycle.

It’s a tall order, but one they’re steadily working towards.