Punepulse

February 10, 2025

An engineer from Pune has left his lucrative position to establish a container farming venture utilizing hydroponics, and he now generates an annual income in the crores.

When Shailesh Modak, a software engineer from Pune, secured a position at ECS, he initially felt a sense of relief.  As the only member of his family educated in a vernacular medium, successfully navigating an interview was a significant achievement for him.

Shailesh revealed that after attending 40 campus interviews, he finally landed his first job in 2002 and started with a salary of Rs. 8,000, which brought him a sense of satisfaction.

His job was software implementation in ATMs of international banks for which the company made him travel extensively. He traveled to Cambodia, Vietnam, Uganda, Ghana, Malaysia, and many other countries before deciding he would settle in India.

He returned to India in 2011 and secured a position at Barclays. After accumulating more than 13 years in the industry, Shailesh began to feel overwhelmed by his workload.

While still employed at Barclays, he contemplated launching his own software company. Leveraging his expertise, he established a business focused on website development for various clients.

“I started the business while continuing my job. But this did not give me the satisfaction I thought it would. It was kind of similar to the software-based work that I was kind of running away from,” he added.

He transferred the business and began contemplating a distinctive path as a professional. In 2016, Shailesh made the decision to leave his job and pursue entrepreneurship full-time. However, he was uncertain about his next steps.

One evening, while driving and listening to a local FM station, he tuned into a program featuring an expert discussing the vital role of honeybees in the ecosystem. Intrigued, Shailesh felt compelled to delve deeper into the world of honeybees. The following morning, he visited the Central Bee Research & Training Institute (CBRTI) in Pune.

At that moment, the institute was accepting new students for an upcoming course. Without hesitation, Shailesh enrolled in the week-long program for Rs. 700, immersing himself in the study of bee management and apiculture.

Upon completing the course, Shailesh launched a venture named “Puneri Pollination Services,” which offered ready-to-use beehive boxes for rent to local farmers.

He made an initial investment of approximately Rs. 2.5 lakh to acquire 60 wooden boxes measuring 1.5ft by 2.5ft, along with 20,000 honeybees, combs, frames, and the complete setup.

Under the guidance of Dr. Vikas Khaire, the business experienced early success. With more than 37 years of expertise, Khaire was a distinguished figure in Indian agriculture. His innovative contributions have been recognized in over 460 newspaper articles, seven books, 225 radio discussions, 36 television programs, and more than 540 farmer melavas.

When farmers returned the boxes post-pollination, Shailesh found honey and royal jelly in them, which he began selling for additional income. However, a significant challenge soon emerged.

During the transportation of boxes to local farmers, the lids frequently opened due to the rough ride, resulting in honeybee attacks on the drivers. This situation became problematic, leading to drivers refusing to make deliveries to the farms. Consequently, Shailesh opted to explore a different business venture.

Shailesh turned his attention to the farming sector. In 2018, he discovered hydroponics, a method of growing plants in a nutrient-rich water solution instead of soil. He began cultivating leafy greens within shipping containers.

Soon after, he conceived the idea of growing Kashmiri saffron in these containers. Leveraging technology, Shailesh initiated the cultivation of various crops without soil inside the shipping units.

In 2019, he launched a distinctive container farming enterprise named 365D Farms.

In an 8 X 40 sq. ft shipping container, Shailesh partitioned the farming area into two sections, each measuring 8 X 20 sq. ft. One section was designed for saffron cultivation using vertical farming racks, while the other was dedicated to growing vegetables or mushrooms.

The initial investment required for saffron farming in a shipping container was approximately Rs. 8 – 10 Lakh, covering the entire setup, which included chillers, humidifiers, lighting, racks, trays, cameras for monitoring, and saffron bulbs.

Within this framework, 365D Farms utilizes 500 kg of saffron bulbs to yield about 1 kg of saffron. The organic farm markets saffron at Rs. 500 per gram. Shailesh Modak’s 365D Farms produces around one kilogram of saffron each year, generating approximately Rs. 5 Lakh in revenue.

365D Farms is dedicated to providing high-quality fresh food to consumers throughout the year. The primary goal is to develop sustainable hydroponic and advanced farming systems while fostering education and the adoption of innovative agricultural technologies in both rural and urban settings.

At his farm, a combination of soilless agriculture, controlled-environment agriculture, and hydroponic systems is utilized to produce pesticide-free, residue-free, fresh, and clean food year-round.

As a certified trainer with ‘Khadi Gram Udyog’s CBRT,’ Shailesh is committed to sharing knowledge about beekeeping and sustainable farming practices with over 1,000 farmers and students through his initiatives.

Dr. Rahul Dhake, a childhood friend of Shailesh, is the co-founder of the organic farm.

The achievements of Shailesh Modak and Dr. Rahul Dhake in farming can be attributed to their mentor, the late Dr. Vikas Khaire.

365D Farms, as a farmer-producer operation, is now offering workshops and seminars aimed at individuals interested in launching their own farming ventures, focusing on the techniques of indoor farming.

Under the leadership of Shailesh, the farm is actively engaged in research to enhance indoor farming technologies. They are testing various lighting systems, growth media, and environmental conditions to foster innovative production methods. The primary objective of 365D Farms is to cultivate Kashmiri saffron multiple times a year within a controlled environment.