A couple in Maharashtra has developed a way to grow saffron away from the cool climate of Kashmir. Akshay Holey and Divya Lohakare Holey have transformed a 400-square-foot room into a saffron-growing facility, earning Rs 40-50 lakh in revenue.
Saffron is the world’s costliest spice and requires cold, dry conditions to grow. For Nagpur-based Akshay and Divya, this meant using technology instead of traditional farming methods to recreate the conditions. The duo use aeroponics, a technique that allows plants to grow without soil, to cultivate saffron.
How Nagpur Couple Started Growing Saffron
Akshay and Diya first became interested in starting their own enterprise in 2018. Akshay is a BBA graduate who was working in the garment sector. Divya worked in a bank. The couple first travelled to Kashmir and spent around three and a half months learning how to grow saffron from farmers. Their initial experiment involved setting up an 80-square-foot vertical aeroponic unit on their terrace.
Akshay and Divya started with just 100 saffron corms or seeds, weighing about 1 kg. Their first harvest produced only a few grams of saffron. They used aeroponics, meaning that the plant roots were suspended and given water and nutrients using a fine mist. The indoor setup mirrored the environmental conditions required for saffron cultivation, allowing Akshay and Divya to grow the spice in Nagpur.
Their saffron cultivation process follows a seasonal cycle from August to December. The remaining months are dedicated to growing and maintaining the seeds for subsequent harvests.
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How The Business Expanded
Encouraged by the results, they invested in technology and gradually expanded their production. “We managed to produce around 1,600 grams, and since then, we’ve grown to 480 sqm units across two locations, including a 400 sqft setup at our flat in Hingna,” Akshay told Times of India.
Akshay and Divya initially invested around Rs 55 lakh. Over five years, the venture earned Rs 1.3 crore. Their combined saffron production reached 45 kg last year. Between 2023 and 2025, the couple generated annual revenues of Rs 40 lakh to Rs 50 lakh.
The duo also offer training courses to farmers and buy back the saffron they cultivate.
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