What began as a plan to migrate to Canada has evolved into a large-scale mushroom cultivation enterprise generating annual sales of nearly ₹3 crore and providing employment to around 30 people in Akanwali village of Haryana’s Fatehabad district.

The venture, established by brothers Kiratpal Singh and Avtar Singh, reflects a growing trend among some rural entrepreneurs who are investing in high-value agriculture and controlled-environment farming rather than pursuing overseas employment opportunities.

For Kiratpal Singh, now 33, 2018 was expected to mark the start of a new chapter abroad. After obtaining a visa, he travelled to Canada and spent nearly three weeks exploring the possibility of settling there permanently. However, discussions with his elder brother led him to reconsider those plans.

According to Kiratpal, the family ultimately decided that the substantial amount earmarked for migration and settlement could be deployed more productively in a business venture within India. The brothers redirected approximately ₹50 lakh, originally intended for immigration-related expenses, toward establishing a mushroom cultivation operation.

Kiratpal said the decision was influenced by concerns over the financial realities of starting a new life overseas. Beyond migration costs, prospective immigrants often face significant expenses related to housing, transportation and day-to-day living. The brothers concluded that investing in an enterprise of their own offered greater long-term potential.

The idea for mushroom cultivation emerged from observations made during visits to wholesale agricultural markets. They identified growing demand for mushrooms and viewed controlled cultivation as a segment capable of generating returns from relatively limited land holdings.

The business began modestly. In 2018, the brothers established four to five temporary mushroom-growing sheds with an investment of approximately ₹15 lakh. Initial results encouraged expansion, and profits generated during the early years were reinvested into infrastructure and production capacity.

Over the following years, the operation transitioned from basic sheds to a technologically managed cultivation system. The farm currently operates 14 climate-controlled production chambers spread across a single acre of land. According to the brothers, total investment in the project has now exceeded ₹3 crore.

A major upgrade occurred in 2023 with the installation of air-conditioned growing rooms designed to maintain temperature and humidity levels required for scientific mushroom cultivation. Kiratpal said the family intends to continue expanding production capacity in the coming years.

The enterprise has also developed an extensive market network. According to Avtar Singh, 38, most of the produce is marketed through the wholesale trading system in Ludhiana, one of northern India’s major agricultural trading hubs.

Avtar explained that each production room covers approximately 1,000 square feet. The cost of raising a crop, including labour, electricity and other operational inputs, averages about ₹3.20 lakh per production cycle. Revenue from the harvested mushrooms typically reaches around ₹4 lakh per cycle, resulting in a profit margin of roughly ₹80,000 per room.

With close to five crop cycles completed annually, each chamber generates approximately ₹4 lakh in yearly profits. Across all 14 rooms, annual profits are estimated at nearly ₹50 lakh.

The profitability of the enterprise stands in contrast to traditional agricultural activities that often depend on larger landholdings and remain vulnerable to weather-related risks. Controlled-environment mushroom cultivation allows year-round production and more predictable output, although it requires substantial capital investment and technical management.

The success of the project is rooted in a longer agricultural journey undertaken by the family. Avtar entered farming full-time in 2005 after the death of his father. He left formal education after matriculation and became actively involved in managing agricultural operations alongside extended family members.

Before shifting to mushroom cultivation, the family was engaged in vegetable farming across approximately 20 acres. Their joint family owns nearly 32 acres of agricultural land. As mushroom production became increasingly profitable, the family gradually reduced vegetable cultivation and redirected resources toward expanding the mushroom enterprise.

In addition to production, the brothers have invested in supporting infrastructure aimed at improving efficiency and sustainability. The operation includes its own composting facility as well as cold-storage capacity, enabling better management of both inputs and harvested produce.

The composting unit utilizes spent mushroom substrate, a by-product of cultivation, to create organic compost. According to the brothers, this has reduced dependence on chemical fertilizers such as urea and diammonium phosphate (DAP). They say the practice has contributed to improved soil conditions on fields used for conventional crops.

Avtar said the use of compost generated from mushroom waste has been associated with higher wheat yields on family-owned farmland. He claimed production has increased to around 28 quintals per acre compared with yields of approximately 22 quintals per acre commonly achieved by other farmers in the area.

Beyond financial returns, the enterprise has emerged as a source of local employment. Around 30 workers are engaged in various aspects of production, handling, storage and operational management. The jobs created by the venture provide an additional economic benefit in a rural region where employment opportunities are often linked primarily to seasonal agriculture.

The transformation of a planned migration investment into a commercial farming enterprise highlights the opportunities available in specialized agricultural sectors. While traditional farming continues to face challenges related to profitability and market volatility, ventures focused on high-value crops and controlled cultivation techniques are increasingly attracting entrepreneurial interest.

For the Singh brothers, the decision taken in 2018 altered both their personal trajectory and the economic profile of their family farm. What was originally intended as a pathway to a new life overseas has become a locally rooted business generating substantial revenue from a single acre of land in Haryana.