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Nagpur couple turns 80 sq ft room into saffron farm earning Rs 50 lakh a year

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The couple started by converting an 80-square-foot room in Dhule into a controlled climate space before establishing an expanded setup in Nagpur. Using aeroponic techniques learned after studying Kashmiri practices, they nourish suspended plant roots with mist under regulated light and humidity. Shaya Enterprises has since enlarged its operations to a 400-square-foot unit, having spent Rs 15 lakh on research, bulbs, and machinery since 2018.

Key points

  • Indoor saffron farming using aeroponics can yield high returns within small, climate-cont…: Indoor saffron farming using aeroponics can yield high returns within small, climate-controlled spaces.
  • Commercial viability was achieved by pairing direct spice sales with educational training…: Commercial viability was achieved by pairing direct spice sales with educational training services.
  • The business has scaled up from small test rooms to an operating 400-square-foot cultivat…: The business has scaled up from small test rooms to an operating 400-square-foot cultivation unit.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

In 2020, Divya Lohakare Holey and her husband Akshay Holey bought 100 saffron bulbs from Kashmir and began experimenting with indoor cultivation in an 80-square-foot room in Dhule. They installed an air conditioner, made a humidifier and tried to recreate the conditions needed to grow the expensive spice. The experiment worked, and the couple spent the following years developing a method to cultivate saffron using aeroponics.

Today, the couple runs Shaya Enterprises, a Nagpur-based saffron business that sells its produce and trains people interested in setting up indoor cultivation units. According to Startup Pedia, the venture produced 4.73 kg of saffron and recorded revenue of Rs 30 lakh in FY25. As per a 2025 TOI report, the couple's annual revenue was around Rs 40-50 lakh, including earnings from their wider cultivation and training activities.

How the couple decided to grow saffron

Image courtesy: Instagram/@shaya_enterprises

Divya and Akshay began exploring the idea of starting a business in 2018. Divya was working in a government bank, while Akshay had a wholesale garment business and had also set up restaurants in Nagpur and…

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