Mushroom farming, taught from the ground up.
A four-stage training and apprenticeship programme for first-time entrepreneurs. Small-scale, no air conditioning required, and built for the way Indian households already grow food.
A protein gap, a livelihood gap, and a low entry barrier.
India consumes roughly 80 grams of mushrooms per person per year. China consumes 22 kilograms. The traditional Indian diet is also low on accessible protein, especially for households where pulses and dairy alone aren't enough.
Mushroom farming is one of the few rural enterprises that needs little land, modest capital, and almost no exotic infrastructure. With the demographic dividend India is currently reaping, putting young people into productive, self-owned work is one of the highest-leverage investments in the country.
500 entrepreneurs running their own mushroom units.
An average of 100 new entrepreneurs each year, each with the capacity to produce mushrooms at 250-bag scale by the end of the programme. One mentor supports five to ten entrepreneurs at a time.
The four-stage model.
Each entrepreneur moves at their own pace, with a mentor available throughout. Roughly 11 months from first day of training to running a fully scaled unit.
- 1Training 1 month
A month of structured training in cultivation, sterilisation, spawning, and harvest. No production yet.
- 2Apprenticeship 2 months
Working alongside an established farmer. Building speed, judgment, and confidence with the day-to-day rhythm.
- 3Independent start 2 months at 10 bags
First production run on your own at 10 bags. Mentor available; the entrepreneur owns the outcome.
- 4Scale-up phased to 250 bags
Sequential 4-month phases at 50, 100, and 250 bags. By the end, the entrepreneur is running a self-sustaining unit.
Four varieties suited to Indian weather and agricultural conditions.
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Oyster -
Milky -
Paddy straw -
Button
Help us train the next 500 mushroom-farming entrepreneurs.
A donation of ₹2,500 covers Stage 1 training for one entrepreneur.