After working with top US companies including Microsoft for over a decade, Ruchit G Garg took a bold career shift to agriculture and became the Founder and CEO of Harvesting Farmers Network (HFN). Having spent 11 years in the tech industry, including six years at Microsoft, Ruchit left his successful career in 2011 to follow his passion for agriculture in India. Motivated by his humble beginnings and the challenges faced by rural communities, he embarked on a mission to make smallholder farming profitable and sustainable.
A Vision for Change
Ruchit played a pivotal role in developing groundbreaking technologies like XBOX, Microsoft OS, Windows Phone, and India's first commercial text-to-speech system in Hindi. Despite his success in the tech world, he felt an urge to create meaningful change in agriculture. Reflecting on his decision, Ruchit shares, “I came from a lower-middle class background, and I have seen people struggling to meet their day-to-day needs. My grandfather was a farmer, and my heart was always with the farmers of our nation. I wanted to do something for them, so I took my first step into agriculture through my self-founded company HFN.”
Connecting Farmers to Opportunities
HFN connects directly with farmers, both digitally and on-ground, providing expert advice, affordable inputs, and better pricing for produce. Ruchit emphasizes, “HFN is involved in everything a farmer needs from seed to harvest. Our aim is ‘koi kisan piche na choote’ – ‘Leave No Farmer Behind’.
Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Success
Despite initial challenges, including misconceptions about his work, Ruchit's dedication paid off. Society initially misunderstood his mission, thinking he had failed in the USA and returned to India to sell vegetables. He recounts, “People used to say I was thrown away from the USA and that I am just a vegetable vendor. But my dedication didn’t waver, and I started working on building HFN.”
Today, HFN boasts a network of nearly 40 lakh farmers from every part of the country including Kisan Sarathis. By establishing processing units and eliminating middlemen, HFN ensures farmers receive fair prices, significantly increasing their income. Ruchit explains, “Income is less in agriculture if you opt for supply chain. We are trying to open processing units at our HFN Kisan Centers so farmers can get multiple times what they used to earn. We call it ‘HFN, the farmers' own brand.’
Empowering Farmers and Building a Sustainable Future
HFN’s initiatives have resulted in remarkable success. In certain regions, farmers’ incomes have tripled due to the removal of intermediaries. Ruchit cites an example, “In the Nilgiri mountains, farmers got avocados at Rs 5 while in Bangalore they would have gotten Rs 200. This kind of direct market access helps farmers get better prices.”
HFN aims to bring high-quality, affordable farm inputs and expert advisory to farmers, ensuring they can adopt modern farming techniques and improve their yields. “Our goal is to make farming sustainable and profitable for every smallholder farmer. We are working on FMCG as well, giving our brand to FPOs and helping them with packaging, labeling, and other capacity-building efforts,” Ruchit adds.
Advice for the Next Generation
Ruchit advises young entrepreneurs to remain patient and passionate about their work. “Focus on real problems to find impactful solutions,” he says. His journey is a testament to the power of dedication and the profound impact one can have on the lives of many.
