Enduring The Legacy Of Organic Farming
Harisharan Devgan, an innovative and humble organic farmer, firmly believes in the holistic growth of the country with his ideology to remain loyal to the nation, cultivating healthier crops, uplifting farming community, and envisioning a future where agriculture and nature Not only is he dedicated to the cause of Indian agriculture, but nothing pleases him more than to be described as a farmer. Even though “his parents were extremely keen that he take the Civil Services Examinations and get a government job, but he knew that farming was in his blood.” Despite that, there’s a lot more of him than that, which we are going to reveal here.
A simple farmer, whose journey started from the soil and reached sustainability has emerged as the sensational agripreneur of India.
Farming is not only his first passion but it is in his genes and veins. With his thriving presence in organic farming, Harisharan Devgan is a well-known name in other diverse realms as well. Besides farming, he has expanded his scope to explore hemp potential in various industries, and Cannabis farming for medicinal purposes, entering into the pharmaceuticals industry. Niche Agriculture and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (NAPL), is devoted to produce cannabis-based affordable medicines to treat chronic diseases like Cancer, Epilepsy, Alzheimer and several types of chronic pains. In this direction, NAPL is conducting high-end research for the formulation of advanced medicines, easily accessible at affordable rates for the common public.
Moreover, he is actively stepping into the realm of renewable energy with his active solar power plant establishing in Karnataka to divert the nation’s energy needs to renewable energy resources. Under the banner of Niche Clean Energy, he is embarking on a mission to generate biomass from Cannabis as it is the largest and most suitable source of biomass on earth. The step resonates with his pursuit to preserve natural resources and the environment as well. However, these ingrained principles and endeavors are traced back to his humble origins. To uncover those, we will delve into his past to explore the roots of his existence.
Through the Lens of Time: Exploring The Narrative Of His Origin
Looking back, Harisharan Devgan was born in a well-to-do religious Sikh family in Mumbai, he was brought up mostly by his mother in Mumbai, given his father’s frequent changes in postings. His father Haridyal Devgan was a Punjabi landlord, but served as a Naik in the Indian Army’s Signals Corps, traveling all over the country and taking part in the 1971 India-Pakistan war, which led to the most prominent reason that his parents wanted him to join civil services. Mr. Devgan and his sister Sheetal were thus mostly brought up by their mother Indrajeet, a devout woman who wanted her children to be proud, honest, and God-fearing. He describes his parents as “My parents were very moderate yet liberal, with a clear intention of struggling hard and ensuring that their children had the best.” Despite lacking formal academic qualifications, Mr. Devgan has acquired a substantial amount of knowledge through practical experience and diligent efforts. At the age of 23, he married Pragya Duggal, the daughter of a prosperous industrialist based in Delhi. This union proved to be very fortunate and blessed for both of them. They were subsequently blessed with two sons, Ritvik in 2000 and Swastik in 2001.
Rooted in Purpose: How He Sowed the Seeds of Organic Farming Success..?
Soon afterward, he ventured into organic farming of pomegranates after buying some land in drought-prone Andhra Pradesh from where he embarked on his journey of organic farming. Even after the two big failures of pomegranate crops, he attempted it a third time and that has become the life-changing decision for him. It takes immense courage and determination given the situation on the ground at the time, to stick to that decision despite immense pressure from family and other local farmers which is a true testimony to the man’s conviction and belief in himself.
His deep understanding of organic farming since a younger age is clearly determined by his prominent words – “I am not trying to solve the country’s food problem through organic farming, but I do know that sustainable farming, without the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, is the future,” I believe that the main problem of Indian agriculture today is the lack of education and awareness among farmers,” He grabbed the lower keys of Indian farming soon and started working on them with all his heart. Apart from that one instance that has generated fire in him to uplift the farming sector in India is important here to mention.
" I knew I wanted to be a farmer ever since my childhood when I first heard the phrase ‘Once upon a time there lived a poor farmer”
This phrase always bothered him, that why a farmer always meant to be a poor farmer and why a story can’t begin with: “Once upon a time there was a rich farmer”. From there he always wanted to change this perception of society and present the positive side of becoming an agripreneur. He started his unstoppable pursuit to change this perception with these promising words- “I wanted to turn the table around. So, I promised myself and took an oath that I would make this a reality.”
His decision to stick to organic and sustainable farming more than two decades ago is now giving us fruitful results in the form of Niche Group. Niche Farms, (now renamed Niche Agriculture and Biotech Limited) which he launched in 2007, is now one of the largest organic farms in the country. Niche Agriculture and Biotech Limited – an Agriculture and Organic Farming company in India is based on the Organic Practices and sound principles of conserving natural resources, limiting the carbon footprint, growing, hiring, and engaging organic farmers, and making the world a better place to live in.
He consistently embarked on a mission to foster the well-being of the community and its farmers, offering his assistance by providing essential farming equipment, supporting the education of their children, and occasionally aiding them both medically and financially. His goal is always to uplift the condition and lifestyle of his fellow farmers to remove the stigma of a farmer being poor. Moreover, in the farming sector, modern Farming Techniques inculcated by him in traditional farming result in the betterment in the quality of the produce, income, and lifestyle of the farmers. He believes that given enough love, devotion, and knowledge, farming is as prestigious and lucrative as any other business. He compulsively says – “I can assure you that once a farmer gets truly educated, he or she becomes one of the most dangerous and powerful creatures on this planet.”
Multi-Domain Maestro: Expanding the Range of Expertise
Soon afterward, he expanded his domains in the film industry resulted, in Niche Film Farms born, in Delhi, in 2012, aiming to not just “offer an easily accessible open window for the filmmakers in north India” and “service all the requirements of filmmakers in financing, distribution and other related activities,” but to provide the Indian audience with quality entertainment options in the form of movies from Bollywood, Hollywood, and regional cinema. He is passionate about the movie industry but doesn’t have an interest in acting.
Instead, his enthusiasm for films led him to finance and distribute numerous hits including the Hollywood action hit ‘London Has Fallen’ across India, Nepal, and Bhutan and then ‘Fever’ an edgy murder mystery produced by Ajay Chabbria. Another significant chapter in his journey unfolds through his passion for horses and horse racing, culminating in his recognition as a prominent figure in the realm of Indian Horse Racing and the proud ownership of esteemed equines. Fueled by his skilled and elite stable of horses, he has achieved victory in numerous distinguished and classic races across the country.
