KORAPUT: When Subrat Dash walked away from a secure and well-paying corporate career to grow coffee on the rocky hills of Koraput district, he knew the road ahead would be uncertain and full of risks.
But the senior executive with corporate giant Aditya Birla Group dared to pursue his dream and found his footing. He has, today, not only grown the coffee but also established his own brand Koraput Arabica, turning himself into an entrepreneur and providing employment and livelihood to hundreds of people from the local tribal communities.
An MBA from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, Dash spent over 23 years in senior and middle management roles across leading organisations, including the Aditya Birla Group, L&T Group and multinational firms. In 2018, he quit his position as vice-president and head-south with Aditya Birla Finance Limited to pursue a long-held dream of working close to nature.
“I had always wanted to do something meaningful in agriculture. Corporate life teaches you efficiency and planning, but farming teaches you patience,” Dash said.
The journey began in 2018 at Pakandola village under Koraput block, where he took up coffee cultivation on nearly 30 acres of rocky and degraded hill terrain. The odds were stacked against him.
“It was extremely challenging for me to start coffee plantation on rocky hills. There was hardly any topsoil, and developing the land itself took years of effort,” he says.
He invested time in understanding the local ecology, rainfall patterns and soil behaviour. The plantation was developed using eco-friendly farming practices, focusing on soil regeneration, shade-grown coffee and minimal chemical intervention. “Coffee grows best when the environment is respected. Eco-friendly farming is not a choice, it is a necessity to protect the hills, water sources and biodiversity,” he says.
Slowly, the barren slopes began to change. Today, the estate, branded as ‘Koraput Arabica’, stands as a flourishing coffee plantation, producing nearly three tonne of beans annually. More importantly, it has become a reliable source of livelihood for the surrounding villages.
“At least 20 local people get work every day throughout the year. Most of them are from tribal families. Our effort has been to provide steady income, not just seasonal labour,” Dash asserts.
The plantation generates close to 3,000 man-days of employment annually, contributing directly to the local rural economy. For many workers, the plantation has reduced the need for migration in search of work. “Employment within the village brings dignity and stability. When people don’t have to leave their homes, the entire community benefits,” he adds.
He is now focused on taking Koraput coffee to the world. Koraput’s agro-climatic conditions give it a natural advantage for specialty coffee. With proper branding and market access, this region can emerge as a recognised coffee destination, he says.
At the same time, development and upliftment of the local tribal communities is paramount for the entrepreneur. “The real growth will happen only when tribal communities are partners in this journey. Engaging them meaningfully will boost the local economy and ensure sustainability. My aim is to bring in a larger shift where professional expertise is directed towards restoring land, creating livelihoods and shaping a sustainable rural future,” Dash says.