HYDERABAD: Hyderabadi duo Sachin and Shweta Darbarwar believe they deserve the best and want nothing but fresh produce free of chemicals and pesticides, and if possible, produce that lets you even track down the history of the seed. Sounds like they are asking for too much? They don’t think so and in fact, have set up their greenhouses in Hyderabad which promise all that they themselves ask for. Today, their agri tech startup Simply Fresh India, they say uses global hydroponic technology in farming based on precision farming techniques. The use of AI technology in farming for growing, nourishing, picking, and processing. They grow medicinal plants and fresh produce year-round at their greenhouses located in Hyderabad.
Sachin Darbarwar, Founder and CEO of the company, says, “The farm is digitally controlled by an AI Platform called ‘Farm in A Box’ (FiAB) which determines and detects climate conditions and requirements for the plants and alters the environment to suit their needs. Rain-harvested water is stored in a man-made lake on the farm and its capacity suffices irrigation utility for up to six months. All of this means, consumption of only 1/10th of the electricity and water than that required by traditional farming practices. Moreover, we do not use coolants, air-conditioners, or chemical-based cooling systems. They work with simple evaporative cooling technology that creates an environment that is cooler inside. All this is made possible owing to the continued practice of intrinsic R&D.”
Sachin has spent three years learning the process in Australia and later developing the technique. Interestingly, each package has a QR code which when scanned showcases the whole history of the product including when the seed was sown, who harvested it, how many days it was in the system, and so on. It all started in 2013 at Shamirpet in a nine-acre farm that catered to retail and HoReCa (hotel, restaurant, cafes) segments in local markets.
Today, the couple are happy that they are among the largest suppliers of all salad leaves, exotic berries, salad veggies, and edible flowers to leading retail outlets and al leading hotels in Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai.