VIJAYAWADA: The real heroes in our midst, but they often go unnoticed till their ideas are recognised. They don’t make a fuss about how difficult life is, but are passionate to make a positive impact on the people around them.
Meet 21-year-old Pamarthi Sai Vardhan Goud, who gave up a secure corporate job to become an entrepreneur. His weak financial background did not stop him from dreaming big and start his own startup that sells organic pickles and traditional food products. Now, he employs a large number of women. Hailing from a rural town, the diploma holder in mechatronics left his job in Bengaluru-based Asteria Aerospace and started his pickle manufacturing unit at his village, Thotapalli of Agiripalli mandal, some 50 kms from Vijayawada.
Sai’s parents were apprehensive of his decision to quit a stable job and criticised him. Now, besides creating jobs for rural women, he promotes organic farming in the village through his ‘FarmOrg Foods’. “I always wanted to be an entrepreneur but my family’s financial condition was not supportive. After working in Asteria Aerospace for more than a year, I realised it was not something I wanted to pursue and returned to my native place,” says Sai Vardhan.
What motivated him to begin the startup was the idea of ‘farm-to-home’ delivery of mangoes as it has been difficult for farmers to sell their produce in the market due to the prevailing Covid-19 situation. He created Instagram and Facebook accounts, with the help of which he initially sold mangoes with an initial investment of Rs 5,000.
“I see problems as opportunities to innovate and help others. Selling mangoes online seeded the idea for starting a company as it helped me to understand the market and customer needs. I noticed that there is a huge demand for organic farm produce. Since my family prepared pickles during summers and gave them to relatives and friends, I ventured into the pickles business. After three months of studying the market and hard work, the startup’s foundation was laid.
In order to stand out, I decided to use everything organic and procure them direct from farms,” Sai explained, assuring that all his products are tasty, authentic and purely organic. “Currently, I am collaborating with agricultural department officials on spreading awareness on organic farming in my village and neighbouring villages,” he added. The start-up’s official website can be accessed at https://farmorgfoods.com/.