It was while working in the US that Somveer Singh Anand (known as Som) started to do the math. "I had come back home some four and a half years ago, and I had seen the stuff that was happening in the US, and was extremely impressed at the things it could achieve," says Som, who has since started Pind Fresh, a complete hydroponic set-up for you to grow your own vegetables.
And, of course Delhi-NCR is one of the biggest markets for the Chandigarh-origin brand. "We get orders from all over the country, but with Delhi it is like travelling from one end to the other, but your product reaches first," he says.
It was a continuation of what Som's dad had been doing for the last 10 years with the now 40-year-old saying, "We are all sort of technocrats; my dad was in the Merchant Navy and always wanted to grow his own produce. So, we had all these rooftop experiments at home."
"I used to be a banker and that is a great way of making money. Not wanting to do that anymore, I wanted to make money while at home, and chill. First, I was like 'Let us make the most of this in our own home’. Then I thought, 'Let's curate others' crops for their farms'," recalls Som. Third time is the charm and that is when it hit.
"We designed these beautiful set-ups, out of which everyone can explore their own growing style. It is sort of like an IKEA set, honestly. You get the set-up, the vestibules, and everything else. There are three learning modules, which include Training DVDs that take you through every step," he adds.
According to Som, there are three kinds of growers who come to purchase their range of products. "There are people who want to learn about and check out what hydroponics is, just for themselves. Next is for people trying to grow produce for their families, like a serious hobby," mentions Som, noting that it takes eight-square-feet to feed a family with a variety of vegetables.
And then "there are a lot of people who try to take our models so as to apply them commercially, and it often reaches a point where we have to take them by the hand and explain to them how to go about this business".
That being said, Som does not take responsibility for the final crop, or lack thereof. "I do not want to get into any hassles, so there is no question of leasing out land, trying to grow products personally, or anything else. We sell a system, that's it," he concludes. After, do what thou will shall be the whole of the law.