THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: On the coastal fringe of Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram, where salt winds sweep over nutrient-starved loose sand, S V Sujith has turned nearly 20 acres of barren land into a high-yield agricultural enterprise. For the corporate-dropout-turned agripreneur, converting beach sand into productive fields is the culmination of a decade-long battle against social stigma and initial financial ruin.
Holding an MBA in marketing and finance, Sujith abandoned a corporate career in Bengaluru after a severe bout of food poisoning and a family member’s leukemia diagnosis exposed the dangers of contaminated produce. Driven to provide safe food, he entered agriculture full-time, but early attempts hit severe roadblocks. Pure organic farming proved economically unviable, while contract farming failed when traditional growers used random chemical pesticides and resisted modernising.
Taking full control, Sujith leased land, mechanised operations and launched Naaden Agro Farms. Financial crisis soon followed. Disgruntled workers delayed sales, discarded produce, and sabotaged machinery at his Neyyattinkara farm. Facing massive losses, Sujith closed his retail outlets, shut down farms, and sold his car to manage debt.
Relatives and acquaintances mocked his choice. “The society has not accepted farmers,” Sujith recalls. “They taunt you during social gatherings. Some even offer help by asking my CV to fetch me a corporate job. Even my parents had doubts.”
Refusing to quit, Sujith switched to scientific open precision farming, targeting the loose white sand at Vettuthura and later farming the land provided by St Xavier’s College, Thumba, and Marian Educity, Menamkulam.
Guided by agricultural scientists, he used soil testing, targeted drip irrigation, and mulching sheets. From soil once considered infertile, he cultivated 45 seasonal vegetable varieties, currently maintaining 23 active varieties that yield one tonne of produce daily for select shops.
His work earned him the state government’s Haritha Mithra Award in 2022. He no longer applies for awards, preferring to leave room for new farmers.
Agri-flower show turns Onam hit
To break public reluctance toward agriculture, Sujith launched Aaravam, an agri-flower show in the city during Onam. The third edition, running from August 12 to September 5, 2026, spans six acres on the Marian Educity campus.
What began as an ecological engineering technique — using floriculture and maize as border crops to trap pests naturally — has turned into a major Onam season attraction drawing over 500 visitors daily on weekdays and even larger weekend crowds.
The festival features a blooming landscape of 25,000 sunflowers, 20,000 multi-coloured marigolds yielding 700 grams per plant, 8,000 dwarf French marigolds in red and yellow, along with celosia and bachelor’s button. Beyond flowers, visitors experience two cents of paddy plots, traditional water wheels, working farm equipment, and poultry exhibits.
Sujith married Sujitha K S, an Infosys employee, in 2015. His demanding schedule often meant returning home late, leading his eldest son, Aarav S S (now in Class 4), to call him ‘minnaminni’ (firefly). “My son called me ‘minnaminni’ because I come home late in the night,” Sujith says. “So I decided to engage him in farming. I gave him grow bags to start his own kitchen garden.”
Aarav went on to win the Child Farmer Award from Sreekaryam Krishi Bhavan the same year Sujith received his honour.
