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Rajaram Tripathi, owner of Maa Danteshwari Herbal Group

Imagine, a comfortable job as a manager in State Bank of India (SBI), fixed salary, pension support and high status in the society. Can a person afford to leave it all and take up farming on barren land? When Rajaram Tripathi did exactly this in 1996, his acquaintances and relatives branded him an 'educated madman'. It was difficult for people to believe that someone was leaving such a secure life and going on a path where there is only uncertainty.

But today, almost three decades later, the same Rajaram Tripathi is known across the country as the 'helicopter farmer'. He owns a luxurious helicopter worth Rs 7 crore and he uses it not for any rich hobby but for monitoring his huge 1000 acre farmland and spraying medicines in it.

From bank cabin to 1000 acre empire

Rajaram Tripathi's journey is no less than a film script. When he left the SBI job, he had only 5 acres of inherited land. The beginning was very modest. He tried his hand at tomato farming, but soon he realized that it was not possible to earn profits and build a big empire by farming traditional crops. This is where the manager and innovator within him came to work. He studied the market and turned his attention towards medicinal farming. He chose the crop which is called 'white gold' in the market – i.e. white musli.

This decision proved to be a masterstroke. Along with Safed Musli, he started scientific cultivation of Ashwagandha, black pepper and dozens of other herbal plants. Today his company 'Maa Danteshwari Herbal Group' has become a huge agricultural empire with an annual turnover of Rs 25 crore. The 'white gold' and other herbs grown by him are not limited to India. They are exported to more than 10 western countries including America, Germany, England and France.

Why was there a need for a 'helicopter' worth Rs 7 crore?

When the business expanded to 1000 acres, Rajaram faced a new challenge. Monitoring the crops in such a large area, finding out which parts were infested by pests and spraying the medicine on time was almost impossible with traditional methods. Rajaram says that he had seen farmers doing this work from helicopters in foreign countries. They thought that if they can do it, why should we Indian farmers be left behind? With this thought in mind, he purchased a Robinson R-44, 4-seater helicopter at a cost of about Rs 7 crore.

This was not an amateurish purchase, but a well-thought-out strategy to modernize farming. To fly this helicopter professionally, Rajaram, his son and his brother are taking regular training to become pilots from an aviation academy in Ujjain. This helicopter sprays medicine on several acres of crops within minutes, thereby saving a lot of time, effort and cost.

development means everyone's support

Rajaram Tripathi's success is not limited to his turnover of Rs 25 crore or 9 luxurious farmhouses. His thinking goes beyond just earning profits. During his journey, he not only provided employment to more than 400 tribal families, but also made them self-reliant by training them in modern farming. They do not limit the benefits of their success to themselves. Rajaram says, “Real development happens only when everyone benefits.” He not only uses his Rs 7 crore helicopter for his fields, but also helps in spraying medicines in the fields of other nearby farmers, so that the entire community can move forward together. Let us tell you that for this revolution in farming, Rajaram Tripathi has been honored with 'Best Farmer Award' thrice at the national level.