How Microgreens Pioneer Mohit Nijhawan Took A Leap Of Faith And Built A Rs 1.44 Crore Business
Chandigarh’s Mohit Nijhawan has turned his home into a microgreens farm, growing more than 70 varieties and supplying to top restaurants in India
Published : March 28, 2025 at 2:05 PM IST
Chandigarh: For 22 years, Mohit Nijhawan was happy with his corporate life in the pharmaceutical industry, earning a whopping Rs 90 lakh annual package. Little did he know that health concerns due to lifestyle disorders - hypertension, diabetes and the likes- would make him sit back and rethink how he could contribute to providing people with nutrition-based green alternatives to remain healthy.
He took a leap of faith in 2020, quit his job and took up microgreens farming, starting the venture from the second floor of his house. He used 21 types of seeds that included broccoli, cauliflower, mustard, fenugreek and radish. Today, the total area of his operations spans 500 square yards, in which he cultivates more than 70 plant varieties, and supplies to hotels in Chandigarh, Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, and Mumbai.
Despite resistance from family, business rivalries, and financial challenges, Mohit has today tasted success and how! He has not only built a company that is best in the industry but also trained more than 3,000 farmers in growing microgreens, and made them self-sufficient in the process.
As per the National Library of Medicine, "microgreens, a hypothesized term used for the emerging food product that is developed from various commercial food crops, such as vegetables, grains, and herbs, consist of developed cotyledons along with partially expanded true leaves. These immature plants are harvested between 7–21 days (depending on variety). They are treasured for their densely packed nutrients, concentrated flavors, immaculate and tender texture as well as for their vibrant colors. In recent years, microgreens are on demand from high-end restaurant chefs and nutritional researchers due to their potent flavors, appealing sensory qualities, functionality, abundance in vitamins, minerals, and other bioactive compounds, such as ascorbic acid, tocopherol, carotenoids, folate, tocotrienols, phylloquinones, anthocyanins, glucosinolates, etc." (Microgreens—A Comprehensive Review of Bioactive Molecules and Health Benefits)
Unlike traditional farming, microgreens do need large or small patches of land. These greens can be grown indoors. The process begins with soaking seeds in water, then planting them in a tray filled with coco coir or peat moss and then exposed to sun for germination. The harvest is usually in two to three weeks, after the first 'true leaves' appear. "Then take your scissors and cut the greens just above the soil line," Mohit advises.
He grows cherry tomatoes along with microgreens, and his products have got appreciation from many places. Now his company’s revenue has gone up to Rs 1.44 crore annually.
Mohit’s decision to get into microgreens began when he saw two of his family members - mother-in-law and sister-in-law succumb to cancer. His brother's kidney disease added to his concern. Witnessing so many incidents in front of him made him realize the importance of diet and health. "When I decided to go for microgreens, I did a lot of research. Initially, I gained experience by going to many agriculture workshops. I also spoke to hundreds of farmers and then decided to go for it," says the progressive farmer.
“The vegetables we eat lose nutrition due to long supply chains. What reaches us is mostly water and fiber, without real nutrients,” he says. When he decided to venture into the business, his doctor friends encouraged him, and some also advised patients to opt for microgreens. "That was a turning point when a customer sought my products after being advised by his doctor in Kerala," remembers Mohit with a sense of contentment.
But his journey was not a cakewalk. After a year into microgreens venture, Mohit’s business partner deceived him, forcing him to start all over again. But thanks to his perseverance, he did not give up. He restructured everything, expanded, and built a 90-member strong team that is contributing to the growth of the company which currently has reached major metro cities.
Mohit has a well maintained website which offers customised microgreens solutions, analyses patients’ health conditions and recommends the right variety. He works with the mission to make available fresh, nutrient-rich greens to every household.
Mohit believes that the future is in microgreens. “It is easy, the process is simple and takes only half an hour a day,” he says. “When the plants grow to the size of four fingers, that is the ideal time to cut it and consume to get maximum nutrition.”
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