Sujata Agarwal Defied Climate Challenges To Harvest Kashmiri Saffron At Home And Reap Profits
Sujata used air-conditioners in an enclosed room to create an environment in which saffron flowers bloomed.
Published : January 3, 2026 at 3:29 PM IST
Jharsuguda (Odisha): Sujata Agarwal from Jharsuguda held a piece of saffron in her hand while she was praying one day, and it suddenly occurred to her to find out how saffron is cultivated.
“At that time, I did not know anything. I had never seen Kashmir. I only knew that it was very expensive; it comes from Kashmir. I asked everyone and got to know it is cultivated in below sub-zero temperatures – a condition that was not possible here.”
But Sujata did not give up and researched saffron cultivation, and through sheer willpower, she decided to experiment with having air-conditioners installed in a 100-square-foot room of her house. It worked. She started cultivating Mogra saffron at home. Moga saffron is said to be the highest and purest grade of Kashmiri saffron, prized globally for its intense potency.
She achieved remarkable success. Sujata Agarwal said, "I have never been to Kashmir, I had never seen saffron seeds. But I bought the seeds and started cultivating saffron. When the first flower bloomed, I felt that I had succeeded in the venture.”
Sujata said that in October 2025, 750 grams of saffron were harvested, worth about Rs 7.5 lakh. It took her a couple of years to kick off the project, and with the help of her husband and two daughters, she made all the preparations for saffron seeds, suitable soil, temperature control, shelves, suitable containers, racks for saffron cultivation, etc.
After taking the necessary training for cultivation, Sujata invested 8-9 lakh rupees in the first phase. The required Mogra saffron seeds were procured from Kashmir, and special soil was prepared. She started saffron cultivation in wooden and plastic containers in July 2023. After 4 months, it became productive in October.
After that, she invested only 1 lakh rupees and harvested saffron again in January-February 2024. Sujata has already received 25 per cent profit by selling saffron, stamens and saffron flower buds. In July 2025, she invested Rs 1 lakh, including seeds, electricity, labour, etc., to cultivate saffron, resulting in a 750-gram yield in October.
In 2026, she set a goal to cultivate saffron three times a year and harvest two kilograms, with an expected market value of more than Rs 20 lakh.
Sujata is now selling saffron both offline and online. Not only saffron, but she also sells saffron stems, saffron petals to Ayurvedic companies and beauty product manufacturing companies. Sujata has expanded her business with the help of social media. She has named her company Bloom in Hydra.
Through social media, she has connected with customers from countries like the UK, London, and Dubai. She has also received orders from different states in the country. Tara Nayak, who helps Sujata in farming, said, " I do whatever she tells me. After working here, my family's financial situation has improved.
