Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Urban entrepreneurs are turning spare rooms into saffron farms, earning up to ₹20 lakh a year from as little as 100 sq ft with the right conditions.
Replicating Kashmir’s climate indoors with ACs, humidifiers, and LED lights is key—temperatures between 5–20°C help trigger successful flowering.
Expect to invest ₹5–15 lakh for climate control, insulation, trays, and premium corms—but successful growers recover costs in just 1–2 years.
With saffron priced at ₹2.5–10 lakh/kg, growers are tapping into premium markets and earning ₹1–3.5 lakh/month—even more by exporting or adding value.
Vertical farming lets you produce high yields in tight spaces. A single 100 sq ft room can produce hundreds of grams of saffron with minimal footprint.
Controlled environments allow some to grow saffron twice a year—unlike traditional methods limited to one harvest, increasing annual output and profits.
Less labour, minimal water, and no pesticides make indoor saffron a cleaner, greener alternative—perfect for sustainability-focused agripreneurs.
Beyond saffron threads, income comes from teaching, cold storage rentals, microgreens, and launching saffron-infused products like teas and cosmetics.
Success hinges on mastering the corm cycle and tech. Many join training programs or collaborate with agritech firms to scale with confidence and precision.