At a time when Punjab’s agriculture is struggling with falling incomes, rising input costs and heavy dependence on the wheat–paddy cycle, a young farmer from Bathinda has shown how technology-driven farming can dramatically change fortunes. Thirty-year-old Ramandeep Singh from Maur Khurd village has achieved a turnover of over Rs 1 crore in his very first year of aeroponic potato seed production, a method that grows plants without soil.
Using advanced aeroponic technology, Singh cultivates potato seeds with their roots suspended in the air, allowing precise control over water, nutrients, temperature and disease. His success highlights a growing shift among a small but determined group of farmers towards high-tech, high-value agriculture.
From Wheat and Paddy to High-Tech Aeroponics
Ramandeep Singh comes from a traditional farming family. His father, Sarabjit Singh, owns four acres of land that was earlier used mainly for wheat and paddy seed production. Instead of expanding acreage, Ramandeep converted just 2.5 kanal of land less than one-third of an acre into a fully automated aeroponic potato seed facility.
A graduate in agriculture from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, and currently pursuing a master’s degree in plant breeding, Singh decided against taking loans to settle abroad or selling family land. Instead, he invested heavily in modern farming technology. He began exploring alternatives to conventional farming nearly three years ago and eventually zeroed in on aeroponic potato seed production due to the growing demand for virus-free seed.
The aeroponic unit includes high-tech greenhouses, dark chambers for root and tuber development, drying chambers, cold rooms and cold storage units. Plants are supported on specially designed sheets, allowing their roots to hang freely in the air while receiving nutrients through a controlled misting system. According to Singh, this method ensures genetically pure and disease-free planting material.
High Investment, High Returns and Growing Demand
The total investment in the Bathinda facility ranges between Rs 1.65 crore and Rs 1.70 crore. Unlike many protected cultivation ventures, aeroponic potato seed production does not receive government subsidy. The unit houses double greenhouse structures measuring 40×100 feet, with a combined production capacity of nearly one million Generation-0 (G-0) mini-tubers per season.
Depending on the variety, the G-0 produce alone is valued at over Rs 1 crore. When these tubers are multiplied into G-1 seed, production increases nearly five-fold, pushing turnover to Rs 2–2.5 crore. Singh said he has recovered almost the entire setup cost within three years and now earns profits ranging between 50% and 60% annually.
Each tissue culture plant, costing around Rs 16, produces 70 to 80 mini-tubers. These are harvested, dried, hardened and stored under controlled conditions before being supplied to farmers. Singh provides G-0 seed free of cost to contract farmers and later buys back the produce at pre-agreed rates. From one million G-0 tubers, nearly five million G-1 tubers are produced across around 25 acres through contract farming.
The technology used at the facility was developed by the ICAR–Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), Jalandhar, which transfers it to farmers through formal agreements and provides technical support. Singh credited the institute and its scientists for guiding him through the process.
While the initiative has begun benefiting other small farmers, Singh cautioned that aeroponics is not for the unprepared. The system requires constant monitoring, technical knowledge and uninterrupted power supply. Even minor equipment failures can cause losses.
Despite the challenges, Singh believes aeroponic seed production can become a game changer for India’s potato sector. With only about eight per cent of the country’s potato seed demand currently met through organised virus-free systems, he said the scope for expansion remains vast if supported by training and institutional backing.