A 23-year-old youth in Madhya Pradesh is making headlines after earning more than Rs 82 lakh in revenue in just nine months from growing chillies. Pradyum Patel, a 23-year-old BBA graduate decided to undertake the risky business after ditching a corporate job.
What was more unusual about his endeavour is that he decided to grow his business in Madhya Pradesh's Harda, which is known for growing wheat, reports said last month. One of the most valuable crops, chilli is massively consumed in India. The country accounts for 40 to 45% of the world's total chilli production. Still, Madhya Pradesh is not among the states that are known for growing chillies. In fact, Harda district is often called the “Punjab of Madhya Pradesh” for its wheat growing capacity.
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At the beginning, Patel grabbed many eyeballs for venturing into a business that was less known in the region. Still, he decided to go ahead with his idea and planted chillies on 10 acres. In nine months, he made Rs 82 lakh in gross revenue, Navbharat Times reported on Oct. 25.
To make sense of the numbers, Rs 82 lakh from 10 acres is about Rs 8.2 lakh per acre. Harda chilli farmer Vinod Bichgavne told ETV Bharat in 2025 that he expected a yield of 1,400 quintals from seven acres, averaging 200 quintals per acre. At that yield, earning Rs 8.2 lakh per acre translates to Rs 41 per kg. While ambitious, this target is achievable under favourable growing conditions.
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Growing chillies remains a challenging business. It is like a small cap stock with a lot of potential, but significant risks. Farmers must invest in seedlings, fertilisers and labour across eight to 10 rounds of picking. They also face persistent threats from pest attacks, crop damage and sudden price crashes in the market. This makes earnings highly uncertain, which is why Patel's story is particularly extraordinary.
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