Making ‘Green' Profits – A New Trend

Urban lifestyle choices most often revolve around all that’s healthy and sustainable. As more people choose for an eco-friendly life, there are some unique emerging business concepts that are making investors happy

- Shwetha Satyanarayan

Organic, eco-friendly, vegan and all natural are some of the buzzwords that have influenced consumers’ purchases in recent times. In fact, the International Lifestyles Survey 2019 by EuroMonitor International says that environment-consciousness and eco-friendliness of brands were ranked as the highest parameters influencing shoppers, followed by natural and organic ingredients. With more people now adopting a ‘green lifestyle’ we bring you some of the emerging business concepts.

TERRACE GARDENS

Tired of ubran jungles, the desire to have green balconies and vegetable farmyards on a terrace is leading to high demand for landscaping and terrace gardens in cities. For instance, what started as a hobby for agriculturalist Ashok Kumar in 2013 has now turned out to be a profitable, pan-India business. His company, My Dream Garden, helps people grow vegetables and fruits in balconies and terraces, in a compact space of as low as 150 sq. feet. “From okra to spinach and guavas to chikoos, a 150 sq. feet open space is enough to grow fruits and vegetables for a family of four. We charge about Rs 450 per sq. feet, and have packages starting from Rs 12,000- Rs 3.5 lakhs,” he says.

While My Dream Garden started its journey with doing 4-5 gardens a month, it is now doing 100-120 gardens in that same period. “People are extremely cautious about what they eat and the source of their vegetables and fruits. It’s this interest in their food that’s making them invest in terrace gardens,” Kumar notes. After doing more than 5,000 gardens in Bengaluru alone, My Dream Garden has extended its services to other cities like Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune. Bengaluru is its top performing city, followed by Pune and Hyderabad. Now, My Dream Garden will venture into a FOCO model by the end of the year to expand its services across India.