Bengaluru techie left a high-paying Wipro job to help farmers. His father did not speak to him for 8 years. Today, he is running a Rs 1,500 empire and earning Rs 60 crore per month

He had a high-paying job at one of the tech grads’ dream companies – Wipro. Yet at the height of his career, Shashi Kumar did the unthinkable. He left a cushy job at Wipro after 13 years and founded Akshayakalpa Organic, India’s first organic milk company, in 2010. The company is based in Bengaluru. As per a DNA India report, the company sells milk and milk products free from antibiotics, synthetic additives, hormones, and chemical pesticide residue.

Coming from an agricultural family, Shashi Kumar conceived the idea of Akshayakalpa Organic after recognising the financial hardships and business viability challenges faced by farmers with small and medium-sized landholdings. Determined to address these issues, he began his entrepreneurial journey with the aim of promoting rural entrepreneurship and generating wealth for small-scale and marginalised farmers. His venture also tapped into the growing demand for organic and sustainably produced goods.

Taking to X, a user named Vikas Alwys shared some more details about his story – he was shunned by his father for eight years, as his father was disappointed in him for deciding to become a farmer. Six times, the company came close to bankruptcy, and Shashi used his wife’s life savings (Rs 30 lakh) to help the organisation stay afloat.



Today, Akshayakalpa has 2,800 farmers, paying each farmer ₹1.28 lakh per month, and makes over Rs 600 crore per year. The company caters to more than 60,000+ clients across major cities in India. According to PrimeVP, the company earns Rs 60 crore per month. As per a Deal Room report, the company’s valuation is an impressive Rs 1,500 crore.

According to a GQ India report, Shashi holds a Bachelor’s degree in engineering from Bangalore University and a master's degree in telecommunication engineering, software, and telecom engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Chicago.