Ramesh Gera: The Visionary Behind Akarshak Institute’s Mission to Transform Indian Farming

At a time when technology is creating new possibilities in agriculture, Ramesh Gera, Founder and Director of Akarshak Institute of Saffron & Cordyceps Cultivation, is working to promote advanced farming as a practical and modern entrepreneurial opportunity for India’s youth. With a focus on technology, hands-on learning and high-value crops, Gera is bringing a different perspective to the future of Indian agriculture.

Advancing High-Value Farming Through Practical Training

Akarshak Institute conducts specialised training programmes in Indoor Saffron Cultivation (Kesar ki kheti) and Cordyceps Cultivation (Keedajadi ki kheti), while also offering practical exposure to Hydroponics, Aquaponics and Multilayer Organic Farming. Located in Panchkula, Haryana, the institute has live farming laboratories equipped with modern technology, equipment and instrumentation.

The training model is strongly focused on practical learning, with approximately 20% lectures and 80% hands on laboratory work. Participants get the opportunity to work directly with live cultivation systems, helping them develop practical understanding, confidence and project readiness.

From Engineering and Corporate Leadership to Advanced Agriculture

Ramesh Gera’s journey into agriculture followed a distinguished professional career. An Electrical Engineering graduate from NIT Kurukshetra, he completed his degree in 1980 and spent around 35 years working with reputed conglomerates and multinational organisations. His professional career also took him to countries including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and several European and African nations.

After retiring in 2017 at the age of 58, Gera turned his attention towards advanced farming. He converted his Noida residence into an experimental farming laboratory and began working on different cultivation techniques. Hydroponics was among his early successes, followed by Microgreens and Indoor Saffron Cultivation. His journey involved extensive experimentation, repeated failures and continuous learning, eventually becoming the foundation of his approach to advanced agriculture.

Building an Expanding Advanced Farming Ecosystem

After relocating to Panchkula in 2023, Gera established an integrated advanced farming institute bringing laboratories, infrastructure and training facilities together at one location. The institute has since expanded its subjects to include Aquaponics, Multilayer Organic Farming and Air Potato cultivation, while Cordyceps has been added as a recent specialised training area.

Gera has also worked as an agriculture advisor to Jay-Pee Infratech in Noida. His contribution to advanced and high-value agricultural practices has received recognition from government agencies and corporate organisations, while his work has also been featured on television, including DW, the national broadcaster of Germany.

Future Vision and Contact

Gera plans to continue expanding into high-value medicinal and specialty mushrooms, with Shiitake, Guji and Oyster mushrooms among the areas he intends to explore. His larger vision is to introduce more emerging cultivation techniques and encourage aspiring entrepreneurs to look at agriculture through a modern, technology-driven lens.

Ramesh Gera
Founder & Director, Akarshak Institute of Saffron & Cordyceps Cultivation

WhatsApp / Cell: 7428496656
Website: www.akarshakfarms.com
YouTube: Akarshak Saffron Institute — akarshaksaffroninstitute6961

Aspiring candidates can contact Ramesh Gera for training and information related to Indoor Saffron Cultivation and Cordyceps Cultivation.