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If you think farming is all about ploughing the field clad in a dhoti and eating packed lunch under a tree, think again. Hariharan V is one such farmer who is pursuing an MBA degree at the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIM-C).
From a small village in the southern part of Tamil Nadu, this 25-year old is at IIM-C because he is alarmed by the way the business of agriculture -- the foundation of India's economy -- actually works.
He finds it bothersome that middlemen and market fluctuations play a bigger role in the life of an ordinary farmer than annual seasons and weather tantrums.
After completing his engineering in 2007 followed by a short stint with a software firm, Hariharan realised that there was nothing better than the farming business in India and thus is pursuing an MBA to exhilarate the agro-industry.
Hariharan and his family own some nine acres of land in Tamil Nadu. Of this, 5 acres is used to grow vegetables and the rest yields flowers. Vegetables being the traditional produce, it is only lately that Hariharan and his family dived into flower farming. Last year (2010-11) the family made about Rs 5,50,000 in profit.
Why MBA?
Ever since Hariharan decided to pursue an MBA degree, he has been fielding the question -- Why MBA? Everybody expected him to simply toe the family line.
But the young farmer had other plans. Farming it would be, he was sure, but with business knowledge thrown in good measure. "An MBA will help me understand the business dynamics, complexities involved and actual opportunities the industry can provide. The knowledge, ideas gathered and interaction with students, professors, alumni and industry people will broaden my spectrum using which I will be able to integrate farming with business ideas," is the answer he gives everyone
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