Agro Tourism Wins Hearts After Shark Tank India

Shark Tank India has been generating quite the buzz among viewers lately. The show has brought about the much-needed discussion of entrepreneurship on our tables and we are all here for it! This show is much in line with the present government's encouragement towards entrepreneurs; teaching people how to employ themselves and to generate much-needed employment for the nation as well. This is why the episode with Mr. Pandurang Taware; also known as the father of Indian agro-tourism brought forth a much-needed buzz in the country.

Agriculture is so often focused only on the crop raising and laborious aspect of food production that we fail to appreciate how dynamic it truly is. The show has highlighted just that, taking the message of agro-tourism and spreading it wide across the nation. Mr. Taware entered the show wanting an investment of 50 Lakhs to further his business in return for a 5% equity. His business involves taking people in from cities and giving them an 'authentic' Indian village experience.

Taware rightly points out how 80% of the population still lives in villages so it is time for the Indian population to start reuniting with their roots. And while tourism businesses generally try to source international tourists, hoping to bring in more income; Mr. Taware is more focused on domestic tourists. He wants to give city-bred Indians a feel of what living in the villages is like; something that is a reality for the country's rural counterpart.

The business generates income through affiliation with tourism companies and their own tourists. They provide a rare glimpse into what the life of a hands-on Indian farmer is like. And this very thought is what makes Mr. Taware's business so incredible. As a country, we keep crying about the state of our farmers without much of an idea of what their reality truly is like. Mr. Taware offers the urban population a gateway for developing empathy for the nation's farmers. Maybe if we understand what a farmer's life is like will we truly begin to appreciate the food growers of our country?

The experience includes more than just a sociological glimpse into a farmer's life. It curates your experience just as how you might like it. If you've got children, then they have an innovative art-and-craft project to keep your children creative and busy. And once in a while, it might be a much-needed escape from the over-stimulation that gadgets tend to provide. Soft, soothing, and gentle entertainment that takes time, gets your children busy with their hands,

Mr. Taware and the Sharks did not reach a conclusion that we might have wished for all the Sharks were 'out'. And while Mr. Taware's desire to reach 15 lakh Indian farmers will have to find another route- we are all glad for the perspective that this innovation has opened up for us. Farmers who have tied up with his business have generated more income than what their harvests-only incomes provide. This is an incredible achievement; we're all rooting for Mr. Taware.