Bio

After completing my post-graduation, I made the decision to return to my own village and delve into agriculture and other supporting economic activities . Upon embarking on this journey in my village, Shedthikere, I quickly realized that relying solely on our small piece of agricultural land was neither easy nor sustainable in the midst of this beautiful and culturally rich village. To address this challenge, I initiated a rural economy development program centered around creating value from arecanut. I successfully developed a product - the arecanut key chain - that generated 40 times more value from a single arecanut. This innovation caught the attention of Mr. Chandrashekar Kakal, who became my mentor and encouraged me to explore the potential of areca wood products. We soon recognized the pressing issue of waste in our state, Karnataka, which is the largest producer of arecanut in India. Traditionally, areca wood had various uses, including hut construction, attics, partitions, fencing, furniture, and kitchen equipment like spoons and scoops. However, the majority of fallen areca trees were simply used as firewood, representing a significant waste of valuable resources. Our mission became clear: transform areca wood into a commercially valuable product. While we encountered numerous challenges, such as the lack of research and development in this field, we persisted and expanded our product range. Unfortunately, attempts to secure support from government wood research institutes proved fruitless, leaving us with labor-intensive production methods. Nevertheless, we are now accepting orders based on consumer demand. One of my more remarkable discoveries was the conversion of areca nut liquid extract into powdered form for use in the natural dye industry. This liquid, previously considered a waste product by farmers, was typically sold at low prices to middlemen, who then added it to lower-quality areca nuts to improve their quality. By adding value to this overlooked waste product, I transformed it into a sought-after commodity and began supplying it to industries in North India. As my journey continued, I joined the Jagriti Yatra, an entrepreneurial expedition that broadened my understanding of different types of organizations structure and the importance of social entrepreneurship at the grassroots level. Inspired by this experience, I established the Janamana Trust to give structure to my social initiatives. Under the umbrella of the Janamana Trust, we worked on various social causes that I had initiated, including Phal Aahar, Native Green, Aahar Vihar Arogya, Rural Innovation Centre For Entrepreneurship - RICE and Aahar Dhan. Collaborating with other NGOs, we undertook projects like Swagrama, lake rejuvenation, and numerous workshops and seminars in the villages. Today, I am also deeply involved in eco-tourism projects in partnership with my wife, Dr. Radha Chethana. We have created the brand "AyurYana" in my village of Shedthikere, near Heggodu Sagar, and the surrounding areas. Our mission with AyurYana is to preserve, conserve, and promote the sustainable development of culture, tradition, food practices, primitive technology, and local history. Through AyurYana, we have organized excursions, educational trips, summer camps, pilgrimage journeys, trekking adventures, and history exploration camps for international schools like The Valley School and The Creative School from Bangalore, as well as for city residents. This endeavor has led to the empowerment of rural women and youths, sustainable economic development in villages, and the responsible utilization of local resources. In summary, my journey has been dedicated to the empowerment of villages in India through sustainable economic development, innovative product creation, and social entrepreneurship.