Shashi Kumar’s journey in organised dairy is unlikely by all standards and norms. Born and raised in a farming family in South Karnataka, Shashi had first-hand experience of rural poverty that had forced him to complete his primary and college education while living in a relative’s house away from his own. However, with the resolve to improve his and his family’s well-being, Shashi, like many young men of his generation, pursued his bachelor’s degree in computer science and subsequently landed a job at Wipro Technologies. Further, he completed his master’s degree in telecommunication engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago.
With a background of 17 years in the technology industry, he decided to return to his homeland with a single goal: rethink and recreate his country’s farm sector that will improve the economic conditions of millions of small and marginal farmers. Personally driven by seeing his family drift away from agriculture after six generations of struggle and toil. Along with noted veterinarian and social entrepreneur Dr G.N.S. Reddy, and the financial support of 27 professional colleagues, Shashi started Akshayakalpa Organic in 2010. Akshayakalpa has grown to become India’s largest certified organic milk company, serving fresh and nutritious organic milk to more than 60,000 households daily in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. A vast majority of the 850 farmers who are now part of the Akshayakalpa movement have improved their earnings by 3-4 times and live the life of any reasonably successful entrepreneur or professional in India.