Leaders

Across generations, talented women have long found their potential confined within the walls of their homes. Lokita witnessed this first-hand in the lives of her mother and grandmother, whose abilities seemed restrained compared to the opportunities available to the men in their lives. This disparity disturbed Lokita, wanting her to challenge these norms and break down the barriers holding women back. This is not the only shield she defied but also chose several educational and professional paths that diverged from the conventional route. Lokita Patel’s journey is a fascinating blend of unexpected turns and purposeful choices. A journey from finance professional to agri-preneurship, let’s hear more from the woman herself.

Take us through your educational and professional journey in brief.

Growing up, I was brilliant academically but I opted for commerce in college, which surprised many as they expected me to lean towards the sciences. I knew that accountancy wasn't my cup of tea, so I switched to international business management, where I found a passion for French. I took several courses in French mastering the language to such an extent that I would often say that I spoke it better than my mother tongue. I didn’t continue with being a foreign language teacher or translator and pursued CFA because I thought success was all about making big bucks to me.

I realized practical experience was crucial, so I participated in a program for women in investment, which landed me an internship at a major hedge fund in Bombay. Despite enjoying the work, the long hours and subtle biases against women in the corporate world made me reassess my priorities. It became clear that money wasn't as vital as family and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Though I excelled in investment management, I made a choice to step back. It's crucial for me to find balance between work and life, and the corporate setting didn't quite align with that. Finally, when I moved to Chennai after getting married, my husband and I together established Farmivore in the hydroponics segment of agriculture.

What’s the reason behind your shift from a corporate career to entrepreneurship?

Sure, the shift primarily stemmed from a genuine belief that I could make a more meaningful impact by investing my efforts and time into my own pursuits. Moreover, a significant factor influencing the transition was my fundamental principle of contributing to society. While it might sound cliché, it’s a guiding principle in my life. Entrepreneurship allows me to contribute in a way I couldn't in a corporate job, whether by hiring directly from the community, raising awareness, or serving as an inspirational figure for others to aspire to. So, that, in essence, fueled my move from a lucrative corporate role to an entrepreneurial path.

What inspired the establishment of Farmivore, please introduce us to the company?"

Farmivore is a hydroponics farm located in Chennai. We came up with the idea after my recent move from Pune to Chennai due to marriage. I've always cherished good food and spending time with family. The shift in culinary experiences from Pune to Chennai was substantial, leading me to question the food I ate and its sourcing. Conversations with chefs in Chennai revealed a prevalent issue with sourcing high-quality ingredients locally. Farming around Chennai is limited to paddy which means the all of the city’s fruits and vegetables come from either Coimbatore or Bangalore. Even something as basic as coriander is not grown locally. The long hours of transit takes a toll on the produce. Whether in a five-star hotel or a tiny café, chefs faced challenges with ingredient quality. I, along with my husband, sought to address this gap. We envisioned Farmivore as a solution to supply top-quality produce to local restaurants, aiming to elevate the food scene in Chennai to match the standards found in the North.

What are the challenges that you encountered on your way?

One of the main challenges we faced was making our hydroponics farm affordable. Although the technology is well established in the West, in India, the high capital cost for setting up this type of farm posed a significant hurdle. To overcome this, we extensively researched how others established their farms. By tweaking various technologies, we managed to set up our farm at a significantly lower cost, about 30 percent of what others quoted. This took several months of understanding and implementing changes to ensure our costs remained low. Additionally, our farm specializes in providing produce to organic stores, restaurants, and specifically South Korean products in Chennai, growing greens that have cultural importance to our South Korean clients living in the city.

Any advice for aspiring women entrepreneurs?

From my point of view, women are often seen as caretakers while men are expected to be providers. Young entrepreneurs, especially women, put tremendous effort into their work but sometimes at the cost of personal life. I've seen successful entrepreneurs struggle when their personal lives suffered. My advice to women entrepreneurs like myself is to strive for a balanced life, giving your all to your work but not at the expense of your personal well-being. This is a major reason why I shifted from a corporate to an entrepreneurial path.

Lokita Patel, Co-Founder, Farmivore

Lokita, a trailblazing entrepreneur, has embarked on an unconventional journey of innovative hydroponic farming to bring quality ingredients to restaurants.