From Software Job to Dairy Farming: Young Professional Earns Lakhs Through Agriculture

Young software professional Saikrishna from Nuthimadugu village in Kambadur mandal is showing how work-from-home opportunities can be combined with agriculture and dairy farming. After completing his MBA in Hyderabad in 2018, he joined a private company in Manikonda as a US Tax Analyst. During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, he returned to his native village and continued working from home during the night, earning around ₹60,000 a month. Instead of spending the remaining time idle, he turned to farming and dairy development on his family’s 40-acre agricultural land.

Saikrishna obtained a ₹10 lakh bank loan under the PMEGP scheme and invested another ₹8 lakh to establish a dairy farm in 2024. He spent about ₹9 lakh on the shed and another ₹9 lakh on 12 hybrid cows. Two workers are employed to maintain the farm and cleanliness. The cows produce around 90 litres of milk a day, which is sold to a local dairy at ₹42 per litre. After expenses, the dairy generates an estimated monthly profit of ₹50,000–₹60,000. Alongside dairy farming, he cultivates tomatoes on five acres, paddy on six acres and maize on four acres. He spends around five to six hours a day supervising farm activities. With up to three seasonal crops a year, his agricultural activities generate an estimated annual income of around ₹15 lakh.