Dear Friends,

I am an Architect by profession and normally design Metro rail stations (Having

done Delhi, Bangkok & Dubai metros). I am returning to India this month to do fu
ll time research on hydropnics. I have been studying various sustainable options
for a better living & came across this technology. I experimented at a small sc
ale at home in Delhi & Dubai both. Already invested money on equipments, nutrien
t solutions etc. My conclusions are:
1. Currently the field needs extensive research and customisation for Indian con
text.
2. Indian needs are different from that of western world and commercialisation o
f the hydroponics will take time to have strong roots.
3. Climatic & soil conditions in India together with food habits of the people,
presently make hydroponics suitable for exports / prime markets as an industry.
4. It is natural that some people thinking of monetise recent entry of hydroponi
cs in India by giving training etc. are soon going to churn out dissatisfied stu
dents who can not find appropriate clients. It is evident from the mails on this
forum.
5. A search on google will tell you that hydroponics can be used in 3 ways
a. Hobby gardeners
b. Simplified systems for hungry people (Other methods are more suitable though
and proven)
c. Large scale industrialized system spread on acres of land under green houses.
Clearly even a middle income farmer of India cannot employ hydroponics for a pro
fitable venture.
I am developing ways to make Hydroponics cost effective in India, but this will
also require industry participation for deeper penetration and genuine experimen
tation with local constraints. I foresee a lot of possibilities by mixing of ide
as and come out with cost effective system. As of now I am working on computer a
ided designs for effective systems. Once I am done, I will share this with you f
or benefit of all. Anybody wants to be part of the effort is most welcome.
Satyakam Garg