News » 26.06.2026 - India: Leaving a career as an AI engineer to grow orchids

A career in artificial intelligence is something every second person is either talking about or trying to build today. With growing opportunities in the tech sector, many young professionals aim for stable roles at leading companies. But for Pushpak Sahu, the journey took a different turn.

Instead of continuing his career as an AI engineer in Mumbai, the 28-year-old decided to leave the corporate world and return to his ancestral village in Chhattisgarh. But what made him choose farming over a well-established tech career? Pushpak combined technology with agriculture and started growing orchids without soil using aeroponic farming techniques. His decision has now turned into a thriving business.

In an interview with 30Stades, Pushpak said, "I returned to my ancestral village in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari district and decided to start commercial orchid farming through aeroponic technique."

"After Covid, I started questioning whether I wanted to spend the rest of my life moving between cities and working in offices. My father was nearing retirement, and I wanted to return home and create something of my own before that happened," he said. Pushpak's father supported his decision to explore opportunities closer to home. Initially, he considered setting up a factory but realised it required a much larger investment. With ancestral land available, he shifted his focus towards agriculture. However, the flood-prone location made traditional farming difficult, leading him to research protected cultivation, hydroponics and aeroponics for nearly a year while continuing his job.
 

Source: www.floraldaily.com

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