Saffron has been synonymous with Kashmir’s Pampore fields for centuries — the purple blossoms swaying in the valley air, farmers plucking the flowers for the treasured spice also known as “red gold”.
The vast valleys and optimum climate have long offered the perfect conditions for cultivation, but in Ludhiana’s Phulawal village, the picture is beginning to shift. Inside a modest, climate controlled room, saffron is being coaxed from trays and racks, nurtured by sensors and LED lights rather than open skies.
Siblings Aastika and Shanker Narula, both holders of Masters in Business Management, have pioneered indoor saffron cultivation and are selling the spice at Rs 9 lakh per kg in the domestic market and Rs 12 lakh per kg internationally. Their venture, Grow Grower, exports to Australia, Singapore, Japan and New Zealand.
The siblings invested nearly Rs 55 lakh in 2024 to build an aeroponic and vertical farming system that replicates Kashmir’s cool conditions. Shanker stressed that there were four essentials: temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide and light. Chillers and insulated walls stabilise the room at 20-22° C, humidifiers regulate moisture, exhaust systems balance CO2, while grow lights replicate sunlight. Pink and blue LEDs deepen the saffron’s colour, enhancing its market value.
“The process begins with corms sourced from Kashmir, treated with anti-fungal solutions like neem oil before being planted, usually in August. Flowers are ready by mid November, mirroring the natural cycle. After harvest, bulbs multiply into ‘daughter corms’ between December and March, followed by dormancy till July allowing reuse for the next cycle,” Aastika added.
Their first harvest yielded 1.3 kg, and though yield was modest, demand far outstrips supply. The journey traces back to their father, Vikas Narula, a banker by profession but driven by curiosity. “During the pandemic, our father studied global saffron innovations, spotting the opportunity in rising demand and declining supply of Kashmiri saffron. We consulted scientists like Dr Ardalan Ghilavizadeh from Iran and visited Kashmir,” they added.