Ishka Renewable Farms Private Limited (IRFPL) is a new generation company established in 2012 with a vision to tap into the sunrise sectors in India, namely – Agriculture and Food Business combined with energy sufficiency from clean, green and renewable sources for captive use.
Ishka Farms in Tamil Nadu is spread over 365 acres of agricultural land in Niravi Pudhupatti Village, Ettayapuram Taluk, Tuticorin District. This is just 95 KM from Madurai and 45 KM from Tuticorin Port. South Tamil Nadu is known for its arid, barren and dry, inhospitable terrain. The average rainfall in this region is below 600 mm while the mercury touches an easy 45 degrees Celsius during summer!
Our endeavour is to build an enterprise that provides preserved organic spices while remaining environmentally sensitive in all aspects of its working. Hence, we were delighted when our efforts at choosing a crop whose water requirements were sparse bore fruit. Conservation of groundwater is a closely followed mantra; Capers and Moringa fit in perfectly with our desire to not only save water but also to reduce the use of fossil fuels and conventional sources of electricity. We looked at “modern” crops that could not only change the geographical landscape but also the socio-economic climate in the region. By using modern agricultural practices of crop management in harmony with traditional knowledge of pest control and fertigation, we have been able to provide year-round employment and demonstrate the viability of options other than traditional seasonal crops purely dependent on rainfall.
With assistance from professionals in soil management and irrigation, we have been able to set up a world-class farm. Our in-house, on-site facility for all post-harvest activities – cleaning, drying, preserving and packing, ensures that the goodness of the product is not lost in transport and process time and hence, guaranteed to bring you organic farm-fresh products.
Business at Ishka Farms is all about development and sustainability. This ideology forms the basis of the socio-economic change that we have brought to the village of Niravi Pudhupatti. Entrepreneurs without an agrarian background embarking on what seemed like a fanciful dream of establishing and nurturing a novel crop were met with scepticism and incredulity. Our insistence on adhering to organic practices on such a large tract of land further swelled the ranks of the nay-sayers. Getting our retail brand out in the domestic market in 2017 laid to bed some of the scepticism. It has also strengthened our belief that if we continue to nurture the land and take care of the people who work on it, we will accomplish our goal of delivering world-class products from a simple village in South India. This dream was fulfilled in the June of 2020 with the export of Ishka brand products from our farms to the United States of America. Do try our Moringa leaf powder and Caper products, and let us know what you think at [email protected].
Our Team
The faces behind our company
Mr. K. N. Suryanarayan
Founder & Chairman
The founder and chairman has had a remarkable life: Born into an agrarian family, he has traversed through different roles— watch repairer, government employee, photographer, trader, retailer, distributor, hotelier and now, is making his mark in the agro-food processing industry. He has led the Tradelinks Group on its successful journey since 1964. It is his guidance and encouragement that has allowed this group to transform from a shopkeeper-trader to a full-fledged manufacturing company. His vision is inspirational and shall continue to drive the team and promoters to expand and take on new challenges.
Mr. Srikant Suryanarayan
Managing Director
On completing his Bachelor in Commerce from St. Alberts College Kochi, Kerala in 1993, Srikant proceeded to the University of Canberra for his Masters in Business Administration, specializing in International Business. In 2004, he joined the prestigious Wharton Fellows Program at the University of Pennsylvania, and in 2016 the Aspen Institute, Italy. As Managing Director of the Tradelinks Group and a second-generation entrepreneur, his primary responsibility is to drive growth and explore new business opportunities. He has chalked out the group’s expansion strategy and vision: “film to farm to food to fork” this past decade. His entrepreneurship experiences, youth social engineering with Young Indian (Yi), and deep faith in the Indian growth story are passionate and unique strengths he brings to the company.Contact him at [email protected]
Read MoreMs. Fiona Arakal
Director
Fiona completed her Masters in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations from the Rajagiri School of Social Sciences. After a brief stint at The Leela Hotel (Bombay) in the HR & Training Department, she embarked on an entrepreneurial journey with the Tradelinks Group and established her mark as a capable and cogent administrator. She is actively involved in social work and volunteers with various NGOs and foundations that focus on critical issues such as gender rights and value-based treatment for underprivileged children. It is her mix of professional and entrepreneurial experiences, social responsibility, and love for the environment that drives the company’s long-term environmental enrichment and women’s empowerment initiatives.Contact her at [email protected]
Read MoreBringing back the trees, flowers, birds, bees and butterflies
The environmental impact of every thing we do at the farm has guided our plans, process and practices. It has been a learning curve for us from lessons learnt on the ground as well as from interactions with those who have paved the path of biodynamic, organic and sustainable farming practices.
Social Change
While the barren piece of land at Niravi Pudhupatti is slowly undergoing a transformation under our watchful eye, there is also an impact on the local socio-economic climate. We provide year-round employment to people in the local village. The local economy is otherwise subsistence farming, dependent on the vagaries of the monsoon. Since we commenced operations, we have not only demonstrated our short term commitment to the local economy by providing avenues for daily labour irrespective of the climate but have also taken a giant leap of faith by investing in infrastructure.