• Fibre extraction from calotropis leaves behind a concentrated liquid that’s packaged (with other plant extracts) and branded as Arka. “The solution sticks to the leaves of crops, which drives away pests instead of killing them,” explains Shankar, who is now focussed on marketing Arka (Faborg plans to produce nearly 10,000 litres within the next three months).
  • A litre of Arka, priced at ₹60 for the farmers (and ₹910 for five litres commercially), is sufficient for an acre of rice. “Every season, chemical pesticides used to cost us anywhere between ₹2-₹2.5 lakh. With Arka, it is about ₹50,000,” says Arasu, an Auroville-based mango and cashew nut farmer, who began using the brand this March.