At the Deccan Exotics farm on a Tuesday morning, Chandrashekar Rao Madhavaram beckons visitors to sample a fruit that resembles the Indian Jamun but surprises the palate with a hint of sweetness. The 42-year-old builder-turned-agriculturist explains that the freshly plucked fruit is Jabuticaba, native to Brazil and Bolivia, that has found a new home in the quaint village of Aliabad in Sangareddy district, about 52 kilometres from the outskirts of Hyderabad.
Jabuticaba fruit at Deccan Exotics Farm at Aliabad village of Kondapur Mandal in Sangareddy district. | Photo Credit: Mohd Arif
The full scope of this 30-acre farm is revealed only when one steps through the gates — it is an agricultural marvel, and a centre for research and development in exotic fruit plants. It is the brainchild of his younger brother, Srinivas Rao, an MD in General Medicine, who has poured his heart into growing 25 varieties of exotic fruits.
Chandrashekar Rao, who holds a B.Tech degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA, reflects on their journey, inspired by their father, Prasad Rao. “Our father’s deep interest in farming drove us to explore agriculture. However, we wanted to carve a niche by focusing on exotic fruit crops,” he says.
Established in 2017, the farm is more than just a place to grow crops; it’s a centre for innovation. In recent years, it has transformed into a hub for cultivation and propagation of exotic fruits like dragon fruit and avocados. In 2018, the two brothers registered a Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) called Deccan Exotics Pvt. Ltd., bringing together 10 members to advance their agricultural pursuits.
Srinivas Rao’s fascination with dragon fruit began in 2016, after his first taste of the tropical delight. Determined to introduce it to Telangana, he embarked on a journey, visiting 13 countries including Vietnam, Taiwan, and the Philippines to extensively study the fruit. Despite initial setbacks due to a lack of research on its cultivation, his persistence paid off. Today, their farm grows over 50 varieties of dragon fruit, including seven commercial types, making it India’s largest collection. Among those, the ‘Deccan Pink’, developed by their FPO, stands out for its resilience to harsh weather and its productivity, yielding three times more fruit than other varieties.
The impact of their work is evident: nearly 2,000 farmers across 500 acres in Telangana now cultivate dragon fruit, with a focus on the Siam Red variety, which thrives in local conditions. The FPO has trained around 5,000 farmers from 25 States, equipping them with the skills to diversify their crops and improve their livelihood. During peak season, the farm supplies over two lakh saplings, says Srinivas Rao.
Avocado ambitions
Buoyed by their success with dragon fruit, the duo have set their sight on another crop in high demand — avocado. In 2022, they partnered with IG International, one of India’s top fresh fruit importers, to create IG Deccan Pvt. Ltd. This joint venture aims to plant 5 million avocado trees over the next five years, with saplings primarily imported from Israel. To ensure the best genetic material and technology, IG Deccan has teamed up with Haskelberg, Israel, and joined the Green Motion platform in collaboration with Eurosemillas, expanding the varieties and rootstocks available to farmers.
Lamb Hass avocado fruit at Deccan Exotics farm at Aliabad near Sangaredddy town. | Photo Credit: Mohd Arif
Srinivas Rao sees a promising future for avocado cultivation in India. “Given our geographical and climatic conditions, we can successfully grow avocados with some adjustments in farming methods,” he says. Currently, the farm nurtures 15,000 avocado saplings, with additional plants spread across 25 acres in Gongulur village. These imported saplings are quarantined for a year before being distributed to farmers, with each plant priced between ₹1,400 and ₹1,800 depending on age, variety, and rootstock. “Local varieties are priced between ₹100 and ₹300,” he adds.
Despite challenges like high initial investment and the long wait before plants yield commercially viable fruit, the Rao brothers are confident in the profitability of avocado farming. The imported varieties can yield up to 10 tonnes per acre, with market prices ranging from ₹100 to ₹250 per kilogram in India. However, they caution that only those with substantial investment capacity should pursue large-scale avocado cultivation, as the demand for Indian-grown varieties in international markets remains limited.
Chandrashekar Rao says a major tea estate has expressed interest in avocado farming in north India. He also notes that young, enterprising individuals, exposed to the best farming practices in the USA, Israel, and other countries, are increasingly drawn to cultivating exotic fruits in India, including Telangana.
The Pinkerton avocado, known for its creamy texture and versatility in the kitchen, is one such variety being cultivated. “This fruit is rich in healthy fats and essential vitamins and minerals, making it a valuable addition to any diet,” Chandrashekar Rao says, highlighting nutritional benefits that have made avocados a staple in many households worldwide. Deccan Exotics imports avocado saplings from Israel, USA and Spain.
Inspired by success with dragon fruit, farmers like Md. Ramzan from Seetharampuram village in Hanamkonda district are cautiously venturing into avocado cultivation. “After successfully growing dragon fruit, I planted a dozen avocado saplings, though I was warned they might topple in the black soil,” says Ramzan, who invested nearly ₹5 lakh in his 20-gunta dragon fruit farm, earning ₹130 per kg, while retail prices range from ₹200 to ₹260 a kg.
Similarly, G. Gopal, a school dropout from Bachepally village in Sangareddy district, turned to exotic fruit farming after watching videos on social media. With an inherited plot and additional land bought from his construction work earnings, Gopal now owns 25 acres. “I learned about dragon fruit cultivation through YouTube and scoured nurseries until I found quality saplings in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh,” he shares.
Gopal has taken up cultivation of the pink pulp variety of dragon fruit across five acres, focusing on a drip irrigation system, poles and ribs for the plants. “Over three years, the investment has come to about ₹6 lakh per acre. I started harvesting in the second year itself. With proper care and timely doses of soil nutrients, some farmers even see returns in the first year,” Gopal explains.
Saplings of success
In his first year, Gopal produced 10 tonnes of dragon fruit, which rose to 30 tonnes this year, with 20 tonnes already sold. “Last year, I earned ₹90,000 per tonne, and this year, the price has risen to ₹1 lakh per tonne, with 400 saplings planted per acre. Harvesting starts in May and continues until November. We get quality fruit for at least five years before the requirement for fresh saplings arises,” he says.
Collaborating with another farmer, Gopal has also ventured into date cultivation on 20 acres. The plantation was taken up four years ago, and the first harvest last year yielded 6 tonnes. “This year, we have increased production to 10 tonnes and earning ₹1.1 lakh per tonne,” he adds.
Despite his focus on commercial plantations, Gopal continues to grow traditional crops like paddy, cotton, and soybean on another 20 acres.
Basvanthpur Ramesh Reddy, a 32-year-old MBA graduate from Ranzole in Zaheerabad of Sangareddy district, left a lucrative corporate job to pursue his passion for farming. After earning his MBA degree in New Zealand, Reddy returned to India and began experimenting with dragon fruit cultivation in 2016 by planting a dozen saplings. Impressed with the results, he expanded his dragon fruit farm from two to five acres in 2018, investing ₹5 lakh per acre. He sourced saplings from Maharashtra and also began cultivating other exotic fruits, combining his business acumen with his love for agriculture.
Neeraja Prabhakar, Vice-Chancellor of Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticultural University in Mulugu, notes that dragon fruit has almost become a local crop, thriving in nearly all parts of Telangana. “However, there is need for more research on avocado cultivation before it can be widely adopted as a commercial crop,” she says, adding that the university is also conducting research on avocado and other exotic plants, including jackfruit, at their farms.
She highlights that Rambutan and passion fruit have potential for cultivation in Telangana, which encompasses three agro-climatic regions— north, central, and southern.
She mentions an ongoing collaboration between the university and Deccan Exotics on various research projects. “We have also obtained an accession number from ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources for new jackfruit clones,” she adds. An accession number, also known as an Indigenous Collection (IC) number, is the primary identifier for germplasm collected in India and conserved in seed genebanks or other storage facilities.
Horticulture officials note that dragon fruit flowering and fruiting align with monsoon, with flowers blooming at night and pollinated by nocturnal creatures like bats and hawk moths. This pollination is essential for fruit setting, size, and overall yield. Typically, the flowering and fruiting occur in three to five cycles between June and November, with fruits ready for harvest 30 to 35 days after flowering.
Each fruit weighs between 200 to 700 grams, depending on management practices. In well-maintained orchards, economic yields begin after three years, with an average of up to 15 tonnes per acre.
To establish a dragon fruit orchard, approximately 2,000 saplings are required per acre, with four plants planted around each concrete pole spaced eight feet apart.
Mylavaram Venkanna, a farmer from Jeedikal village in Jangaon district, reveals that he sourced 2,028 saplings from Vizianagaram and set up 504 poles of eight-foot height. “I irrigate every 15 days using a drip system,” he said.
Blooming profits
Dragon fruit prices range from ₹150 to ₹260 per kg, depending on the size and pulp colour. According to a vendor at a roadside shop in Old Alwal, Secunderabad, “We buy dragon fruit by the kilogram and sell it by the piece. While the price per kilogram is between ₹200 and ₹250, individual fruits are sold for ₹40 to ₹50.”
The government provides a subsidy of nearly ₹1.60 lakh per acre to dragon fruit farmers under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), a Centrally sponsored scheme aimed at holistic growth of the horticulture sector. This includes ₹92,000 in the first year and ₹32,000 annually for the next two years each, applicable to a farmer for up to one hectare. “The selection of farmers is done by the respective district horticulture officer, based on the sanctioned funds,” a horticulture officer explains.
However, no subsidy is currently available for avocado cultivation. Regarding the marketing of dragon fruit, an official says, “Dragon fruit consumption is increasing, and there is a strong market for it. Traders are coming directly to farms to procure the produce.”
P. Raji Reddy, a farmer from a remote village in Jagtial district, shares his experience: “After seeing dragon fruit cultivation on social media, I bought saplings online and planted them in my home garden four years ago. Since last year, we have been enjoying home-grown fruit.”
S. Shoury Reddy, executive director of Bala Vikasa, a prominent NGO promoting sustainable agricultural practices in South India, highlights Telangana’s ideal conditions for dragon fruit cultivation. He believes the State has the potential to cultivate dragon fruit on 10,000 acres due to market demand. “While the initial investment is high, the returns are substantial. Dragon fruit can be processed into chips, jam, juice, and even wine, which is being produced in Hyderabad,” Reddy notes.
He is also growing various exotic fruits on his five-acre farm near Warangal, including Rambutan, Longan, Baraba, and star fruit. “Passion fruit can thrive in Telangana, and we are also cultivating multiple all-season mango varieties,” he adds.
Meanwhile, date palms are being cultivated across several districts, including Medak, Nalgonda, Mahabubnagar, and Karimnagar.
Vyalla Harish Reddy, an NRI from Munjampally village in Jagtial district, has planted date saplings on 5.5 acres, along with 20 different fruit plants on half an acre. “We also constructed facilities for cows, chickens and ourselves on 0.25 acre,” he says. While he resides in Texas, his parents manage the farm.
Harish planted about 350 date palms on five acres, with each plant costing ₹4,200, totaling nearly ₹15 lakh. “Additional expenses for drip irrigation and fencing brought the total investment to approximately ₹25 lakh, or ₹5 lakh per acre,” he says.
He expects a yield of 2-3 tonnes per acre starting from the fifth year, with the Barhi variety dates priced at ₹120 per kg. The anticipated annual income is around ₹12 lakh, with ₹3 lakh spent on labour, fertilizers, and pesticides. The profit margin is ₹9 lakh.
Harish researched date farming extensively on YouTube before reaching out to young farmers in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, who managed their date farms while working as software engineers.
“Though it is expensive and exotic, even if a farmer invests ₹3 lakh to plant on just one acre, they can earn around ₹2 lakh per year in profits. This is 8-10 times higher than the returns from traditional paddy farming,” he adds.
Farmers are also cultivating dates on 17 acres in Nagarkurnool district and five acres in Nagarjunasagar constituency, according to sources.
