BTech graduate left IT after 14 years. Now earns Rs 10 lakh a month as a farmer

After 14 years in the IT industry, Odisha's Vikramdev Mohapatra left software behind and returned to Nabarangpur to build a commercial mushroom farm. Today, his unit produces up to 18 tonnes a month and employs 24 locals.After 14 years in IT, BTech graduate Vikramdev Mohapatra returned to Odisha and built a mushroom farming business that produces up to 18 tonnes a month. (Image credit: X/@@manas_muduli)For 14 years, Vikramdev Mohapatra worked in the world of software, moving through roles at technology companies and building the kind of career many engineering graduates chase. Then he did something rather unexpected: he left IT and went back home to Nabarangpur, Odisha. His new workplace was not an office filled with screens and conference calls, but a mushroom production unit.Today, Ganga Bhumi Mushrooms, the commercial farming and processing venture he set up, produces 500-600 kg of mushrooms a day. That works out to 15-18 tonnes a month. The reported monthly revenue is Rs 16-19 lakh, while the business employs 24 people from the local community. (Image credit: X/@@manas_muduli) FROM BTECH AND SOFTWARE TO MUSHROOM FARMINGVikramdev completed his BTech in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Biju Patnaik University of Technology, Odisha, in 2012.He then entered the IT industry, working with companies including Discoverture Solutions, Mindtree, Serole Technologies and LTIMindtree. Over the years, his roles included software engineer, module lead, technical lead and senior specialist in package implementation. His work involved software development, product implementation, SAP solutions, team management and client coordination.It was a long way from the farming business he would eventually build. After 14 years in the corporate world, Vikramdev returned to Nabarangpur and established Ganga Bhumi Mushrooms, turning his attention to commercial mushroom production and processing. (Image credit: X/@@manas_muduli) 500-600 KG MUSHROOMS EVERY DAYThis is not a small farm operation.According to the figures reported by The Times of India, the unit produces around 500-600 kg of mushrooms every day, or 15-18 tonnes a month. The produce is supplied to markets in Brahmapur and Bhubaneswar, allowing the venture to operate throughout the year.The reported numbers are:Daily production: 500-600 kgMonthly production: 15-18 tonnesMonthly revenue: Rs 16-19 lakhAverage selling price: around Rs 100-110 per kgProject cost: around Rs 2.56 croreGovernment subsidy: Rs 97 lakh under the Mukhyamantri Krushi Udyog YojanaThe business reportedly earns more than Rs 10 lakh a month after operating expenses. The production, revenue and employment figures have not been independently verified by The Times of India.FROM A SALARY TO 24 LOCAL JOBSPerhaps the most interesting part of Vikramdev's shift is what happened after he left his own corporate job.His venture now employs 24 people, 18 women and six men.So the former software professional is no longer simply earning a salary. He is creating employment in the same community he returned to.That makes his story about more than leaving IT for farming. It is also about what happens when a professional takes skills built in the corporate world and applies them to a completely different business.WHY MUSHROOM FARMING?Mushroom cultivation is often viewed as a small-scale agricultural activity. Vikramdev's operation shows a different model: production at commercial scale, processing and supply to larger markets.His IT background may have been far removed from agriculture, but the business still requires planning, systems, production management, logistics and coordination.And perhaps that is the bigger lesson in his journey. A BTech degree does not have to dictate where a career ends. For Vikramdev, 14 years of writing software eventually led him back to the soil, and to a business that now gives other people a reason to stay and work there too.(Disclaimer: This story is based on a social media post. The details, including figures, background, and outcomes, have not been independently verified by India Today. The article is intended for informational purposes only, and readers are advised to exercise their own discretion before drawing conclusions or making decisions based on the content.)- EndsPublished By: vaishnavi parasharPublished On: Aug 17, 2026 13:43 IST