🍇 Sahyadri Farms Turns the Subsidy Narrative on Its Head — Farmers Paying Back 4x More to Government

 Published on November 19, 2025

India’s largest fruit-and-vegetable collective shows how agriculture thrives when run like a business, not a welfare model

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At a time when large parts of Maharashtra are reeling under rain damage and farmers are demanding waivers and relief, Sahyadri Farms in Nashik is offering a radically different story — one built on enterprise, efficiency, and value creation.

The farmer-owned collective, now the country’s largest integrated fruits and vegetables platform, has demonstrated that agriculture need not hinge on subsidies. Instead, it can generate wealth, jobs, and taxes at a scale comparable to major corporate players.

A Rare Reversal: Farmers Paying the Government, Not the Other Way Around

Over the last 14 years, Sahyadri Farms received government subsidies amounting to ₹55.49 crore.

But during the same period, it paid back a remarkable ₹218 crore to the exchequer, including:

• ₹136 crore in income tax
• ₹35 crore in GST
• ₹46 crore in statutory duties

For every ₹1 the cooperative received as subsidy, it returned nearly ₹4 — a stunning reversal of the traditional dependency model of Indian agriculture.

A High-Performance Business Model

In FY25, Sahyadri reported:

• Turnover: ₹1,955 crore
• EBITDA: ₹246 crore
• PAT: ₹99.7 crore
• Workforce: 7,036 employees (30% women)

The collective’s transformation has been swift and sustained:

• Turnover grew from ₹460 crore in FY20 → ₹1,000+ crore by FY23 → ₹1,955 crore in FY25.
• Revenue streams include:

• Processing: ₹915 crore

Fresh exports: ₹473 crore

Domestic sales: ₹443 crore

In 2025 alone, Sahyadri procured 3.82 lakh tonnes of produce — including grapes, tomatoes, citrus, bananas, sweet corn, and more.

Financial health has strengthened as well:

• Net worth up 102%, from ₹474.3 crore to ₹957.3 crore
• Net debt reduced, from ₹335.5 crore (2024) to ₹225.8 crore (2025)

A Collective Built on Capability, Not Charity

Sahyadri’s founder and chairman, Vilas Shinde, emphasizes that the mission was never about subsidy dependence.

Instead, the collective invested in:

• World-class processing infrastructure
• Aseptic and frozen product lines
• Domestic and international distribution
• Food-safety and traceability systems
• Zero-discharge waste management

“We aimed to ensure fair compensation for India’s small farmers. They can thrive when agriculture is run like a business, not a welfare scheme,” Shinde said.

Empowering Farmers as Stakeholders

Today, Sahyadri brings together:

• 30,000+ registered farmers
• 40,000+ acres under cultivation
• A footprint spanning 42 countries

Its model demonstrates that farmer-led enterprises can scale rapidly, build global markets, empower rural communities, and generate tax revenue — while reducing reliance on state support.

A Blueprint for the Future of Indian Agriculture

As policymakers debate support mechanisms for distressed farmers, Sahyadri’s trajectory offers a real-world blueprint:

Collectivisation + infrastructure + professionalism = agriculture that pays its own way.