An Idea Takes Root

An IIM-B alumnus and an advertising/marketing veteran, S Madhusudhan quit his job and took to farming. Applying several management techniques to improve current agricultural practices, he founded back2basics for cultivating organic produce for both retail and home consumers. This is his story.

- Steena Joy

S Madhusudan always harbored a passion for researching on various farming and agricultural practices, even when he was in the corporate realm. Being in the advertising and marketing field for over two decades, one day he stopped to re-evaluate his own fast-paced lifestyle and food habits after a health scare. He soon realised Bangaloreans have access to many different varieties of fruits and vegetables, but very few people are actually buying fresh produce grown using natural, sustainable methods, directly from the farmer. “After personally witnessing my local vegetable vendor washing carrots using sewage water, I decided it was time to make a change. And so back2basics was born. As the chief farmer of this company, I, along with my highly skilled team, aim to provide only the best high-grade farm fresh produce to consumers,” says Madhusudan.

Interestingly, he calls himself chief farmer, instead of CEO. “The decision to designate myself as chief farmer instead of CEO of back2basics was well thought out. As a marketing and advertising veteran in the corporate industry for almost 30 years, I had already experienced all that this space could offer. I felt that a corporate tag would not be able to justify my dedication towards the company and the organic farming segment. Most importantly, I am a firm believer that a designation should accurately describe one’s exact function in the organisation. Since I handle the production side of our business, it made sense to designate myself as 'chief farmer'. My daughter Bhairavi handles our corporate wing and is responsible for strategy and business development, hence her official designation is 'idea cultivator',” he explains.