Anil Agrawal's Sanwaria Agro has been ranked one of the fastest wealth creators between 2006 and 2011. The Agrawal family has years of expertise in procuring
soybean and supplying it to companies such as ITC and SM Dyechem.
"In the basmati rice industry, the most important asset is experience in the commodity. It takes time to acquire. Old is gold here, unlike with most other commodities where the old gets discarded," says the Delhi-based miller and exporter.
Jang Bahadur Singh Sangha has used technology to make the humble potato a money spinner. And he also rules maize. His family is the largest potato and maize producer in the country with more than 5,000 acres of land spread across Punjab.
Many Indian lords of the field are raking in money with simple commodities
such as potatoes, maize, rice and soybean, with their success
attracting big private equity deals at a time when the rest of the
economy is in the grip of a slowdown.. Business Today brings you a quartet that shows how it is done.
Rahoul Jain has made Capricorn Food one of the top mango processors in India. The company sells pulp, concentrates and frozen fruit, but mango pulp accounts for the largest chunk of its business.
From the Managing Editor: Dec 22, 2013
The cover story this fortnight is a good untold one, even if I say so. Ajay Modi, Shamni Pande and Anilesh S. Mahajan focus on a set of businessmen who made their riches from an economic activity that India has all but written off: agriculture.Book review: Sahara-The Untold Story
Financial writer Tamal Bandyopadhyay's second book is on the country's largest employer after the Indian Railways - Sahara India Parivar. With its primary business in the loosely regulated residuary non-banking business, Sahara and its Chairman Subrata Roy have courted both glamour and controversy. Bandyopadhyay's book, Sahara: The Untold Story, is rich in detail, anecdotes and context. Edited excerpts from the book releasing in January:People who made news last fortnight
Starring: Simon Cooper, Finbarr Moynihan, Devendra Chawla, Gaurav Burman, Daniel Houghton, Jaydev ModyNon-executive directors at Indian firms have not proved effective
Non-executive directors at Indian companies have not proved effective so far in improving corporate governance practices. They themselves are partly to blame.Why some new cancer drugs are still not available in India
There are more than a dozen drugs in important cancer treatment areas that are not available in India. The new drug flow into India has slowed down significantly and it is a matter of concern for oncologists and cancer patients.A portable warmer comes to the rescue of premature babies
A portable warmer developed by two Indian students and their classmates at Stanford University is helping premature babies survive. With the help of venture capitalists, they have turned their classroom concept into a commercial product, sold under the brand name Embrace Nest.Non-Bollywood music is becoming serious business
Besides regular festivals, food and beverages venues have helped non-Bollywood music grow in India. The bands get a platform and customers get to hear independent music performed live.Why India is grappling with shortage of natural resources
Mining has faced multiple problems in recent years. There have been problems in acquiring land for new mines and delays in government approvals. Increased judicial scrutiny following corruption scandals in the allotment of mining blocks and environmental degradation caused by illegal mining have made matters worse.Gujarat Muslim businessmen no longer shunning Modi
Gujarati Muslim businessmen disagree with Chief Minister Narendra Modi's politics, but say he has cut red tape, made the administration more responsive and lured many companies to invest in Gujarat.The Turnaround: Make the worst of times your best of times
Business Today hosts its first Mind Rush, a two-day event that brings global thought leadership to the doorstep of India for the leaders of tomorrow. Here's what's on the agenda of our business leadership on December 13 and 14.Metro projects offer good career prospects for engineers
With 19 cities having taken up or set to take up metro projects, career prospects in metro engineering are plentiful. Training engineers for the special needs of metro transportation is getting more attention as well.How Daikin scripted a remarkable turnaround story in India
Japanese air-conditioner maker Daikin Industries fared poorly in the highly competitive Indian market till 2009. But then the company rolled out a well-crafted strategy to capture a larger size of the market. This case study takes a look at its remarkable turnaround story.Feature phone sales fall on rise in Smartphone sales
While feature phone sales fell 0.8 per cent, Smartphones sales rose 152.3 per cent in the July-to-September quarter.Bid norms may impede two new ultra mega power projects
Authorities are hoping to revive private-sector interest with two new so-called ultra mega power projects (UMPPs) in Orissa and Tamil Nadu that are part of the government's aim to provide cheaper power through economies of scale.India to benefit from partial withdrawal of Iran sanctions
The lifting of the European Union restrictions on insurance opens the door for Indian refiners to increase imports to contract levels without breaching sanctions.India behind China in trade ties with South Asian nations
China's trade with South Asian nations has grown from $40 billion in 2006 to $85 billion in 2011. In terms of foreign direct investment in the region, China is way ahead of India.Cane pricing has become a political issue in Uttar Pradesh
A delayed cane crushing season in Uttar Pradesh is hurting both the industry and farmers in the country's second-biggest sugar producing state. Successive state governments have largely ignored the economic rationale and steadily raised prices year after year.Review: An app, HTC One and HP Chromebook
A personal trainer app, a shrinking HTC One and a Chromebook from HPOn Record/Sexual Harassment at the Workplace
Only when sexual harassment victims start claiming monetary damages ... will Indian companies sit up and take notice, says T.V. Mohandas Pai, Chairman, Manipal Global Education, & former board member, Infosys Ltd, in Business StandardNews you may have missed last fortnight
News you may have missed last fortnight -Conditions ripe for entrepreneurs
Business Today brings together students to voice their views on a significant business, economy-related issue in this B-School debate.While some would object to 'contaminating' good liquor, you have to agree that a lip-smacking cocktail has its own merits.