Four friends were set for corporate jobs. Instead, they bet on mushrooms

Four childhood friends, Naveen Patwal, Amit Kumar Sharma, Poonam Sharma, and Sunny Gupta, left well-paying corporate jobs in the United States to return home and pursue a unique dream - growing mushrooms. The friends believed that pursuing their passion for mushrooms would not be hindered by distance or career paths. They started their mushroom farming business in 2006, initially facing numerous challenges in creating the perfect conditions in their enclosed farm.

The friends learned the hard way that even the slightest external factor can affect mushroom growth, leading to failed batches. However, they persisted and stabilized their production by 2011. They later replaced cotton with polyfill for mushroom spawn production and published a paper in the journal Mushroom Research on their technique.

The business expanded, and Poonam, initially hesitant, ultimately quit her banking job to join the venture full-time. Their brand, Planet Mushroom, has now grown to a Rs 15-crore turnover business, demonstrating that sometimes, betting on an unconventional path can lead to great success.