MANGALURU
Chandrakantha Rao Inna, who once led multinational operations across 15 countries as global President of a private company, has found success an entirely different field, horticulture. After a high-flying corporate career, he returned to his hometown of Inna near Padubidri and changed his land into a thriving model fruit farm. His innovative approach to horticulture got him the Krishi Pandit award. Taking early retirement in 2012, Rao returned with a mission to make horticulture aspirational and viable in his village. People laughed at me for quitting a six-figure dollar salary. But I had financial independence and a clear purpose, he said. He purchased eight acres and began experimenting with fruit cultivation, moving away from the traditional rice and coconut model. Today, five acres of his farm are dedicated to fruits: guava, rambutan, chikku, and mangosteen, each grown on a one-acre plot, with another acre showcasing mixed cultivation. His standout success is the introduction of Arka Kiran, a high-vitamin C, pink-fleshed guava developed by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bengaluru.
Rao tried various guava varieties and settled on Arka Kiran due to its early yield within 18 months, 20-year lifespan, and suitability for value-added products. He collaborated with Ashwath Hebbar of Perdoor to develop a premium halwa made with 72 percent guava pulp, 22 percent jaggery, 5 percent cashew, and 3 percent ghee, now a sought-after product with 80-90 percent of Rao's guava supply going into its production. Rao has adopted the meadow technology for guava that keeps trees under six feet, easing harvesting and creating jobs for rural workers. His mangosteen crop, which takes a decade to mature, recently saw its first commercial harvest of 800 kg, sold early to Bengaluru markets at a premium rate.
