Rourkela Entrepreneur Develops Bio-Fertilizers to Promote Sustainable Farming Practices

ROURKELA: While most people look forward to a quiet retired life,66-year-old Gokul Minz chose a different path. Soon after retiring as a senior manager from the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) in 2020, he embarked on a second career with a mission to reduce farmers’ dependence on chemical fertilisers and revive soil health through scientifically developed bio-inputs. A diploma engineer who spent decades in the steel industry, Minz has combined traditional cow-based farming practices with modern engineering to develop standardised bio-fertilisers and bio-pesticides aimed at making farming more sustainable and affordable for small and marginal cultivators. To take his idea forward, he founded Prakriti Gau Anusandhan Kendra Private Limited (PGAKPL) in November 2020. The agri-tech startup is incubated at the Foundation for Technology and Business Incubation (FTBI) of the National Institute of Technology-Rourkela (NIT-R). “Continuous use of synthetic nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK)-based fertilisers has stripped our soils of organic carbon over the years,” Minz said. “Our objective is to standardise organic inputs so that farmers can reduce dependence on costly chemicals while improving soil health, crop productivity and food quality,” he added. To strengthen the scientific component of the venture, Minz teamed up with Bibhuti Bhusan Behera,an MSc graduate in Biotechnology and Bioinformatics who serves as the company’s director and oversees research on bio-fertilisers.Minz handles production, management and mechanical innovation, including designing custom granulation equipment to scale up manufacturing. The startup has focused on developing cow dung-based bio-fertilisers by blending bio-waste, natural minerals and beneficial microorganisms in carefully calibrated proportions to overcome the inconsistencies often associated with conventional organic farming. Though the Covid-19 pandemic delayed progress, PGAKPL has spent the last four years carrying out intensive research and development with support from the departments of Food Process Engineering and Chemical Engineering at NIT-R. Simultaneously, laboratory testing and field trials have continued across Sundargarh district.