Rajasthan-based Gaurav Pachauri had been preparing for the government examinations for nearly four years but was unable to achieve success. Roughly two years back, he was standing at the crossroads. He had two choices — continue to strive for government exams or become a farmer.

“I eventually chose the latter,” says the 30-year-old.

It was after completing his higher education in mechanical engineering in 2017 that Gaurav — like his friends — started preparing for the Rajasthan Administrative Services. “I went to Delhi to prepare for the exams. I tried my best but I did not get good results. So I started believing that government exams were not for me,” he shares.

Discovering pearl farming through TV & curiosity

In a bid to do something unique, Gaurav ventured into freshwater pearl farming. “I would keep watching television programmes where I was introduced to new types of farming like freshwater pearl farming. I found it interesting as one could earn handsomely by selling pearls. But it was risky as well,” he says.

More than the risk of taking up pearl farming, Gaurav feared breaking the idea to his family. “When I shared the idea with my parents, they were not convinced at all. My family had been growing traditional crops like wheat, millet, and mustard. But I had never stepped out to watch what happened on our fields. I preferred staying in the comforts of air conditioners!” he says.

“Considering this was a........

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