Bhubaneswar, Aug. 4 -- Leaving a secure corporate career to pursue farming is a risk many hesitate to take. But for A. Sanjeev Reddy, a science graduate from Odisha's Ganjam district, quitting his well-paying job became the first step towards building a successful flower cultivation and trading business worth around Rs 1 crore.

A resident of Kalyanpur village, Sanjeev started his career in 1995 as a Planning Assistant with a company, earning around Rs 96,000 annually. While working, he pursued a diploma in business administration through correspondence from the National Industries Research and Development Council in Gurugram and saved a major part of his income with the dream of starting his own venture.

"I always wanted to create somet...