Indian engineer moves to Japan to take up brinjal farming, starts making double of what he made in India

While growing up, we all must have heard from our parents, uncles, aunts, cousins and literally everyone under the sun, that engineering pays really well and has a lot of “scope.” Well, turns out that it was an innocent mistake at best or a fraudulent claim at worst. We all know how terrible the IT sector is hit, whenever there is an economic downturn.

Tired of the constant churn in the sector, 27-year-old Venkatasamy Vignesh, who used to work with Infosys, quit his job, moved to Japan, got trained in brinjal farming and is now making an absolute killing in it. 

Coming from a farming family, a job with a reputable software business promised a steady income, but the satisfaction was short-lived when Vignesh chose to abandon his work and pursue farming. After two years, the 27-year-old makes twice as much while working on a brinjal farm in Japan.

Speaking to Moneycontrol Vignesh, who comes from Kovilpatti in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district said, “I have always been interested in agriculture, I got a chance to reconnect with my passion during the lockdown. I started working on my family’s farms and quickly understood that it was my true calling.”

However, Vignesh’s family was opposed to him working in agriculture. “They claimed that there is no money to be made here.” And they wanted me to have a steady income,” he explained, and he quickly found optimism when he learned about a chance in Japan.

“I heard about an institute that trains people in Japanese language and culture before assisting them in finding jobs in the country from a friend, and I enrolled,” Vignesh explained.

Chennai-based Nihon Edutech collaborates with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to teach talented individuals in Japanese language, culture, etiquette, and technical training so that they might be placed in Japan. The country’s need for farmers stems from its ageing population and the indifference of its younger generation in agriculture.

Vignesh was ready six months later, and in March he travelled to Japan to begin his time as an agricultural labourer at a brinjal farm in Japan’s Kochi region.

After taxes, the former software engineer, who used to earn close to Rs 40,000 per month at Infosys, now earns roughly Rs 80,000. “Here, I live in the company’s quarters for free but have to take care of my food requirements,” Vignesh explained over the phone from Japan to Moneycontrol.

He explained his work at the brinjal farm, saying that he is responsible for the crops and that once they are mature, he assists in harvesting, cleaning, and processing. “There is a lot to learn from here,” he remarked. 

When asked what he aims to accomplish after his time in the nation, Vignesh stated that he plans to use his knowledge to establish innovative farming practices in India.

Krishnan Narayanan, CEO of Nihon Edutech, commented on Vignesh’s voyage, saying, “He has done a great job, not only in setting a goal and achieving but also in helping a few of the others to go along (with him to Japan), helped and even been a leader to them.”

CII executive director Sougata Roy Choudhary agrees, saying it is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for Vignesh, especially because he wants to return to India and teach others about improved farming practices. “Japan has limited agricultural land, so they practise intensive farming with cutting-edge equipment and technology. The techniques Vignesh learns there, he can implement in India to increase productivity per acre,” he said.

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