Why Farmland is Emerging as More Than an Asset for Urban Indian Families

For Srinath Setty, farmland has never been just about acreage or appreciation. As CEO and Co-Founder of Hosachiguru, he has spent years listening to what people really seek when they turn toward the land. Again and again, the conversations move past numbers into something more human: a longing for calm, continuity, and connection. In this interview with Asma Rafat, Senior Correspondent, Realty+, Setty reflects on agrihoods, shared stewardship, and why urban families are rediscovering soil, seasons, and community. His perspective reframes land not as an escape from modern life, but as a way to live within it more consciously, patiently, and with purpose.

You often speak about farmland as more than an asset. When did you first sense that people were seeking something deeper than financial returns from land?

Srinath Setty: This understanding came through over time, simply by listening. In early conversations with landowners and people curious about farming, the same ideas kept coming up. They weren’t just asking about yields or long-term value. They spoke about wanting a sense of calm, about coming back to their roots, about breathing cleaner air and eating good, honest food cooked straight from the farm. Many talked about wanting their children to know where food comes from, and about finding something steady and grounding in an otherwise fast, uncertain life. Slowly, it became clear that farmland meant much more than an asset. It was a way to anchor values, reconnect with how one wants to live, and feel rooted again, long before the financial story even entered the picture.

The idea of agrihoods suggests community, not isolation. What does a meaningful community look like when families may only spend part of their time on these farms?

Srinath Setty: Community doesn’t require constant physical presence; it grows from shared purpose. In agrihoods, connection is shaped by common rhythms, seasonal harvests, collective decisions about land care, and shared responsibility for water, soil, and biodiversity. Even when families spend only part of their time on the farm, the land remains a collective effort. Meaningful community comes from participation, trust, and the understanding that individual actions contribute to a larger whole.

Many Hosachiguru co-farmers are urban professionals and families. What emotional or psychological gaps do you see farmland filling in their lives?

Srinath Setty: Urban life offers comfort and efficiency, but it often distances people from a sense of control and meaning. For many Hosachiguru co-farmers, farmland fills that gap by reconnecting effort with outcome planting, nurturing, and waiting for results over time. The land becomes a break from screen-driven, deadline-led routines and constant performance pressure. It encourages patience, acceptance of uncertainty, and a feeling of being actively involved in something real and lasting. Over time, this shifts people from merely consuming life to consciously participating in it.

Chemical-free farming and native tree planting demand patience and long-term commitment. How do you encourage families to think beyond short-term outcomes in a culture shaped by quick returns?

Srinath Setty: It often starts by changing how we talk about “returns.”. With chemical-free farming, the benefits build slowly, soil becomes richer, crops grow stronger, and the land stays productive without constant intervention. Native trees work the same way. They take time to grow, but over the years they improve water availability, regulate temperature, and bring life back to the landscape.

When families begin to see their land as something alive and evolving, not just something that has to perform every season, patience feels practical rather than idealistic. Long-term choices stop looking like sacrifices and start feeling like a way of caring for what they’ll pass on.

When families begin to see land as a living, evolving system rather than something that must deliver immediate results, their decision-making changes. The focus moves from short-term performance to long-term health of soil, water, and ecosystems. In this mindset, patience becomes practical, not idealistic. Choices that support regeneration and resilience are no longer viewed as sacrifices, but as responsible investments. By caring for the land over time, families strengthen its ability to sustain future generations. Stewardship replaces pressure, and long-term thinking becomes a natural way of protecting both productivity and legacy.

Children are growing up increasingly disconnected from food systems and land. What role do these farms play in shaping how the next generation understands responsibility and care?

Srinath Setty: Children today are often far removed from where their food comes from, and farms help bridge that gap in a very natural way. On these farms, children don’t learn responsibility because someone tells them to, they learn it by being around the work itself. They see that food takes time, attention, and patience. If something is neglected, the impact is visible. If it’s cared for consistently, it grows.

Watching plants thrive slowly, or fail because of weather or missed care, teaches them that not everything is instant or fully in their control. Over time, this builds a quiet sense of empathy, accountability, and respect for nature. At farms, children stay connected to the soil and the outdoors in a very real way. The land becomes their teacher, through everyday moments that quietly stay with them far longer than anything taught inside a classroom.

You describe this movement as balance rather than escape. How does Hosachiguru help people integrate modern careers and technology with ecological living?

Srinath Setty: This movement is seen as balanced because it helps people align modern careers with a more grounded, ecological way of living. People can continue their professional work using technology and remote systems while also being closely connected to the land and sustainable practices. Instead of choosing between career growth and conscious living, it shows how both can coexist, where the technology supports productivity and nature, and daily life stays rooted in environmental responsibility and community.

With over 1,600 co-farmers, stewardship becomes a shared responsibility. How do you build trust and collective accountability around land that is often emotionally charged?

Srinath Setty: When more than 1,600 co-farmers are involved, trust doesn’t come from control, it comes from openness. By keeping communication clear, decisions transparent, and values shared, stewardship becomes a collective promise rather than an individual claim. Acknowledging the emotional bond people have with the land, while guiding everyone toward common goals, helps accountability grow naturally and together.

Wellness today is often commodified. How do you ensure that the idea of farmland-as-wellness remains grounded and not just another lifestyle trend?

Srinath Setty: It becomes something people practice, not something they perform. By showing up for the land daily, listening to the soil, respecting seasons, and making decisions that hold up years from now, the idea stays rooted in action, not aesthetics. Wellness is felt in resilience, shared responsibility, and continuity, not in how it’s packaged or marketed. That slowness and honesty are what prevent it from becoming just another trend.

As cities continue to expand into rural regions, land use becomes politically and socially sensitive. How do you navigate development pressures while protecting ecological intent?

Srinath Setty: The process starts by clearly defining the land’s ecological purpose before any development is considered. Urban demands are managed through open conversations with communities and planners, backed by clear zoning and phased growth. This helps meet city needs while protecting biodiversity, water, and soil, allowing only thoughtful, low-impact development.

From your perspective, what does security mean for Indian families today, and how is land reshaping that definition?

Srinath Setty: Security for Indian families today goes beyond savings or a steady income. It is about stability, continuity, and having something tangible that can be relied on across generations. Land plays a powerful role in reshaping this idea of security, it offers a sense of permanence in an uncertain world, connects families to their roots, and provides both emotional reassurance and long-term value. Increasingly, land is seen not just as an asset, but as a foundation for legacy and peace of mind.

Looking ahead, do you see agrihoods becoming a niche choice for a few, or a scalable model that could influence how India thinks about living and land ownership more broadly?

Srinath Setty: Agrihoods are likely to move beyond being a niche idea. While they may not suit everyone, the model has the potential to scale in forms that fit different regions and income groups. As concerns around food security, sustainability, and community living grow, agrihoods can influence how people think about land, not just as an asset, but as a shared responsibility. Over time, this approach could shape more thoughtful, people-centric ways of living and owning land in India.