A farmer from Dantli village near Jaipur, Shankar Meena helps generate employment and assists in filling up the gaps in mushroom farming through his business. He has been supporting the agricultural industry through his innovative ideas. Despite facing financial challenges and limited availability of mushroom spawn, Shankar persevered. He advises mushroom growers to undergo the required training and analyse the market before starting their business.

Shankar Meena, a resident of Dantli village, near Jaipur, owns Jeevan Mushroom (OPC) Private Limited. He has been involved in this business for the past five years.

The company's work involves preparing mushroom seeds, and it employs fifteen to sixteen people at the moment. He claims that the company's turnover is rising slowly but steadily and will soon surpass one and a half crore. Through his business, he helps fill employment gaps in the mushroom farming industry. He has also supported the agricultural sector with creative ideas and by training farmers.

Meena recalls his early years as being born and brought up in a remote area. He was raised on farms and is strongly associated with farming and agriculture. After completing his studies at Rajasthan University, Shankar went on to RA Podar College to earn an MBA in finance. Shankar always wanted to start his own agricultural company when he was in school. He had an idea for a business that the next generation could continue.

Shankar Meena followed up on mushroom growing and discovered some of its benefits. He determined that mushrooms are high in nutrients and contain vitamin D, which he claims is not found in any other vegetable. Shankar goes on to say that mushroom growing is an indoor crop that is grown in many layers. It does not require any soil to grow and may be grown using agricultural waste. Shankar decided to start his mushroom-growing company after considering these criteria.

After Shankar's marriage in 2017, his spouse helped him with his company. The Directorate of Mushroom Research in Solan provided them with training in mushroom growing. The journey was more challenging than it initially seemed, as they needed to receive instruction from multiple sources to fully understand how to prepare mushroom seeds.

Speaking about his difficulties, Shankar Meena says he eventually recognised there wasn't much mushroom spawn available, so he took advantage of the chance to build their company around this commodity. In addition to lacking strong backing from his followers, Shankar frequently had financial difficulties in realising his objective. But despite the obstacles in his path, Shankar had already made up his mind and was determined to move on.

Shankar and his wife practised mushroom spawning in the lab with the help of an acquaintance at an agricultural research institute, Dr. Pradeep Singh Shekhwat, before venturing into the company full-time. Shankar then ventured into commercial mushroom gardening in 2018 and began marketing it over social media. To his surprise, his firm performed so successfully in the first six months that he had to upgrade to a larger business structure. Shankar now feeds not just India but also nations such as Dubai and Nepal.

Shankar Meena recommends mushroom producers receive the necessary training and understand the regulations before entering the industry. He goes on to say that cultivating mushrooms does not require a lot of land and can even be done in a small area. Shankar tells them to first study the mushroom market in their area before beginning their preparation. He claims that there are several varieties of mushrooms; therefore, they must first pick which form of mushroom cultivation they want to pursue.

Furthermore, Shankar recommends starting mushroom farming with button mushrooms on a modest scale because it has a wide market and can be readily marketed. On the other hand, oyster mushroom farming is a viable option since it is quite simple to cultivate.

Meena explains that he constantly tries to learn from his mistakes and avoids repeating them. Initially, he experienced several problems and hurdles in his business, as well as losses, but he never gave up and continued to innovate. He feels that only by experiencing ups and downs in life will you be able to truly succeed.

Finally, Shankar Meena says that anyone is welcome to visit their farm and connect with them to learn more about mushroom cultivation. Additionally, they have a display unit for farmers where they teach about at least twenty to twenty-five different kinds of mushrooms. Those interested in ordering mushroom spawn can do so online and through social media.