One Acre, Double the Income: A Farmer Poised for Success
Drip irrigation and other modern practices completely transformed my farm. I earned more than twice this season compared to the previous year, my crops are healthier, and my land is now more fertile. I can confidently plan for the future.” — Thirupathi Reddy, Gollapalli village, Telangana
Thirupathi Reddy, a young, progressive farmer from Gollapalli village in Chegunta block of Medak district, Telangana, owns 3.5 acres of agricultural land, where he cultivates paddy and seasonal vegetables. For years, he relied on traditional flood irrigation for vegetable cultivation, which posed several challenges. Cultivating water-sensitive and high value crops like chilli and ridge gourd became a risky proposition as they often suffered from water runoff, nutrient loss and soil erosion. Despite putting in great effort, irrigation was not uniform, resulting in inconsistent yields. Each season carried uncertainty not knowing whether the crops would survive, produce well, or generate enough income to support his family
A turning point came through a community meeting on good agricultural practices held in his village under the Holistic Rural Development Project, supported by HDFC Bank’s Parivartan initiative and implemented by S M Sehgal Foundation. The exposure significantly raised his awareness and encouraged him to adopt the recommended practices. Chosen for drip irrigation system demonstration, Thirupathi installed the system in one acre. In February 2025, he cultivated chilli on 0.5 acre and ridge gourd on 0.5 acre, using the new practices
While the drip system ensured even irrigation, minimized water wastage, and allowed easy fertigation, improved agricultural practices such as mulching and better seed varieties, nutrient and pest management, together with training and capacity building, laid a recipe for success. Experiencing the efficiency of drip irrigation first hand, its ease of operation, ability to regulate water, and clear impact on crop health encouraged him to expand. In the next season, he confidently shifted to cultivating chilli across the entire 1 acre. In the first season, Thirupathi earned ₹1,38,840 from chilli and ridge gourd, with a chilli yield of 4.18 quintals in 0.5 acres. In the following season, he harvested 12.6 quintals from one acre, earning Rs 2,51,520 from chilli alone
Today, Thirupathi uses drip and other practices across his 3.5-acre farm, with drip irrigation playing a critical role in improving water-use efficiency, productivity, and income stability. His success demonstrates that modern irrigation technologies, combined with appropriate training and agronomic practices, can significantly enhance returns.
The initiative uses a "learning-by-doing" approach, with regular capacity building and on-field demonstrations to help farmers adopt sustainable methods. Scaling such efforts through public-private partnerships can strengthen rural livelihoods and long-term agricultural sustainability
With more than two decades of experience in sustainable rural development, the teams at S M Sehgal Foundation in thirteen states, so far across rural India have been on the forefront to design and implement interventions based on collective action, addressing pertinent rural development issues. The foundation teams engage in participatory research in development and policy issues, impact assessment, interactive dialogue, and community media to take informed actions, provide training and education opportunities to others in these efforts, and to achieve sustainable results. The Foundation’s mission is to strengthen community-led development initiatives to achieve positive social, economic, and environmental change across rural India.
(About the authors: Pragna Siri Mittapalli, Project Associate, Agriculture Development and Deepak Kumar, Assistant Manager, Partnerships & Fundraising, S M Sehgal Foundation)