Ludhiana, March 22 -- Sajjad ul Akbar Wani has a PhD in ecology and was a teacher at the Government Degree College Pampore until three years ago when his father had a stroke and he had to focus on his family's saffron farm. He left his job and took over the farm. But he had more than farming on his mind.

Three years down the line, Wani is part of a collective called Kashmir Agro Exports, which deals in products made from saffron grown in Pampore and other things available locally. He is offering their own produce at the Kisan Mela here.

"I believe that jobs are only for lazy people. Those with ambition can do much more. When my father suffered a stroke three years ago, I decided to leave my job and become my own boss," he said as he als...