Kottayam: For Kerala State volleyball players Akhil GP, Muhammed Sahad S, and Anzil KA, post-game discussions at CMS College, Kottayam, often veered from sports to startups. The three former students spent hours after practice brainstorming business ventures they could pursue after graduation.
One idea that stuck came from Akhil — starting a mushroom farm. The trio, who represented Kerala at the state level, said the plan emerged from conversations about sustainable, low-land farming options with quick returns. “We wanted something we could start small and scale,” said Akhil. “Mushrooms fit that.”
The players are now in the early stages of setting up the venture, scouting land near Kottayam and studying cultivation techniques. They plan to begin with oyster mushrooms before expanding to other varieties.What began as locker-room talk, they say, could soon be their second innings.
