Hydroponics has been floating around (literally) for over 40 years — yet somehow, it still feels like a science fair project with venture capital funding. Every year there’s a new startup promising clean, futuristic, soil-less farming... and every year, it quietly wilts in a corner of someone’s rooftop.
The challenges? Oh plenty. First, the crop options are limited — mostly leafy greens, salad veggies, and the occasional exotic herb that your average thali has no use for. Second, the setup cost? Sky high. Think commercial glasshouse meets space lab. And finally, the biggest letdown — taste. Sure, hydroponic lettuce crunches nice, but where’s the aroma? The earthy punch? The desi tang? So when even premium customers aren’t willing to pay extra, and entrepreneur’s can’t recover costs — what exactly are we pushing here? A science, a solution, or a sci-fi fantasy?
If hydroponics is still a question mark after 40 years… maybe the answer isn’t in the pipes, but back in the soil.
