Sudhakar

Hi! I’m Sudhakar — an ex-Mumbaikar who grew up in Goregaon. Though I spent my childhood in the bustling city of Mumbai, life took me across the country for education and work. After graduating in Electrical Engineering from NIT Rourkela in 2008, I took a slightly unconventional path — choosing not to join the booming IT industry that most of my peers were heading into.

My corporate journey began with ITC, where I worked across Bengaluru, Munger, and Kolkata. Those years helped me develop strong leadership and managerial skills. In 2013, I decided to pursue my management degree at ISB, Hyderabad — an experience that added new perspectives to life and work.

After ISB, I joined the real estate start-up Housing.com, where I learned invaluable lessons about entrepreneurship — both what to do and what not to do when building something from scratch.

A few years later, I took a leap of faith and quit the corporate world in search of something more meaningful. I didn’t yet know what I wanted to do, but I was certain that creating economic wealth alone wasn’t my purpose.

In 2016, I joined Milaap.org as part of their fellowship program, where I documented the inspiring stories of changemakers. That experience — and a life-changing meeting with Noushadya during that time — sowed the seeds for a new journey rooted in purpose and sustainability.

Over time, I realized that the true potential to improve our quality of life lies in the soil — in how we grow and relate to our food. In 2017, I volunteered in forest conservation and organic farming communities in Auroville, Pondicherry. The following year was spent searching for a piece of land to call home — a place where we could live, grow, and learn in harmony with nature.

The rest, as they say, is an open book — shared through our farm, our work, and our blogs. When I’m not busy convincing people about the pleasures of a simple life, you’ll probably find me listening to or playing music — something I hope to explore more during the quieter times at the farm.

---

Noushadya

I’m Noushadya — born and brought up in Thanjavur, a town known for its temples, dancing dolls, and rich cultural heritage. My first brush with city life came when I moved to Chennai for my undergraduate studies, followed by a post-graduation in Bengaluru from SIMC.

I worked with Milaap, an online crowdfunding platform, for three years. It was during this time that I discovered my passion for meaningful, impact-driven work — and met Sudhakar, who shared similar dreams for a simpler, more sustainable way of life.

Cooking has always been my love language. I’m deeply passionate about traditional Indian cuisine — especially South and North Indian curries, pickles, and millet-based dishes. (My friends say my curries and millet idlis are worth dying for… okay, maybe just worth staying hungry a little longer 😄).

In recent years, I’ve also been experimenting with baking healthy cookies and cakes — using wholesome, native ingredients that connect us back to the soil.

After volunteering together at AuroOrchard in Auroville for three months, we decided to take the plunge — and moved to Tirunelveli, where we’re now nurturing a beautiful 12-acre farm with a few cows, dogs and countless dreams for a greener future.

---

Vaanavil Farm & Food Forest & the Birth of Vivasayee’s Life

At Vaanavil Farm & Food Forest, our daily lives revolve around the soil — observing, learning, and growing alongside nature. What began as a personal quest for sustainable living slowly transformed into a way of life that we wanted to share with others.

In 2022, we started Vivasayee’s Life as a small online store to make our farm’s organic produce available directly to people who care about where their food comes from. What began with products solely from Vaanavil Farm & Food Forest soon grew organically into a marketplace that now features produce from several farmers across South Tamil Nadu — each of them committed to the same values of natural, chemical-free cultivation.

Today, Vivasayee’s Life continues to expand its procurement footprint across other parts of Tamil Nadu, connecting mindful consumers with genuine farmers, and building a transparent, ethical, and sustainable food ecosystem — one that celebrates the richness of our local soils and communities. 🌾