Sambalpur: Sourav Samantray, academically an engineer, has taken the road less taken and made his entrepreneurial dream come true.
This young engineer has renounced his high-paying corporate job and returned to his village to start a ‘biofloc’ fish farming unit on his own, which has given him the identity of a successful entrepreneur. “He did not want just to eke out a living by working under somebody.”
According to reports, after he completed his professional studies in engineering, he had joined a reputed company in Bangalore. Along with a handsome earning, he also visited many countries including Germany, during his long eight years of his working there. However, his ambition did not let him to continue his job any longer.
Noteworthy, Sourav belongs to Golakunda village of Burla under the civic area of Sambalpur Municipal Corporation. He was inspired by a friend from Andhra Pradesh for ‘biofloc’ fish farming methods.
He underwent a weeklong training on this typical farming method at Indonesia and then started fish farming on three acres of his ancestral farmland. With six small ponds there on, his business flourished.
Speaking about his success, Sourav said, “I decided to start my own business when I was working abroad. I started my business on a small-scale with my limited financial resources.”
Subsequently, I had to avail subsidised loan from the state fisheries department for digging more ponds on my project site. “I have been farming various species of fish here like Magur (Catfish), Singhi (Heteropneustes fossilis), Jalang (Indian mackerel), Rohi (Labeo rohita) and Bhakur (Catla),” he added.
The fishlings grow to a matured stage just within six months of rearing and are marketed thereafter. Usually, Sourav uses organic feeds in ‘biofloc’ fish farming, including sugar and gur solutions.
Moreover, oxygen gas is supplied into the enclosed ponds round the clock. Of late, Sourav has also started farming of toads, vegetables and engaged over 20 persons in his project site.