CEO at @OrchardlyApp.
Srinagar, India
Joined October 2008
- Tweets1.6K
- Following1.7K
- Followers617
- Likes1.6K
Ehsan Quddusi retweeted
Your first business could become someone else's first job.
Now imagine a million people finding the courage to begin. That is the Bharat I see.
India's next million entrepreneurs are already in our districts and small towns. They have the ideas and the hunger. What they lack is a starting point.
Bharat mein talent ki kami nahi hai. Sahi guidance aur mauke har kisi tak pahunchne chahiye.
For 18 years, through YourStory, I have learnt from people across this country. Bharat bhar se seekha hai. Ab is seekh ko aapke kaam lana hai.
ShuruKar is that commitment. A district level movement that turns local problems into local enterprises, with guidance, mentoring and funding for anyone who wants to begin.
Whether you have an idea and don't know the first step, or a business that isn't growing, there is a place for you here.
And if you have already built something, your experience, your network, or even becoming someone's first customer can help another person begin.
If you've been waiting for someone to say, "Haan, tum bhi kar sakte ho," your Shradha Didi is saying it today. 🙂
ShuruKar launches on 10th October at Gyan Bhawan, Patna.
I will be in Patna from the 7th to the 10th. Come find me.
Bring your idea. Bring your experience. Help someone begin.
Hokar Nidar, Shuru Kar.
#ShuruKar #Bharat
This is the kind of policy thinking India needs—moving from schemes to a connected entrepreneurship ecosystem. The real opportunity is in Tier 2, Tier 3 and rural India, where millions have the intent to build but lack access, mentorship, markets and capital.
Everyone is debating the paper leak. Almost nobody is debating the queue.
40% of graduates under 25 are unemployed. Graduates are two-thirds of India's unemployed. 12 million young Indians join the workforce every year. The anger on the streets isn't about one exam. It's a generation discovering that the exam they bet their childhood on leads to a queue, not a job.
And here's the hard truth: you cannot exam-reform your way out of a jobs shortage. A fairer queue is still a queue.
This generation needs a third door.
Today a young Indian has two imagined futures: sarkari naukri or private job. Building something of your own is the third, and right now it's mostly reserved for kids with networks and family money.
After 17 years in this ecosystem, I've written a full implementable policy blueprint to change that.
A National Entrepreneurship Mission.
One door, one entrepreneur ID, one journey from "I want to do something" to "I built something."
District idea banks for graduates who don't know what to build. A mentor and an AI co-pilot for every founder. Every scattered govt fund on one spine.
10 lakh enterprises in 5 years. Minimum 40-50 lakh jobs created by this generation instead of demanding for it. Rollout in 15 months, because every piece already exists.
For the short read: yourstory.com/2026/08/nation…
For the full recommendation: yourstory.com/cs/uploads/Bui…
Do read and do share 🙏 #shurukar
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Ehsan Quddusi retweeted
Every apple carries a season of hard work, dedication and hope.
Another Orchardly-partnered orchard reaches full yield—and behind every successful harvest is a season of careful decisions, timely action and continuous support.
youtu.be/boBxq-bkYP0?si=5QMh…
Our traditions live because of the hands that refuse to let them fade.
On #NationalHandloomDay, my heartfelt gratitude to every weaver preserving India’s rich heritage. May we create more opportunities for our artisans to thrive in the modern world.
#VocalForLocal #Handloom
Every handloom has a story. Every weave carries generations of dreams, struggle and pride.
On #NationalHandloomDay, I'm thinking of the countless weavers who have kept India's heritage alive, often without the recognition or opportunities they truly deserve.
The best way to honour them isn't just by celebrating them today.
It's by asking ourselves as citizens, entrepreneurs and policymakers what more we can do to help them earn better, build stronger brands and reach bigger markets.
I've been heartened to see initiatives by the Andhra Pradesh government under @ncbn leadership from free power support for weavers to strengthening APCO and expanding market access for handloom products.
I hope many more states take inspiration from such efforts and create their own models to empower this community.
At @BharatProject, we believe India's future will be built not only by technology and startups, but also by those who keep our timeless traditions alive.
To every weaver across India: "thank you". Your craft is our identity. 🇮🇳❤️
@naralokesh
#NationalHandloomDay #VocalForLocal #Handloom #BharatProject
Ehsan Quddusi retweeted
Thank you for hearing our story and amplifying it to the world. Your words have inspired us to keep building with resilience and purpose.
You are an inspiration, @SharmaShradha.
Can India's next unicorn grow on an apple tree?
I keep thinking about Kashmir. Not just the orchards stretching for miles, the smell of earth and apples, but a question that has hovered over the Valley's startup ecosystem for years: can it produce a unicorn?
@OrchardlyApp might just have an answer.
"Farmers do not resist innovation," co-founder Ehsan Quddusi told me when we met in Srinagar last week. "They resist complexity."
Most people blame Kashmir's apple troubles on climate or cheap imports. Ehsan says that diagnoses the wrong problem. The real one is the thousands of decisions made every season without data.
His solution isn't just an app. It's an operating system for Kashmir's orchards: soil testing, AI advisories, physical stores, genetics. They have even helped enable the first commercial cherry exports to Singapore and Dubai.
Bootstrapped. $2M revenue. 15,000+ growers. EBITDA-positive from day one.
Can a model built this deep in Kashmir scale beyond the Valley? The software can travel across India. The trust, the relationships and the local intelligence are much harder to replicate.
This is what gives us the most joy at YourStory: spotlighting founders building real, resilient businesses where it matters most.
Read on. yourstory.com/2026/07/orchar…
Cc: @PremManukonda @AdithCharlie
Ehsan Quddusi retweeted
Profits, purpose, and impact from day one...That's the kind of startup story India needs more of. Congratulations to the founders and to YourStory for bringing such stories to light....
Ehsan Quddusi retweeted
The best innovations, like the best orchards, start with a small seed & years of patient care.
Thank you @SharmaShradha for telling our story. We're proud to be building the technology powering the future of apples, cherries, and Indian horticulture-one orchard at a time.
Ehsan Quddusi retweeted
Farmers don't resist innovation, they resist complexity—such a powerful insight. If this model works in Kashmir, it has the potential to transform horticulture nationwide.
Ehsan Quddusi retweeted
The best innovations, like the best orchards, start with a small seed & years of patient care.
Thank you @SharmaShradha for telling our story. We're proud to be building the technology powering the future of apples, cherries, and Indian horticulture-one orchard at a time.
Can India's next unicorn grow on an apple tree?
I keep thinking about Kashmir. Not just the orchards stretching for miles, the smell of earth and apples, but a question that has hovered over the Valley's startup ecosystem for years: can it produce a unicorn?
@OrchardlyApp might just have an answer.
"Farmers do not resist innovation," co-founder Ehsan Quddusi told me when we met in Srinagar last week. "They resist complexity."
Most people blame Kashmir's apple troubles on climate or cheap imports. Ehsan says that diagnoses the wrong problem. The real one is the thousands of decisions made every season without data.
His solution isn't just an app. It's an operating system for Kashmir's orchards: soil testing, AI advisories, physical stores, genetics. They have even helped enable the first commercial cherry exports to Singapore and Dubai.
Bootstrapped. $2M revenue. 15,000+ growers. EBITDA-positive from day one.
Can a model built this deep in Kashmir scale beyond the Valley? The software can travel across India. The trust, the relationships and the local intelligence are much harder to replicate.
This is what gives us the most joy at YourStory: spotlighting founders building real, resilient businesses where it matters most.
Read on. yourstory.com/2026/07/orchar…
Cc: @PremManukonda @AdithCharlie
Ehsan Quddusi retweeted
Proud to know @ehsanquddusi and witness the incredible work being done by the @OrchardlyApp team. Their journey proves that innovation rooted in Kashmir can solve real problems and create global impact. Wishing them continued success and many more milestones ahead.
Can India's next unicorn grow on an apple tree?
I keep thinking about Kashmir. Not just the orchards stretching for miles, the smell of earth and apples, but a question that has hovered over the Valley's startup ecosystem for years: can it produce a unicorn?
@OrchardlyApp might just have an answer.
"Farmers do not resist innovation," co-founder Ehsan Quddusi told me when we met in Srinagar last week. "They resist complexity."
Most people blame Kashmir's apple troubles on climate or cheap imports. Ehsan says that diagnoses the wrong problem. The real one is the thousands of decisions made every season without data.
His solution isn't just an app. It's an operating system for Kashmir's orchards: soil testing, AI advisories, physical stores, genetics. They have even helped enable the first commercial cherry exports to Singapore and Dubai.
Bootstrapped. $2M revenue. 15,000+ growers. EBITDA-positive from day one.
Can a model built this deep in Kashmir scale beyond the Valley? The software can travel across India. The trust, the relationships and the local intelligence are much harder to replicate.
This is what gives us the most joy at YourStory: spotlighting founders building real, resilient businesses where it matters most.
Read on. yourstory.com/2026/07/orchar…
Cc: @PremManukonda @AdithCharlie
If a global agritech company can be built from Kashmir, it changes what's possible—not just for horticulture, but for the entire startup ecosystem. Thank you @SharmaShradha & @YourStory for believing in our story. #KashmirStories
Can India's next unicorn grow on an apple tree?
I keep thinking about Kashmir. Not just the orchards stretching for miles, the smell of earth and apples, but a question that has hovered over the Valley's startup ecosystem for years: can it produce a unicorn?
@OrchardlyApp might just have an answer.
"Farmers do not resist innovation," co-founder Ehsan Quddusi told me when we met in Srinagar last week. "They resist complexity."
Most people blame Kashmir's apple troubles on climate or cheap imports. Ehsan says that diagnoses the wrong problem. The real one is the thousands of decisions made every season without data.
His solution isn't just an app. It's an operating system for Kashmir's orchards: soil testing, AI advisories, physical stores, genetics. They have even helped enable the first commercial cherry exports to Singapore and Dubai.
Bootstrapped. $2M revenue. 15,000+ growers. EBITDA-positive from day one.
Can a model built this deep in Kashmir scale beyond the Valley? The software can travel across India. The trust, the relationships and the local intelligence are much harder to replicate.
This is what gives us the most joy at YourStory: spotlighting founders building real, resilient businesses where it matters most.
Read on. yourstory.com/2026/07/orchar…
Cc: @PremManukonda @AdithCharlie
Ehsan Quddusi retweeted
Thank you @SharmaShradha & @YourStoryCo team for selecting this important topic for an in-depth study & the required research with an on ground fact finding mission. This is a master piece aptly demonstrating brilliant journalism @AgriGoI @Agri_Exports @MOFPI_GOI @PMOIndia
A kilo of apples: ₹80 in September, ₹220 by January.
India produced a record apple crop, yet spent $418 million importing 5.6 lakh tonnes in 2024-25.
Why?
Because India owns the harvest, but not the year.
For four months, domestic apples flood the market. For the next eight, gaps in storage, grading and processing allow imports to fill the shelves.
The opportunity is not simply to grow more. It is to keep premium fruit sellable longer, turn lower-grade apples into juice and concentrate and build a supply chain that earns throughout the year.
In my latest deep dive with @AdithCharlie and @PremManukonda, we explore a billion-dollar opportunity hiding in plain sight for entrepreneurs. Read the full story on @YourStoryCo and tell me what you think! yourstory.com/2026/07/india-…
Ehsan Quddusi retweeted
The future of India’s apple sector lies beyond orchards. It depends on smarter harvests driven by tech, scientific practices, strong supply chains & wider market access. Innovation is key to boosting farmer incomes and global competitiveness.
The next billion dollars in India's apple industry won't come from more trees. It'll come from better decisions.
AI, soil health, supply chains, and market access will define the next decade. That's the future we're building at @OrchardlyApp #KashmirStories #KashmirApple
Ehsan Quddusi retweeted
Kashmir sits at the heart of India's apple economy. The next big opportunity isn't just growing more apples...it's growing smarter.
With AI-driven platforms like @OrchardlyApp , farmers can stay ahead of diseases, monitor orchard health, receive timely advisories, improve fruit quality, and increase productivity through data-backed decisions. Better quality means better prices, lower losses, and a stronger supply chain.
The future of apple farming isn't just in the orchard..it's in AI. #Kashmir #AppleFarming #AI #AgriTech #Orchardly
A kilo of apples: ₹80 in September, ₹220 by January.
India produced a record apple crop, yet spent $418 million importing 5.6 lakh tonnes in 2024-25.
Why?
Because India owns the harvest, but not the year.
For four months, domestic apples flood the market. For the next eight, gaps in storage, grading and processing allow imports to fill the shelves.
The opportunity is not simply to grow more. It is to keep premium fruit sellable longer, turn lower-grade apples into juice and concentrate and build a supply chain that earns throughout the year.
In my latest deep dive with @AdithCharlie and @PremManukonda, we explore a billion-dollar opportunity hiding in plain sight for entrepreneurs. Read the full story on @YourStoryCo and tell me what you think! yourstory.com/2026/07/india-…
Ehsan Quddusi retweeted
As an agritech startup born in the orchards of Kashmir, we see this every day.
We're proud to be building tech from the Valley for apple growers, proving that Kashmir is not just about breathtaking beauty, but a place where world-class innovation can take root.
#KashmirStories
The spirit of Kashmir is not just found in its mountains or its valleys.
It lives in its tehzeeb; its grace, its humanity, its hospitality, and its openness to dialogue.
My sincere thanks to Chief Minister @OmarAbdullah for embodying those values.
He gave the time to listen, and engage so openly on ideas to build ground level entrepreneurship and scale for the women and young people of Jammu & Kashmir.
Looking forward with optimism.
To everyone, come and build with the most resilient and passionate people of Kashmir.
You’ll be very, very inspired. ❤️💗
#Kashmirstories
Ehsan Quddusi retweeted
India's apple opportunity is far bigger than production alone. The future lies in precision agriculture, AI, soil intelligence, traceability, and smarter market access.
We're building the digital infrastructure for horticulture to help growers capture that opportunity.
A kilo of apples: ₹80 in September, ₹220 by January.
India produced a record apple crop, yet spent $418 million importing 5.6 lakh tonnes in 2024-25.
Why?
Because India owns the harvest, but not the year.
For four months, domestic apples flood the market. For the next eight, gaps in storage, grading and processing allow imports to fill the shelves.
The opportunity is not simply to grow more. It is to keep premium fruit sellable longer, turn lower-grade apples into juice and concentrate and build a supply chain that earns throughout the year.
In my latest deep dive with @AdithCharlie and @PremManukonda, we explore a billion-dollar opportunity hiding in plain sight for entrepreneurs. Read the full story on @YourStoryCo and tell me what you think! yourstory.com/2026/07/india-…
The next billion dollars in India's apple industry won't come from more trees. It'll come from better decisions.
AI, soil health, supply chains, and market access will define the next decade. That's the future we're building at @OrchardlyApp #KashmirStories #KashmirApple
A kilo of apples: ₹80 in September, ₹220 by January.
India produced a record apple crop, yet spent $418 million importing 5.6 lakh tonnes in 2024-25.
Why?
Because India owns the harvest, but not the year.
For four months, domestic apples flood the market. For the next eight, gaps in storage, grading and processing allow imports to fill the shelves.
The opportunity is not simply to grow more. It is to keep premium fruit sellable longer, turn lower-grade apples into juice and concentrate and build a supply chain that earns throughout the year.
In my latest deep dive with @AdithCharlie and @PremManukonda, we explore a billion-dollar opportunity hiding in plain sight for entrepreneurs. Read the full story on @YourStoryCo and tell me what you think! yourstory.com/2026/07/india-…
Execution scales impact. If the same builder’s mindset that digitized public infrastructure can make assessments more transparent, accessible, and future-ready, that’s a win for every student—including those from regions like Kashmir.
Honestly, I'll take a builder over a commentator any day.
That's exactly what India is getting right in education now.
Aadhaar. UPI. FASTag. Nandan Nilekani didn't just show up; he showed how.
Now he will bring that same get-it-done mindset to exam reform.
Millions of futures on the line.
Great move by PM @narendramodi for the youth of our country.
Right builder. Right time.
Btw, here's my 2-year-old chat with @NandanNilekani on the future of learning.
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