This quiet hill town has become the hub of India’s mushroom revolution, earning it the name Mushroom City of India way back in 1997. We're talking about Solan, Himachal Pradesh.
Mushroom cultivation in this part of the world began as a pre-independence project. Today, Solan is home to the only institute in India, that focuses solely on mushroom research and development. For over four decades now, ICAR-DMR has been developing scientific knowledge, training farmers, and quietly changing the food economy of India.
The Institute That Changed the Game
ICAR-DMR, set up 43 years ago, is involved in the conservation of mushroom germplasm, health aspects, development of disease-resistant varieties, and training farmers from all over India. Trainees come from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and other states to learn how to grow button, oyster, paddy straw, shiitake, and milky mushrooms.
In the past five years alone, nearly 4,000 farmers have left with a practical business plan in hand. These practical training sessions cost ₹7,500 for five days and ₹15,000 for nine days, and the demand is always more than the supply.
From Grocery Shop to ₹75 Crore Empire
According to The Print, few people have been affected by Solan like Ramnath Shinde. In 2006, the Maharashtra-based grocery shop owner attended a short training session in Solan. Then, his monthly income was a mere ₹10,000.
Today, Shinde is a 45-acre mushroom farm owner in Baramati, producing 400-500 tonnes of button mushrooms every month. His mushrooms are sold under the Tirupati Balaji brand and reach every kitchen in the country. His annual turnover is ₹75 crore, and he donates ₹3-4 crore to charity every year.
India’s Mushroom Money Bank
The secret to Solan’s success is a temperature-controlled room that is maintained at –4°C. Inside this room is the National Mushroom Gene Bank, a living bank of genetic resources.
“In our gene bank, we have collected around 4,000 varieties of mushrooms from across India in the last 15 years alone,” says Dr B L Attri, acting director of ICAR-DMR. “We are trying to introduce 250-300 new varieties every year.”
This genetic resource helps scientists develop high-yielding varieties, disease-resistant varieties, and hybrids like PSCH-35, an oyster mushroom variety that yields up to 60 kg of fresh mushrooms from 100 kg of dried substrate.
Farming Without Fear of Weather
Mushroom farming has grown so much because of control. Temperature, humidity, oxygen, and light are controlled. Crops are grown vertically, requiring less land, and are unaffected by heatwaves or cold spells.
On one hectare of land, producers can harvest as much as 500 tonnes a year. At ₹100 per kg, that’s a turnover of ₹5 crore, with a profit margin of 30-35 per cent.
A Growing Appetite
Mushroom production in India has increased from 6,000 tonnes in the late 1990s to close to 4 lakh tonnes now. However, the average consumption is only 220-250 grams per person a year.
But the Indian mushroom market, valued at ₹14,800 crore in 2025, is expected to almost double by 2035. From chilli mushroom to mushroom alfredo, the change in food habits is increasing demand.
Back in Solan, the list of applications keeps growing. Because here, mushrooms aren’t just a food item, they’re a source of opportunity.
