A Study on Consumer Awareness of Hydroponic Method

of Farming in India

Report submitted to
Indus Business Academy, Bangalore

In partial fulfilment
Of

Post Graduate Diploma in Management

by

D Sharvani [FPBR2022/045]

Under the guidance of

Professor Prashant Kulkarni

LAKSHMIPURA, THATAGUNI POST, KANAKAPURA MAIN ROAD,

BANGALORE, 56008, INDIA

1|P a ge
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks to Indus Business Academy, Bangalore,
for offering me a unique platform to get exposure and garner knowledge regarding the
Agriculture industry and in the field of Marketing.

I am deeply indebted to my project guide Professor Prashant Kulkarni, IBA Bangalore for
guiding me throughout the project and providing valuable inputs and insights. His knowledge
and experience served as a continuous source of encouragement and motivation for me.

Last but not the least, I would express my sincere gratitude to many of my classmates, for
whom I have high regard and who have supported me all along, during this project in
particular and my PGDM course in general.

2|P a ge
 DECLARATION

I, D Sharvani, hereby declare that this report titled “A Study on Consumer Awareness
about Hydroponic Method of Farming in India”:

a. Is an original work and has been done by me under the guidance of my mentor;

b. I have conformed to ethical norms and guidelines while writing the project; and

c. Whenever, I have used materials (data , model, figures and text ) from other sources, I
have given due credit to them by citing them in the text of the report, giving their details in
the references, and following ‘fair use doctrine’ policies of copy righted materials, if any,
used in this report.

D Sharvani
FPBR2022/045
PGDM Batch 2020 – 2022
Indus Business Academy
Bangalore

3|P a ge
 Table of Contents

TITLE PAGE No.

Acknowledgment 2
Declaration 3
Table of Contents 4
Certificate from Mentor 5

PART 1 6 - 13
Introduction 7
Literature Review 8
Objectives 11
Scope of Study 12
Limitation of the Study 12
Research Methodology 13

PART 2 14 – 32
Survey Analysis 15
Survey data Interpretation 16
Hypothesis Testing 24
Findings 25
Conclusion 26
References 27
Appendix 28

4|P a ge
5|P a ge
 CERTIFICATE FROM MENTOR

This is to certify that the Market Research Report titled “A Study on Consumer Awareness
about Hydroponic Method of Farming in India”, submitted by D Sharvani, bearing Roll No.
FPBR2022/045, to the Indus Business Academy, Bangalore, is a record of bona fide research
work under my supervision and I consider it worthy of consideration in accordance with the
regulation of the Institute.

Date:

Prof. Prashant Kulkarni

Indus Business Academy
Bangalore

6|P a ge
PART 1

7|P a ge
 INTRODUCTION

Hydroponics is a method for growing crops without soil where water serves as the medium
for growing the plants with the addition of fertilizers to supply the plants with essential
nutrients. Though this practice, of growing plants directly in water, is not new but the study
of it has only been around recently. The ancient Hanging Gardens of is a Babylon was
believed to have worked with the principles used in hydroponics.
For any nation, farming is a basic and indispensable requirement. Scientific and technological
interventions are required to bring more produce in a healthier way to every household.
Working with the soil has its own demerits like tiring human labour, potential pest attacks,
etc.. By implementing hydroponics method of farming and automating it using controllers,
farming can be made appealing to the general masses.
If the traditional method of farming is replaced by advanced methods like hydroponics, in
which water is the main medium to carry essential or tailored nutrients to the crops, the
produce can definitely be improved. Also, since soil is not being used almost 80% of the total
pest attacks possibly can be eliminated.
As per some scientific studies, hydroponics offers several advantages over soil-based
systems. When removed from soil, root tissue is often mechanically sheared causing loss of
tissue or damage. This holds firmly true for fine root structures such as lateral roots and root
hairs. Hydroponic systems that do not utilize an inert particulate media allowing a less
invasive separation of root and shoot tissues.
Hydroponic systems can be classified based on how they deliver oxygen and other nutrients
to the roots: oxygen deliver by saturating the solution with air (classical hydroponics), by not
submerging the roots at all times, or by allowing the roots to be completely exposed to the air
(aeroponics). Plants may also be grown on inert media (example, rockwool, vermiculite, or
clay pellets) and subjected to wet-dry cycles by dripping solution through the media or
periodically submerging the substrate in solution.
Although hydroponic cultures offer clear advantages over soil-based systems, there are some
considerations that must be acknowledged when interpreting the data. For instance,
hydroponic systems expose plants to conditions that may be seen as non-physiological.
Therefore, phenotypes or plant responses detected using hydroponic systems may vary in
magnitude when plants are grown in alternative systems (e.g., soil or agar-based media).
Nevertheless, now a day hydroponics technique is fast becoming a popular choice for many
farmers around the world due to its more sustainable approach to resource usage than the
usual growing methods. Indian farmers are not much aware of hydroponics systems, as it
requires some skills to operate this system. The main challenge is low literacy rate among
farmers, which is low and in order to prepare them, we need to guide maximum number of
farmers so that those farmers could guide and teach another one. For the farmers those have
less fragmented land can perform hydroponic culture in greenhouse to increase crop
productivity. In cases of crop loss by natural disaster, they must have another option of
farming to survive and grow organic, pesticides free vegetables which would further enhance
economic growth of our country.

8|P a ge
 LITERATURE REVIEW
Sl. Author Publication Title Findings Methodology
No. and Year Source Applied
1. Dr. Karuna Our Consumer  Almost all Primary data
Gole and Heritage Perception people would collected
Tushar Vol. 68, towards prefer organic from first-
Nalange Issue - 30 Hydroponically food if the hand sources
and Grown Residue prices were low. using
Pruthviraj – Free  Almost all methods like
Gaikwad, Vegetables respondents survey,
2020 showed interest interview or
for chemical- experiment.
free kitchen Random
gardening. sampling
 Health method used
conscious for this
individuals used survey.
hydroponically
grown
vegetables with
capsicum being
widely used.
2. Hsiangting Journal of Consumers’  Farm Primary data
Chen and Agriculture acceptability microgreens was collected
Xiao Tong and Food and perceptions showed better using
and Libo Research towards the sensory scores Voluntary
Tan and consumption of than Response
Lingyan hydroponically hydroponically Sampling.
Kong, and soil grown grown sample. The data
2020 broccoli  Sensory and analysis was
microgreens. perceived done using
benefits IBM SPSS
positively Statistics
impact purchase Software 25
intention of and AMOS
microgreens. (IBM,
 Pricing had Armonk,
impact on NY).
perceived
benefits, but not
on willingness-
to-buy.
3. Ankita Jain Recent A review on  It is an
and Nidhi Advances in Hydroponic improved space
Kumari and Chemiical System: Hope or and water
Vikash Sciences Hype conserving
Kumar Jha, and method of food
2019 production.

9|P a ge
 Biotechnolo  This method can
gy. produce the
healthiest crops
with high yield
and are
consistently
reliable.
4. Daniel ScholarWor Consumers’  Consumers are Primary data
Gilmour, ks@UARK Willingness to generally was collected
2018 Pay for unfamiliar with using simple
Hydroponic hydroponics and random
Lettuce require a sampling.
discount to Experiments
choose were done
hydroponic using
lettuce. information
 Willingness to treatment.
pay for
hydroponic
goods was seen
more in
individuals who
were informed
about its
environmental
benefits.
5. Rashmi Internationa Vertical  Vertical farming Information
Maria l Journal of Farming: A will allow to were
Royston Engineering Concept produce more gathered
and and crops from same from various
Pavithra Techniques square footage sources like
M.P., of growing area. books, thesis,
2018  It will make use websites, etc.
of 70-95 % less
water than that
was required for
traditional
farming.
6. Fatemeh Advanced A Review of  Globally, 40% Quantitative
Kalantari Engineering Vertical of the whole approach was
and Osman Forum Farming energy is used chosen for
Md Tahir Technology: A up in building assessing and
and Ahmad Guide for construction. To analysing
Mahmoudi Implementation combat this, current
Lahijani, of Building architects and vertical
2017 Integrated designers should farming
Agriculture in be presented practices.
Cities with a set of
sustainability

10 | P a g e
 criteria for
whole cycle of
creating
sustainable
buildings.
7. Nga T. Journal of Hydroponics: A  Nutrient Experimental
Nguyen and Visualized Versatile concentrations research
Samuel A. Experiment System to Study can be modified method was
Mclnturf s Nutrient to induce plant used to
and David Aloocation and responses to acquire data
G. Plant Responses both essential and
Mendoza – to Nutrient nutrients and information.
Cozatl, Availability and toxic non-
2013 Exposure to essential
Toxic Elements elements.
 Hydroponic
growth system is
advantageous in
situations where
the nutrient is
well controlled
and when intact
roots need to be
harvested for
downstream
applications.

11 | P a g e
 OBJECTIVES

 To know if consumers are aware about hydroponic method of farming.

 To know the market and its acceptance for hydroponically grown produce.

 To know which factor consumer consider important while purchasing vegetables.

(i.e. – price, quality, freshness, quantity or location of vendor)

12 | P a g e
 SCOPE OF STUDY

India ranks second in population after China. As compared to the population, the land, water
and other resources are limited. So, in the near future we may face difficulty in feeding the
huge population with the current farming methods. To counter this, adopting advanced agro-
techniques has become essential. One of such technique is Hydroponics.

Hydroponics can be very useful in food production, using less space, in future. As the
population is increasing and space in land is declining due to poor management, shifting
focus from traditional method of farming to hydroponics seems apt. This in turn can ensure
food production safety.

LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

As the research topic is upcoming and new, the literature review on the exact topics was
difficult to find. Here, for secondary data I have used literature reviews which are related to
vertical farming and concepts revolving around hydroponics.

13 | P a g e
 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Data Collection:
• Primary Data was collected from regular consumers of different age groups,
professions and from different places through a structural questionnaire.

• Secondary data was collected from various sources like Research Journals, Existing
Literature Reviews and Google Scholars.

Sampling Frame:
• Sampling Size – 100

• Sampling Technique - Convenient Sampling

• Sample Frame - PAN India

• Data collection method - Circulating Google Survey Form

Research Tools:
In this report, Microsoft Excel was used as a tool for data analysis and to make interpretation.
The tests used are:
o Graphs and Charts Analysis
o Percentage Analysis
o Likert Scaling Techniques
o Descriptive Statistics

14 | P a g e
PART 2

15 | P a g e
 DATA ANALYSIS

Data analysis is a procedure of scrutinizing, cleaning, converting, and modifying data with
the aim of finding useful facts and information which can be recommending conclusions and
supporting decision-making. Data analysis has multiple sides and approaches, compassing
different techniques under a range of names, and is used in numerous business, science, and
science domains. In today's business world, data analysis plays a task in making decisions
more scientific and helping businesses operate more effectively.

16 | P a g e
 SURVEY DATA INTERPRETATION

Analysis 1:

Particulars Male Female Transgender Others Total

Count of Gender 48 42 6 4 100

Percentage (%) 48 42 6 4 100

Interpretation:
Out of the 100 respondents, 48 are male (making it 48.2% of the entire sample size), 42
females (constituting 42.1% of the sample), 7 transgender (with 6% of the sample). So, it can
be concluded that there is diversity in the respondents.

17 | P a g e
Analysis 2:
Age -

Interpretation:
According to the survey, majority of the respondents, that is 53% of the sample, belong to 21
to 25 years of age and only 2 respondents belong to age group of 46 to 50. From this we can
infer that, more than half of the respondents are late millennials and early Gen Z individuals.

Analysis 3:

Interpretation:
According to the survey, out of 100 respondents, 8 respondents were farmers and 35 were
salaried employees and 18 were self-employed.

18 | P a g e
Analysis 4:
Monthly income range –

Interpretation:
According to the survey, 35.3% respondents have monthly income range below 10,000 INR,
leading to the idea that these all respondents are students.

Analysis 5:

Interpretation:
From the chart above we can say that, 51.5% respondents (52 in number) follow Vegetarian
diet. This can mean that with regular meal they mostly consume green vegetables.

19 | P a g e
Analysis 6:

Interpretation:
According to the survey, 49 respondents (constitution 49.1% of the sample) take 2 servings of
green vegetables.

Analysis 7:

Interpretation:
From the above representation we can infer that, 38 respondents often buy standard produce.

20 | P a g e
Analysis 8:

Interpretation:
As per the survey, 39.5 % of the respondents buy vegetable from Grocery store and 31.6% of
them buy it from farmers’ market. This can mean that, 39.5% of the respondents may belong
to urban or semi-urban area.

Analysis 9:

Interpretation:
Out of 100 respondents, 70 responded saying that out of all the other factors freshness is the
most important factor for them.

21 | P a g e
Analysis 10:

Interpretation:
According to the survey, 19.3% individuals know exactly from where their produce come
from and how they are grown and 13.3% of them have no idea about the produce that they
buy. So, from this we can infer that out of 100 respondents, 19 are mindful of how the
produce are obtained that they consume.

Analysis 11:

Interpretation:
Out of 100 respondents, 64 respondents claim that they have grown their own produce at least
once.

22 | P a g e
Analysis 12:

Interpretation:
As per the survey, 57% of the entire respondents are aware about hydroponic method of
farming. So, it can be safe to say that most of them are well informed individuals.

Analysis 13:

Interpretation:
Out of the total sample, 71.9% respondents believe that hydroponics is better for the
environment and 25.4% are not sure about it.

23 | P a g e
Analysis 14:

Interpretation:
As per the survey, 66 respondents (that is, 57.9% of the sample) would like to buy
hydroponically grown veggies and 37.7% of the may or may not buy depending on various
factors.

Analysis 15:

Interpretation:
As per the survey, many respondents rate their interest of learning hydroponics 8 on 10.

24 | P a g e
Hypothesis Testing:
Hypothesis
H0 : Consumers are not aware about the hydroponic method of farming and if given a choice,
they would not buy hydroponically grown produce.
H1 : Consumers are aware about the hydroponic method of farming and if given a choice
they would buy hydroponically grown produce.

SUMMARY
Groups Count Sum Average Variance
Are you aware of hydroponics method
of farming? 100 135 1.35 0.229798
If given the choice, would you buy
hydroponically grown produce? 100 172 1.72 0.890505

ANOVA
Source of Variation SS df MS F P-value F crit
Between Groups 6.845 1 6.845 12.21991 0.000583 3.888853
Within Groups 110.91 198 0.560152

Total 117.755 199

Interpretation –
Alpha Level: 0.05
P-Value: 0.000583
So, P-Value < Alpha (0.05)
Here, we can see that the P-value is less than the alpha level selected (0.05) and the F value is
greater than the F-Critical value. Therefore, we have evidence to reject the Null Hypothesis
and accept the Alternate Hypothesis.
If the p-value would have more than the alpha level selected, we would have accepted the
Null Hypothesis.
So, now we know that majority of the consumers are aware about hydroponic method of
farming and if given a choice they would by hydroponically grown produce.

25 | P a g e
 FINDINGS

 It is found that most of the people know about hydroponics and many of them were
interested in buying hydroponically grown vegetables.

 While responding may of the respondents prefers freshness of produce over price
concept in vegetables.

 Most of the respondents buys vegetables either from grocery store or from farmers’
market rather than from marts.

 More than half of the respondents follow vegetarian diet.

 Many people show interest in learning hydroponics method of farming in order to

grow their own produce.

26 | P a g e
 CONCLUSION

Hydroponic systems are highly effective techniques used in several agricultural domains and
also against natural calamities. However, this system requires less number of workers, but
still it is expensive and complex but the productivity is high.
Production cost is high in this method results into higher price, still people are interested in
adopting small unit of hydroponics model at their balcony and terrace.
Health consciousness is increasing day by day due to increase in cancer patients because of
chemical saturation through food. There is huge demand for lettuce, broccoli, ice-berg etc.
from 5- star hotels; Hence scope for commercial production of these exotic vegetables on
large scale.

27 | P a g e
 REFERENCE

 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5091364/
 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330245272_A_review_on_hydroponic_syst
em_hope_and_hype
 https://hydroponicsimpact.weebly.com/research-paper.html
 https://asrjetsjournal.org/index.php/American_Scientific_Journal/article/view/2543
 https://academy.vertical-farming.net/2017/11/30/vertical-farming-city/
 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154320300326
 https://scholarworks.uark.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4273&context=etd
 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342260487_VERTICAL_FARMING_A_C
ONCEPT
 https://academy.vertical-farming.net/2017/04/23/role-mushroom-production-vertical-
farming/
 http://www.pitt.edu/~budny/papers/8203.pdf

28 | P a g e
 APPENDIX
Questionnaire
A Study on Awareness of Hydroponic Method of Farming in India
Hello Ma'am/Sir,
We are conducting a survey on the awareness about Hydroponics, a method of soil-less
farming, for academic research purpose.
Hydroponics is a way to skip the soil, set in a different material to support the roots of the
plant, and grow crops directly in nutrient-rich water.
So, we request you to fill the following form and help us collect some data.
Thank You.
*Required

1. What is your gender? *

Female

Male

Transgender

Others

29 | P a g e
2. What is your age? *

21 - 25

26 - 30

31 - 35

36 - 40

41 - 45

46 - 50

3. What is your occupation? *

Student

Farmer

Salaried employee

Self-employed

Doctor

Other

4. What is your monthly income range? *

Less than 10,000

11,000 - 20,000

21,000 - 30,000

31,000 - 40,000

41,000 - 50,000

51,000 - 60,000

More than 61,000

5. Which type of diet do you usually follow? *

Vegan

Vegetarian

I do not follow any of these diets

30 | P a g e
6. How many servings of green vegetables do you take in a day? *

1 serving

2 servings

3 servings

4 servings

More than 4 servings.

7. How often do you buy each of the following types of produce? *

Tick all that apply.

Never Sometimes Once in a week Often

Organic

Standard (non-organic)

Hydroponically grown

Canned or frozen

8. Where do you obtain the majority of your produce? *

Farmers Market

Grocery Store

Fresh Veggie marts

Other

31 | P a g e
9. How important are the following factors to you while buying produce from markets? *
Mark only one oval per row.

Very Moderately Slightly Not

Important
important important important important

Price

Quality

Freshness

Size

Location of
store/stall

10. Are you aware of how the produce you buy are grown and transported? *

I know exactly how all the produce that I buy are grown and transported.
I know how most of my veggies are grown and transported.

I know how some of my veggies are grown and transported

Not a clue how they are grown and transported

11. Have you ever grown your own food? *

Yes

No

No, but I would like to.

12. Are you aware of hydroponics method of farming? *

Hydroponics is a type of soil-less farming where the plants (specifically green veggies) are grown by only using water
and minerals.

Yes, I am aware about it.

No, I am not aware about it.

13. What do you think, hydroponic procedure of farming is ______________ than standard
farming procedure? *

32 | P a g e
 Better for the environment

Not good for the environment

Not sure.

14. If given the choice, would you buy hydroponically grown produce? *

Yes

No

Maybe

15. How interested are you in learning Hydroponics? *

(Rate on the scale from 1 t o10 with 1 being least interested and 10 being most interested)

Least intersted Most interested

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

33 | P a g e