Satish K.S. is an entrepreneur by habit, an explorer by choice, and a farmer at heart. He was born and brought up in the startup capital of India, Bangalore. After completing his engineering studies, Satish started his career in product development in the aerospace and automotive verticals at HCL and continued to hone his technological expertise with them for over 12 years.
Having been raised in a family that believes in staying close to its roots, Satish always knew farming to be his true calling, after all, it had been practiced by his ancestors for generations. In 2007, he decided to take it up at his ancestral village while still working at HCL. It was here that Satish understood the true meaning of struggle. Traditional farming methods, where a lack of technology and poor water resource management were the norm, reduced his farm’s productivity radically. This made Satish realize that the farmers were in dire need of technological expertise that could improve their outputs. He knew that he had to find a solution to this.
Along with a friend, he designed a smart irrigation controller to save water by 30–40 percent. He quit his job in 2012 and worked full time on developing this idea. By 2013, the idea was crystallized enough for Satish and his friend to launch his startup.
From having to convince farmers to come on board to powering the startup through his personal savings, it has been quite a ride for Satish. Difficult times abounded. His co-founder’s departure meant he had to fend for himself. Satish’s patience and optimism kept him going and after months of intense, committed hard work, Flybird was on track to make a mark in this industry. With a vision to ensure sustainable growth for the farmers, he tackles the challenges posed by each day, for taking his company to new heights.
“Be patient, have a clear vision with alternate plans ready, and take calculated risks in order to be successful.”
He feels truly rewarded when he sees his venture making a positive impact on the lives of farmers.
Today, Flybird is a recognized name in the farming space in India. Satish now has his eyes set on the next level. To establish Flybird as a globally recognized name for affordable and high-quality farming products. While looking back, he regrets nothing and only wishes he had been faster and more effective in team-building and in increasing the overall productivity of farms. Firmly rooted with Flybird, Satish is in for the long haul. And there is no other way that he can imagine it!