We all work hard to earn and live a better life. But only a few think for others and provide them with a sustainable income. In this world full of opportunities, there exists a 52-year-old man who is helps hundreds of farmers with a sustainable income by collecting millions of discarded mango seeds also known as Gutli since 2019. Scroll down to read about The Gutli Man of India and his noble initiative.
Who is the Gutli Man of India and what does he actually do?
Meet Kolkata-based Jasmit Singh Arora, fondly known as the Gutli Man of India. A doctor by education, an IT and pharma entrepreneur by profession, and a social reformer by calling, Arora has been active in social service for the past decade. For the last seven years, the 52-year-old man has been collecting discarded mango seeds from all over the country for the noble mission of improving the lives of Indian farmers and building a sustainable, environment-friendly agriculture mechanism in India. While his idea is simple, it has been revolutionary: he collects discarded mango seeds, germinates them into saplings, grafts them with local varieties, and hands them over to farmers free of cost.
Why is he doing this?
According to him, he primarily supplies these saplings to farmers in West Bengal. In a conversation with Telegraph India, he explained that most of these farmers are stuck in low-yield, water-intensive crops like paddy. Paddy farming barely gives them Rs 2,000 per month from an acre and guzzles a huge amount of water. His motive is to replace these crops with fruit-bearing mango trees. His approach is futuristic; While mango trees take years to mature, they are a long-term solution. They lock carbon, support biodiversity, and can generate a decent income for farmers once they start bearing fruit. These trees also provide more oxygen and money to mankind.
How did the idea of working with gutli happen
While he has been working on the idea since 2019, he shot to fame in 2024 when a video went viral. He started getting over 150 seed parcels daily from across India and by the end of season he received over 1 lakh discarded mango seeds in 2024.
How does the idea work?
It begins with cleaning the seeds, which are then sun-dried by contributors. Once they arrive at Arora’s base office, they are germinated on plots of land near Diamond Harbor and Burdwan, offered voluntarily by landowners supporting the mission. Explaining the challenge of the initiative, he mentions that only 10-15% actually germinate. He makes the sapling viable by grafting them with local varieties like Langda and Gulab Khas before distributing them to farmers.
How can you help the Gutli Man
As the mango season arrives, Arora has a heartfelt plea: “Don’t throw away your mango seeds. Clean them, dry them, and send them to me. My number is 9831459390. Call me—I’ll tell you exactly how to do it.” He has also launched a nationwide “Carbon Protection Force”, that urges corporates, schools, and media houses to take responsibility for locking carbon through tree planting.
