Praveen Patel, Founder, Brio Hydroponics
Gujarat-based Brio Hydroponics plans to have 100 stores under its Vexotics brand, an agri-retail brand for marketing exotic herbs, leafy greens and mincrogreens focussing on pesticide-free and nutrient-rich produce, by March 2027, according to Praveen Patel, Founder, Brio Hydroponics.
“We have established our footprint with organised retail chains like Reliance Fresh and Star Bazaar, where Vexotics has been onboarded as a vendor. Under Vexotics, we now cater to HoReCa (hotel, restaurants and catering), B2C (business to consumer), B2B (business-to-business), shops, merchants and exporters,” he told businessline in an online interaction.
Vexotics was launched in 2024. Earlier, it was operating within Brio. “We decided to carve Vexotics out as a separate entity with a dedicated structure to scale retail operations more effectively,” he said.
Structured ecosystem
Brio wanted to retain full control over the growth of Vexotics, while scaling systematically across different channels.
“Given the scale at which we were expanding, it became important to build a structured ecosystem—covering branding, distribution, B2B, B2C and HoReCa—in a well-organised manner. That’s why we established Vexotics as an independent company, built a separate leadership team and today we are growing well in terms of both scale and speed,” said Patel.
The company’s focus is on premium, residue-free produce for high-net-worth investors and quality-conscious middle-class consumers—fresh food grown in controlled environments, without chemicals and residues, available throughout the year.
On ensuring pesticide residue-free produce, the Brio founder said for leafy vegetables such as multiple varieties of lettuce, spinach, mint and other greens, it grows them in controlled environments using hydroponic methods. Pesticides are not required at all and everything is fully traceable until it reaches the end consumers.
Unnati model
“For vine crops like tomatoes, capsicum and cucumbers, we maintain strict control over cultivation practices. They are residue-free, and we are scaling this concept sustainably and responsibly,” said Patel.
On the progress of the company’s 100-acre hydroponic parks, he said the company is developing 100 individual units. “The first phase of 30 acres is operational, and the response has been extremely encouraging,” the firm’s founder said..
Brio has developed the Unnati Model to address the problem of investors having capital but lacking technical know-how and farmers having knowledge but not resources.
“Under this model, the land, development, operations and B2B market access are all managed by us. Essentially, we have built a complete agri-ecosystem. Banks have also started supporting this model through financing options. This allows non-farmers and investors—who may not have time but want to diversify into agriculture—to participate,” he said. The company manages everything end-to-end, making it possible for anyone to become an agripreneur. The second and third phases are now underway.
Partnering varsities
It is also planning to expand the model partnership with agri-institutions and univesities. Institutions such as IIT, Guwahati, were among the first investors in the Unnati Park. “We’re also working with collaborators from IIT Roorkee on an agrivoltaic project, where agriculture is integrated with solar tracking systems. We’ve partnered with Anand Agriculture University and several other institutions,” said Patel.
On a joint venture with an Israeli company for rain-protection technology, the company’s founder said it has adopted a triple-layer net-house technology from Israel. The third layer is designed specifically for rainwater harvesting and monsoon protection.
Given India’s unpredictable weather patterns — especially in Gujarat—this structure enables uninterrupted, year-round farming. The technology has been effective in ensuring crop stability during the monsoon. It is now being deployed across Unnati Parks and other large projects. It has significantly improved production consistency, he said.
Creating agri-preneurs
On the company’s plans to grow blueberries in the country, he said Brio is trying to find suitable varieties compatible with Indian climatic conditions.
Patel said Brio Hydroponics was operating Brio Agri Production Company Ltd. (since 2014), Brio Hydroponics Pvt. Ltd and Brio Retail Pvt. Ltd.
“We have trained over 16,000 students through online and offline programs and were among the first in India to offer commercial hydroponics training. We also offer internships and specialised courses to bridge the gap between academic education and practical farming,” he said.
The company has helped create over 200 agripreneurs and developed more than 150 acres of hydroponic projects, including international assignments in the Maldives, Singapore, Oman and Kenya. It has aided exports to Saudi Arabia and the US.
Brio’s long-term vision is to replicate the 100-acre Unnati Park model across multiple locations in India through local partnerships, Patel said.
Published on February 24, 2026