How ‘Gutli Man of India’, Jasmit Singh Arora Is Turning Mango Seeds into a National Green Revolution
How 'Gutli Man of India', Jasmit Singh Arora Is Turning Mango Seeds into a National Green Revolution
Driven by purpose, this doctor-turned-entrepreneur is planting hope, one mango seed at a time.
Jasmit Singh Arora, a social entrepreneur from Kolkata, is spearheading an environmental movement that is transforming both lives and landscapes across India. Fondly known today as the ‘Gutli Man of India’, Jasmit’s mission is simple yet profound: to collect discarded mango seeds from across the country and turn them into thriving fruit-bearing trees, distributed free of cost to farmers.
But the man behind this national campaign didn’t begin in agriculture. Trained as a doctor, Jasmit spent decades building successful careers in IT and pharmaceuticals. Yet, despite the independence and financial stability it brought, he felt something was missing. That yearning for deeper purpose eventually led him to rural India, where he encountered the harsh realities of paddy farming, dwindling water resources, overworked lands, and a younger generation disinterested in agriculture.
It was here that the seed of an idea took root.
“I realised mangoes could be the answer,” says Jasmit. “A beloved fruit across India, mangoes offer financial security and environmental value. I thought, why not collect mango seeds, gutlis, from the public, grow them into saplings, and give them to farmers to shift from short-term crops to sustainable fruit farming?”
From being mocked as the “Mango King” and “Gutli Man,” Jasmit’s determination slowly turned heads. Today, the same titles are worn with pride. “Now it represents something powerful,” he smiles. “People understand the cause.”
Over the years, Jasmit has distributed over six lakh fruit saplings,mostly mango, without charging a single rupee. In 2024 alone, he received over 11 lakh mango seeds from people spanning Jammu to Kanyakumari and Assam to Gujarat. Out of these, 80,000 grafted saplings were nurtured with organic care and delivered to farmers.
The vision behind his mission goes beyond farming. Jasmit calls it the “Carbon Protection Force”.
“We are constantly releasing carbon into the atmosphere,” he explains. “I want to protect carbon by storing it safely in trees. A single car’s emissions need about 50 mango trees to offset them. If we produce CO₂, we must plant O₂.”
With no formal training in agriculture, Jasmit taught himself everything from seed germination to organic pest control. “I spoke to seasoned farmers, read books, and learned through trial and error. If I had to guide others, I needed to get it right,” he says.
His family stands firmly behind him. “My wife Anju bears the brunt of this madness,” he says. “But she never complains. She knows how important this work is to me.”
Schools like La Martiniere, St. Xavier’s, and Birla High in Kolkata now run annual gutli collection drives. Army regiments, Sikh communities, senior citizens, juice vendors, and children, everyone is pitching in.
“When someone sends me a gutli, they are doing something extraordinary. It’s not just a seed, it’s a tree, a home for birds, a farmer’s hope, and oxygen for the planet,” says Jasmit.
To contribute to this green movement, all it takes is a mango seed.
Want to donate seeds or get involved? Contact Jasmit Singh Arora at 9831459390 in Kolkata.
His story proves one thing: even something as small as a discarded mango seed can plant the roots of a national transformation.
