Love mangoes? Now you can rent a tree and get 30 kg harvest guaranteed. There's delivery too

The venture was formally launched in 2023, initially operating on a modest five-acre leased farm in Dindigul.

As India approaches its annual mango season, a young agritech venture is attempting to reshape how consumers access fresh produce by allowing them to lease entire trees for a fixed period rather than purchasing fruit through traditional retail channels.

The company, Rent A Tree, was founded by mechanical engineer-turned-entrepreneur Umesh Damodaran. Its core offering enables individuals to reserve a mango tree for a single harvest cycle, giving them ownership of the full yield while the firm manages cultivation and maintenance.

India remains the world’s largest producer of mangoes, contributing more than 45 per cent of global supply, with an estimated annual output of 20 to 22 million tonnes. The country is also home to roughly 1,000 distinct varieties. Despite this scale, access to freshly plucked fruit remains limited for urban consumers, a gap the startup is seeking to address.

Concept rooted in a personal moment

Damodaran traces the origin of the idea to an informal exchange during his time in Bengaluru. He had brought Alphonso mangoes from Dindigul in Tamil Nadu and distributed them among friends and neighbours.

“Once, while I was travelling to Bengaluru, I got some Alfonso mangoes from Dindigal, Tamil Nadu. I shared some with my friends and teammates in Bengaluru. I also gave one to my neighbours. She liked it very much and asked me if I could get her more of it the next time. Later, she asked me if she could get the entire fruit from a tree. It is this question that opened my eyes to a new business idea,” he said.

The venture was formally launched in 2023, initially operating on a modest five-acre leased farm in Dindigul. Its first harvest cycle took place in 2024 and, according to the founder, performed strongly enough to support rapid expansion.

Scaling operations across regions

Within a year, the cultivated area expanded significantly. The company now manages mango orchards spread across approximately 250 acres in Ratnagiri in Maharashtra, Dindigul in Tamil Nadu, and Palakkad in Kerala.

Customers are able to select individual trees through an online listing system. Each leased tree is assigned to a single customer for the duration of the season, with the entire output reserved for them.

“We started listing healthy trees online for individual tree leasing. Anyone can take a single tree for lease for a season, and the entire harvest of that tree will be theirs. What we offer is the promise of fresh, tree-ripened mango. Unlike large farms, where mangoes are harvested at 70–75 per cent maturity and ripened using chemicals, we pick them fully ripened. We also allow our customers to harvest the mangoes themselves, or we can ship the fruits to them, anywhere in India,” he said.

Pricing and delivery model

The entry-level package is priced at Rs 7,500 per season and comes with a guaranteed minimum yield of 30 kilograms per tree. Higher tiers are also available, offering harvest ranges between 45 and 75 kilograms or 60 and 90 kilograms, depending on customer preference.

The company provides complimentary delivery services and periodic updates, including video footage of the leased tree’s condition. Customers who cannot visit the orchard in person can opt to have the produce shipped directly.

According to Damodaran, the harvesting period typically spans 45 days between April and May. Distribution is structured in multiple phases.

“The mango harvesting window is a forty-five-day period between April and May. We are expecting like 3–4 tranches this season, and the harvest will be shipped to the customers in two-week intervals,” he said.

Customer base and growth outlook

The startup currently serves around 200 customers and continues to receive a steady flow of enquiries. Operating with a team of 10 people, the company is preparing for further expansion and is actively exploring partnerships with orchard owners.

“We have a vision board for up to 2029 right now. We are also getting a lot of enquiries from farmers, especially from Maharashtra and Gujarat, who want to join us. In the past few months alone, we have received offers for more than 2000 acres of mango orchards,” he said.

Farmer participation and supply chain impact

Beyond consumer engagement, the model is positioned as a way to offer farmers more predictable earnings. By leasing trees in advance, growers are able to secure assured pricing, reducing dependence on volatile market rates.

“The farmers see what we offer, and they are ready to join hands with us. From July to December, we plan to travel across India and meet farmers, test their produce for quality, before making them available to our customers. And for customers, our promise will always be fresh, tree-ripened mangoes,” Damodaran added.