8 Naturals: Maharashtra’s Native Plant Nursery Building India’s Largest Desi Seed Bank

Guest Post by 8 Naturals

In a country where rapid urbanisation has pushed native plant species to the margins — crowded out by ornamental exotics and concrete — a quiet revolution is taking root in Maharashtra. 8 Naturals, founded by Anant Tayade, has built what is now Maharashtra’s largest nursery dedicated exclusively to native, or desi, plants. It is not just a nursery; it is an act of ecological restoration, a livelihood for tribal communities, and a living archive of India’s botanical heritage.

Reclaiming India’s Native Plant Heritage

Most commercial nurseries in India stock ornamental species — fast-growing, aesthetically appealing plants that are often non-native and ecologically inert. They provide little habitat for local insects, birds, or soil organisms. Native species, by contrast, have co-evolved with local ecosystems over thousands of years. They support pollinators, anchor soil, replenish groundwater, and sustain the biodiversity that keeps our environment in balance.

8 Naturals was founded on the conviction that restoring native plant cover is not just an environmental choice — it is an ecological necessity. The nursery focuses on trees, shrubs, and plants native to India and specifically referenced in the Vedas and cultural traditions, recognising that ecological knowledge and cultural memory are deeply intertwined. With branches in Pune (Vetale) and Buldhana, 8 Naturals currently nurtures over 6 lakh (600,000) native saplings — one of the largest collections of desi species in India.

Building a Seed Bank from the Western Ghats

At the heart of 8 Naturals’ mission is an ambitious seed conservation project: building a native seed bank of over 400 varieties sourced directly from the Western Ghats — one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is painstaking, boots-on-the-ground work: identifying wild-growing native species, collecting seeds at precisely the right moment in their seasonal cycle, and preserving them under conditions that maintain germination viability for years.

The effort is driven by 8 Naturals’ team of local tribal employees, who bring indigenous knowledge of the forest that no field guide can replicate. These communities have lived alongside these plants for generations; they know when a tree fruits, which seeds travel farthest, and which species are disappearing from landscapes they have walked all their lives. So far, the team has successfully collected and preserved over 200 seed varieties, with active collection ongoing toward the 400-variety target.

A World Record in Conservation

The scale of 8 Naturals’ native plant collection has earned it global recognition. The organisation holds the Worldwide Book of Records title for preserving the maximum number of native plants by a nursery — a collection spanning over 450 species. This is not a record measured in hectares or rupees, but in biodiversity — in the sheer number of distinct native species actively maintained, propagated, and made available for ecological restoration across Maharashtra and beyond.

Technology in Service of Nature

8 Naturals has pioneered an innovation that sits at the intersection of ecology and digital literacy: QR-coded plant tags attached to saplings and display plants across the nursery. Each QR code links to detailed information about the plant — its native habitat, ecological role, cultural significance, and care requirements — turning a simple visit to the nursery into an immersive educational experience.

The initiative has drawn significant attention. It was recently recognised by Shri Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and praised by alumni of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) for its potential to scale ecological education beyond classroom walls. In a country where environmental awareness must reach millions of schoolchildren and citizens, digitising plant knowledge is a powerful and scalable tool.

Tribal Communities at the Heart of the Mission

8 Naturals is as much a social enterprise as an ecological one. The nursery’s seed collection and conservation work is driven by local tribal employees from communities near the Western Ghats. For these families, employment at 8 Naturals provides a dignified livelihood that does not require leaving their land or abandoning the forest knowledge passed down through generations.

This model — placing indigenous communities at the centre of biodiversity conservation — reflects a growing global understanding that protecting ecosystems and protecting the communities who steward them are inseparable goals. 8 Naturals puts this understanding into daily practice, seed by seed and sapling by sapling.

Recognition and Growing Impact

The work of 8 Naturals has attracted attention across sectors. Founder Anant Tayade was officially felicitated by Shri Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, in recognition of the nursery’s contribution to ecological restoration and conservation. The nursery has received visits from IAS and IFS officers, senior bureaucrats responsible for India’s forest and environmental administration, as well as business leaders exploring sustainable land use and corporate environmental commitments.

The story of 8 Naturals is also gaining traction in digital media, with dedicated coverage and video interviews by YouTube channels Gondan Vatta and Browntown — platforms that bring grassroots sustainability stories to wide audiences across Maharashtra.

“Every seed we sow is a prayer for tomorrow.”

— Anant Tayade, Founder, 8 Naturals

8 Naturals at a Glance

• Founder: Anant Tayade
• Branches: Pune (Vetale — Main) and Buldhana, Maharashtra
• Total Native Saplings: 6 lakh+ (600,000+)
• Species Conserved: 450+ native species
• Seed Bank: 400+ native seed varieties targeted; 200+ already preserved from the Western Ghats
• World Record: Worldwide Book of Records — maximum native plants preserved by a nursery
• Innovation: QR-coded plant tags for digital ecological education
• Social Impact: Employs local tribal communities as seed collectors and conservation workers
• Focus: Native trees of India, including species linked to the Vedas, cultural traditions, and ecological balance

8 Naturals stands as proof that a small, purposeful idea — rooted in nature and community — can grow into something extraordinary. It is the kind of initiative that Prakati exists to amplify: a sustainable changemaker working quietly, persistently, and at scale to restore what urbanisation has eroded. To explore more stories of ecological and social innovation from across India, visit our sustainability news section, or learn about India’s environmental heritage and sustainability basics.

About 8 Naturals: 8 Naturals is Maharashtra’s largest nursery dedicated exclusively to native (desi) plants, founded by Anant Tayade. With branches in Pune and Buldhana, the nursery conserves 450+ native species, maintains a Western Ghats seed bank, and employs local tribal communities in its conservation work.