It was originally promoted by Maharashtrian agriculturist and Padma Shri recipient Subhash Palekar, who developed it in the mid-1990s as an alternative to the Green Revolution’s methods driven by chemical fertilizers and pesticides and intensive irrigation. This evolved as a farming movement in Karnataka as a result of collaboration between agriculturist Subhash Palekar and state farmers association Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS). As it attained considerable success in Karnataka, the model was replicated in many other states, particularly in South India.