Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Sept 29: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today said, StartUps are the torch-bearers of India’s Amrit Kaal journey over the next 25 years.
Addressing the Agri-Tech Start-up Conclave titled “ATMAN-2023”, Dr Jitendra Singh called for wider synergy among the Research, Academia, StartUps and Industry for having a win-win proposition not only for innovative product development, but also for effective national and global branding and marketing.
Dr Singh was happy to note that in the last 10 years, over 142 Deep-Tech Start-ups sprung up in Agriculture Sector and informed that 60 more will be added today during the Atman Conclave, a true ‘Sangam’ of four IITs– Ropar, Bombay, Indore and Kharagpur, came together to address the agricultural challenges facing the country.
He described Atman as a unique initiative as the ATMAN partners are working together as a team to provide an exclusive platform for the agricultural startups and innovations and some of these technologies have been displayed and demonstrated at the Expo organized during the programme. “The event was organized to help potential startups with financial and technical assistance with promising ideas, innovations, and technologies for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, and market entry. The Technology Innovation Hubs at IITs Bombay, Ropar, Indore and Kharagpur are collectively offering a total fund of Rs 20 crore to provide financial support to the tune of Rs 50 lakhs to each startup,” Dr Singh explained.
Dr Singh pointed out that in line with the clarion call by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi”Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan and Jai Anusandhan” the four Technology Innovation Hubs are developing advanced deep technologies to transform agriculture. These can enable data-driven decision-making, automation, and precision in farming practices, ultimately contributing to the modernization and improvement of the agricultural sector, he added.
He however, pointed out that the Agriculture sector in India faces numerous challenges such as climate change, fragmented landholdings, and resource constraints. He said, by introducing suitable technological interventions, India can modernize its agricultural practices to enhance productivity, reduce waste, and improve the overall efficiency of the sector.
Dr Singh re-emphasized that it is high time to bring technological interventions in the agricultural sector-India’s traditional sector, to modernise it, cater to the challenges, drive towards sustainability and address global food security.
Referring to the success of CSIR led Lavender Mission, which has changed the lives of many farmers, Dr Jitendra Singh underlined that Prime Minister in the 99th Edition of Mann ki Baat, appreciated the efforts of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM) in supporting farmers in the cultivation of Lavender in the Bhaderwah, Doda district, J&K under CSIR-Aroma Mission.
Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Dr Rajesh Gokhale said, Science, Technology and Innovations have assumed a new dimension in the last 6-7 years and hoped that STI solutions will witness a big lewap in the Agri Sector in coming days.
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