About the Konclave
The National Agribusiness Konclave is India’s premier forum, bringing together policymakers, agripreneurs, researchers, industry leaders and students to deliberate on agriculture’s pressing challenges and opportunities. In an era marked by climate change, this year’s theme is “Nourishing Bharat: Sustainable Agribusiness for Food & Nutrition Security”. The idea is simple: every solution should help farmers earn well, protect the planet and improve nutrition at the same time. It represents a single journey from healthy farms to nourished plates. The Konclave is a dynamic platform for knowledge-sharing, sparking vibrant dialogue and shaping future-ready policy pathways. It also offers inquisitive minds a valuable opportunity to interact with and be inspired by industry leaders.
The Theme
The world produces more than enough calories to feed everyone, yet hunger and poor nutrition persist. India reflects the same paradox: surplus foodgrain and sufficient calories, but diets that remain nutritionally poor. Further, India’s agriculture is constrained by three hard limits already in force: a changing climate, degrading soils and shrinking water resources. The next leap is not merely to produce more, but to produce better sustainably and in ways that put nutritious food on every plate towards a Viksit, well-nourished Bharat by 2047.
Conclave Structure
Keynote Address
The keynote address will be delivered by a top industry leader on the central theme. The entire School will participate and draw wisdom from the speaker. The address will set the stage for the panel discussion that follows
A Single Panel of Six
One moderated panel of six senior industry thought leaders will discuss the sector’s pressing issues across the six pillars through a single, connected dialogue rather than parallel sessions.
Conclave Structure
Key Areas for Discussion- The Six Pillars
A single moderated panel of six leaders will engage across six
interlinked pillars—from healthy farms to nourished plates.
interlinked pillars—from healthy farms to nourished plates.
Pillar 1: Climate-Smart & Regenerative Production Systems
- Scaling farming through business models that reward farmers for soil health
- Climate-resilient crops, water and energy-efficient practices for a warming Bharat
- Measuring & monetising sustainability — carbon credits and soil-health metrics
Pillar 2: Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture & Biofortification
- Mainstreaming millets and pulses for dietary diversity
- Biofortified staples (iron, zinc, Vitamin-A) to combat hidden hunger
- Making nutritious food affordable, accessible and aspirational
Pillar 3: Smart & Sustainable Agri-Inputs
- Biologicals, biofertilisers, biostimulants and integrated nutrient & pest management
- Quality seeds and regionally adapted varieties for specific agro-climatic zones
- Sustainable crop protection and responsible input management to minimise chemical use
- Smart tools—drones, sensors, soil tests and digital advisories for farmers
Pillar 4: Food Processing, Safety, Value Addition and Supply Chains
- Cold chains, modern storage and post-harvest loss reduction
- Efficient supply chain management
- Nutrition-retaining processing, fortification and clean-label foods
- Food safety, traceability and standards for domestic and export markets
- Value-added and ready-to-eat products that lift farmer incomes
Pillar 5: Inclusive & Resilient Value Chains
- Strengthening FPOs — aggregation, bargaining power, branding and finance
- Smallholder integration, contract farming and fair price discovery
- Digital agri-platforms, market linkages and direct-to-consumer models
- Building transparent and disaster-resilient supply-chain networks
Pillar 6: Policy, Finance, ESG & Partnerships for a Nutrition-Secure Bharat
- Bringing government schemes and private capital together for bigger impact
- Easy loans, shared-risk funding and investment for agri-businesses
- Embedding ESG — environmental, social & governance standards, sustainability reporting and carbon markets
- Universities, government and industry working together as partners
- A roadmap to Viksit Bharat 2047 — sustainable and profitable agribusiness
Prof. Nirmal K Mandal
Convenor
Prof. Somnath Dutta
Co-Convenor
Prof. Sukumar Dash
Co-Convenor
