Agribusiness Conclave Archives - KIIT School of Rural Management

6th National Agribusiness Conclave organised by KSRM at campus 17 auditorium on the 20th September 2025.

Anil Singh — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 10:23:50 +0000

The 6th National Agribusiness Conclave, organized by KIIT School of Rural Management (KSRM), brought together leading voices from academia, agribusiness, and policy to deliberate on the future of Indian agriculture. The event commenced with the traditional lighting of the lamp by Prof. (Dr.) Raju K.D., Pro-Vice Chancellor, KIIT-DU, and other dignitaries. Prof. Nishith Parida, Director, KSRM, in his welcome address, highlighted KIIT’s global standing and reiterated the role of innovation in strengthening agriculture as the backbone of the nation. The session also witnessed the presentation of AGRIWHIZ Quiz awards, recognizing young achievers in agricultural sciences.

Panel 1, themed “Innovating Agri-Inputs – Redefining Productivity, Precision, and Planetary Health”, focused on breakthroughs in seed technologies, precision farming, digital tools, and sustainable practices. Speakers including Mr. Sharad Khurana (Nuziveedu Seeds), Dr. Manoj K. Chahal (Takii Seeds), Mr. Pradeep Cheema (Anu Products), and Mr. Ajit Shankhdhar (President – Domestic Brand, Parijat Industries), emphasized innovations like nano urea, climate-smart seeds, and digitized land records. Discussions highlighted the importance of balancing productivity with sustainability, leveraging gene-editing, and adopting climate-smart farming practices.

Panel 2, themed “Transforming Agri-Outputs and Food Systems: From Farm to Market and Beyond”, examined the challenges of building transparent and sustainable value chains. Industry leaders such as Dr. Kishore Indukuri (SID’s Farm), Dr. Prithwi Singh (Khetika), Mr. Rangu Rao (Safe Harvest), and Dr. Dipti Sharma (Burger King India) shared perspectives on cold-chain management, traceability, farmer empowerment, and consumer trust. The panel stressed that ethical sourcing, fair farmer compensation, and robust supply chains are critical for ensuring food safety and meeting the demands of a growing population.

With rich deliberations and diverse perspectives, the conclave reaffirmed KIIT’s commitment to fostering innovation, empowering farmers, and shaping a sustainable future for Indian agribusiness.

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KSRM conducted 4th National Agribusiness Konclave 2023

manas — Sun, 17 Sep 2023 05:15:26 +0000

On September 16th, 2023, KSRM hosted the 4th National Agribusiness Conclave with the theme: Feeding the Future: Innovations and Trends in Indian Agriculture and Food Sector

The primary aim of the Conclave was to bring together scholars, students, and industrial leaders/practitioners, to address issues, developments, and trends in the Indian Agriculture & Food Sector. The event featured two panel discussions with the following themes: (1) Future Trends and Transformative Innovations in the Agri Input Sector and (2) Technology Interventions in Supply Chain Management in the Agri and Food Sector.”

The conclave was inaugurated by Prof. (Dr.) Sasmita Samanta, the honorable Vice Chancellor of KIIT Deemed University. In her inaugural address,the honourable Vice Chancellor reminded us about the UN SDG goals, focusing on food security. She highlighted the need of the hour, which is the application of AI, IoT, and digital technology in agriculture. In this context, she cited the example of a KIIT alumnus who has made significant strides in this domain by working in collaboration with the government of Odisha.

The event commenced with a welcome address by Prof. Nishith Parida, Director of KIIT School of Rural Management. He shared the remarkable journey of KIIT Deemed University under the visionary leadership of founder Prof. Achyuth Samanth. Prof.Parida also noted that KSRM, with its flagship programs in Rural Management, Agri-business Management, and Diploma in Community Development, has expanded its footprint in research, consultancy, capacity building, and Ph.D. programs

Mr. Anilkumar SG, Founder & CEO of Samunnati, set the context of the conclave by emphasizing that it was the right time for three reasons: (1) Agriculture being in the spotlight or forefront, (2) Having an enabling environment through business incubators, and (3) The flow of private capital into agri-innovation.

The program also announced the winners of the national quiz ‘AGRIWHIZ’ and two winners who were physically present at the venue were awarded their certificates by the honorable Vice Chancellor. She congratulated the winners as well as the participants

Prof. Damodar Jena, Dean of KSRM, presented the vote of thanks and emphasized the value of the panel discussions for students and summarized the key points made by the distinguished guests.

The first panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Vinayak Raman Sharma, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Savannah Seeds. The panel members included Mr. Sanjay Bisht, Regional Director (Asia) at Enza Zaden, Dr. Pradeep Kumar Kulkarni, National Head of Product Development at ADAMA, Mr. GVS Naidu, Commercial Lead (East) at Bayer Crop Science, and Mr. Durgesh Chandra, Secretary General of CropLife India. The panel deliberated on future trends in agribusiness, including digitization, precision farming, different government initiatives, the role of regulators and policymakers, advisory services, digital visualization, drones, Chemigation, e-commerce, biotechnology, GM crops, etc.

The second panel discussion was moderated by Mr. Anilkumar SG, Founder & CEO, Samunnati and had the following dignitaries as panel members Mr. Jiten Rao, Vice President (Supply Chain), DeHaat, Mr. Swapan Sinha, Head (Marketing), NDDB, Mr. Dushyant K Tyagi, CEO, Farmgate Technologies, Mr. Rajen Padhi, Commercial Director, B-One Business House.

The key points of discussion were based on supply chain management of various industries such as dairy, seafood, etc. The panel discussed future trends in agribusiness, including digitization, precision farming, various government initiatives, the roles of regulators and policymakers, advisory services, digital visualization, dr ones, Chemigation, e-commerce, biotechnology, GM crops, and more. They also addressed the challenges faced in these areas and how integrators contribute to the process.”

Prof. Nirmal Mandal of KSRM, the convener of the conclave presented the vote of thanks. After lunch, the students met with the panel members for their queries and informal interaction.

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KSRM Conducts National Agribusiness Conclave 2021

manas — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 14:49:35 +0000

KIIT School of Rural Management (KSRM) conducted National Agribusiness Conclave 2021 on 23^rd January 2021. The objective of the Conclave was to bring the business practitioners as well as academicians and students to a common platform and discourse on various challenges and ways forward with special reference to “Agri Startups Ecosystem and Agri Inputs towards Food Security & Nutrition Security”.

Speaking at the Conclave, Shri Ram Kaundinya, Management Consultant and Former CEO of Advanta Seeds explained the different important areas of ‘New Decade of Agriculture’. He has mentioned the following aspects of agriculture to be focused in the decade ahead: supply driven to demand driven agriculture; environmental protection and natural resources conservation; appropriate technology and climate change adaptation; traceability of food; consolidation of farmers’ bargaining power; and increasing role of digitalization. Shri Kaundinya also appreciated the unique contribution of Prof. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS to tribal development.

Emphasizing on the business ethics, Prof. Hrushikesha Mohanty, Vice Chancellor, KIIT-DU told about agriculture as the Indian culture. Besides, he also suggested agriculture to be the new ‘Dharma’ for a new world order of healthy society. Prof. Jnyana Ranjan Mohanty, Registrar appreciated the initiatives of KSRM in organizing such deliberations.

In his welcome address, Prof. Nishith Parida, Director, KSRM set the conclave context. Prof. Nirmal Mandal introduced the guests and Prof. Damodar Jena offered the formal vote of thanks. There were two panel discussions in the Conclave – ‘Agri Startups Ecosystem: Challenges, Drivers and Pillars’ and ‘Agri Inputs towards Food Security & Nutrition Security: Challenges and Prospects’.

Shri Gaurav Dhawan, Commercial Director, Udaan; Shri Ajay Maniar, Partner, Aavishkaar Capital; Shri Emmanuel Murray, Senior Advisor, Caspian Investment Advisors; Shri Harendra Kumar, Assoc Vice President, Dehaat; Shri Sachin Nandwana, Co Founder, BigHaat; Shri Gyanendra Shukla, President & Director (CEO), JK Agri Genetics; Shri Ajai Rana, CEO, Savannah Seeds; Shri Mahesh Girdhar, President, Deepak Fertilizers; Shri J V Ratnam, Sr Assoc Vice President, Coromandel International; and Shri Rahul Pagar, Portfolio Lead, Asia (Marketing), H M Clause participated in the panel discussions.

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