Hyderabad – Over 60 business leaders from public and private sector enterprises, academia, and CSR Foundations gathered at ICRISAT‘s headquarters in Hyderabad, Telangana, for an exclusive Partnership Meeting and Immersion Tour on October 08, 2024. The all-day event aimed to foster collaboration and generate innovative solutions to address the most critical issues in agricultural research and development.
ICRISAT’s AgriPact Corporate Engagement Initiative hosted the partnership meeting, featuring distinguished guests during the inaugural session. Dr. Jacqueline Hughes, Director General of ICRISAT; Sai Devarajulu Prasad, Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Telangana State Council; Ben Kumumanya, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, Uganda; and S. Sivakumar, Head of Agri and IT Businesses of ITC Ltd., participated in the session.
Dr. Hughes opened the partnership meeting by welcoming the attendees and providing an overview of ICRISAT’s corporate engagement strategy. She emphasised, “As we look to the future, we are committed to forging partnerships that will amplify measurable impact and deliver innovative solutions to the communities most in need.”
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Sai Devarajulu Prasad shared his vision for transforming Telangana into a trillion-dollar economy and highlighted CII’s role in policy advocacy. He emphasised the importance of skill-building, entrepreneurship, value addition in agriculture, and the growth of MSMEs to achieve a prosperous state and nation. He also invited ICRISAT to partner with the industry and contribute to these key initiatives.
“While the National and State economies are growing, the service sector is expanding the fastest, followed by manufacturing, with agriculture lagging. We aim to add value to farmers and agricultural produce. We have several panels focused on agriculture, skill building, entrepreneurship, and climate change, bringing together scientists, business leaders, and academics. We invite ICRISAT to join and contribute to these panels,” said Prasad.
After the inaugural session, participants embarked on a guided tour of ICRISAT’s cutting-edge research facilities, including the genebank, Agribusiness Innovation Platform, Rapid Generation Facility, Digital and Geospatial Innovations, and Dryland Living Labs. They explored the latest agricultural technologies and sustainable farming practices, laying the foundation for meaningful collaborations aimed at driving future innovations.
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In the afternoon, participants joined partner and stakeholder insight sessions, including an interactive poster display with ICRISAT scientists and key partners such as farmer groups, farmer producer organisations, and women’s self-help groups. These sessions showcased successful collaborations and impactful projects promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
During the plenary session, Dr. ML Jat, Global Research Program Director of Resilient Farm and Food Systems at ICRISAT, led the discussions, supported by Sanjay Agarwal, ICRISAT’s Assistant Director General. Dr. Jat said, “Our research at ICRISAT is designed to directly address the challenges faced by the communities we serve. Through climate-resilient farming systems, we are not only improving agricultural productivity but also enhancing livelihoods and creating sustainable pathways for the future. The innovations and partnerships we foster are deeply rooted in the realities of the farmers and communities, ensuring long-lasting and transformative impact on food security, income, and resilience.”
The event concluded with a panel discussion titled “Building Resilient Agri-Food Systems: Securing the Future of Food, Health, and Sustainable Communities,” moderated by Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Partner at Ernst & Young. Panellists included Ben Kumumanya, S. Sivakumar, SN Panigrahi (General Manager, HR, NTPC), Rakesh Kumar Tiwari (Senior Sector Lead, HCL Foundation), Sarabjit Singh (Secretary, All India Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Association), Dr. ML Jat, and Lydia Murimi (Director, Business Development, ICRISAT). They discussed the significant impact of agricultural research investments, emphasising that such investments can have a multiplier effect on food, health, nutrition, water, climate change, income, livelihoods, and gender and youth inclusion.
