Business Leaders Attend ICRISAT’s Exclusive Partnership Meeting in Hyderabad
Media Release
9 October 2024, Hyderabad — Over 60 business leaders representing public and private sector enterprises, academia, and CSR Foundations attended an exclusive Partnership Meeting and Immersion Tour hosted by ICRISAT at its headquarters on 8 October 2024. The all-day event provided a platform to foster collaboration and generate innovative solutions for the most pressing issues in agricultural research and development.
The partnership meeting, held under the aegis of ICRISAT’s AgriPact Corporate Engagement Initiative, featured distinguished guests at the inaugural session – Dr Jacqueline Hughes, Director General of ICRISAT; Mr Sai Devarajulu Prasad, Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Telangana State Council; Mr Ben Kumumanya, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, Uganda; and Mr S Sivakumar Head of Agri and IT Businesses of ITC Ltd.
In her opening remarks, Dr Hughes welcomed the gathering and presented an overview of ICRISAT’s corporate engagement strategy.
“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," shared Dr Hughes.
Mr Sai Devarajulu Prasad, Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Telangana State Council and Executive Director of Bharat Biotech International, shared valuable insights about the vision of making the state of Telangana a trillion-dollar economy and CII’s role in policy advocacy. He emphasized the importance of skill building, entrepreneurship, value addition in agriculture, and the growth of MSMEs in achieving the vision of a prosperous state and the nation. Mr Prasad also extended an invitation to ICRISAT to partner with industry and contribute to the key pillars.
“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 Mr Prasad.
Following the inaugural session, participants engaged in a guided tour of ICRISAT’s cutting-edge research facilities, from the genebank, Agribusiness Innovation Platform, and Rapid Generation Facility to the Digital and Geospatial Innovations and Dryland Living Labs, where they gained valuable insights into the latest agricultural technologies and sustainable farming practices. This tour laid the foundation for meaningful collaborations aimed at driving future innovations.
In the afternoon, participants engaged in partner and stakeholder insight sessions, including an interactive poster display session with ICRISAT scientists and key partners, such as farmer groups, Farmer Producer Organizations, and women's self-help groups. These sessions highlighted successful collaborations and impactful projects driving sustainable agricultural practices.
Key reflections from the day were shared during a plenary session led by Dr ML Jat, Global Research Program Director of Resilient Farm and Food Systems at ICRISAT, and strongly supported by Mr Sanjay Agarwal, ICRISAT's Assistant Director General.
"Our research at ICRISAT is designed to directly address the challenges faced by the communities we serve," asserted Dr Jat. "Through climate-resilient farming systems, we are 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, "Building Resilient Agri-Food Systems: Securing the Future of Food, Health, and Sustainable Communities" moderated by Mr Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Partner, Ernst & Young. The panelists included Mr Ben Kumumanya, Mr S Siva Kumar, Mr SN Panigrahi, General Manager (HR), NTPC Ltd, Mr Rakesh Kumar Tiwari, Senior Sector Lead, HCL Foundation, Mr Sarabjit Singh, Secretary, All India Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Association, Dr ML Jat and Ms Lydia Murimi, Director, Business Development, ICRISAT.
Discussions highlighted the far-reaching impact of agricultural research investments, underlining that investing in agricultural research can have a multiplier effect on food, health, nutrition, water, climate change, income, livelihoods, and gender and youth.
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