The Agri Innovation Centre of University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru (UASB), held Agri Innovation Impulse 2023, an exhibition for agricultural startups to showcase their latest developments in agricultural research and technology, on August 9 at the university campus.
Established in 2017 to support agri-entrepreneurship, the Agri Innovation Centre (AIC) now provides grants and assistance to over 30 startups working in areas like crop improvement, crop protection, and crop production. A selected set of these startups showcased their work at UAS to share their innovations with like-minded people. “The aim of the exhibition and the AIC is to help stimulate entrepreneurial mindset,” said Dr. Veena S. Anil, Coordinator of the Agri Innovation Centre (AIC).
In his inaugural address, Dr. S.V. Suresh, the Vice-Chancellor of the UASB, insisted that such agricultural innovation should be encouraged within the policies of the university and have more visibility to create more competition and further progress within the field.
“Already seven patents have been granted to the startups working with us. By being associated with a big brand like the university, they have had access to the insight, expertise, and facilities present in the university,” he said.
Chief Guest, Dr. Jitendra Kumar, Managing Director of Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), said, “Agricultural entrepreneurship is difficult, but right now it has potential to become exponential. You can create institutional mechanisms and have the management division create programs where students can be introduced to this technology at the end of their studies and create their own startup ventures.”
The end goal, he stated, was to create more efficient technology and commercialize it so that it can help the progress of agriculture in the country.
