Melascape 2024 (Season 3): PIBM's Flagship Corporate Event on Modern Agriculture, AgriBusiness, and AgriTech Startups!

In the first panel, Mr. Pradeep Lokhande, Founder of Rural Relations, highlighted the high success ratio of agricultural startups, underscoring the promising potential within the agricultural sector. He emphasized the crucial role of branding in agriculture, shedding light on its significance in market positioning and visibility.

Mr. Dhananjay Edakhe stressed the recession-proof nature of the agriculture industry compared to other sectors. He underlined the importance of understanding farmers deeply, asserting that genuine success lies in comprehending the needs and challenges of the farmers with whom one collaborates.

Ms. Suniti Gupta emphasized the primacy of agricultural knowledge over technology for driving results in agriculture. She urged prioritizing the accumulation of agricultural knowledge and providing technology-enabled advice to farmers for real-time actionable insights. Gupta highlighted Precision Farming as a crucial technique, stressing that agriculture presents a unique opportunity for technological applications.

Dr. Somnath Mane discussed the use of 39 different apps for precision farming, covering areas such as organic farming, fertilizers, water management, and monitoring animal health through temperature and humidity indexes. He encouraged students to explore opportunities in agriculture and allied businesses by leveraging precision farming technologies, emphasizing the potential for innovation and entrepreneurship in this field.

Mr. Ashok Dhamankar delved into the concept of carbon credits and its potential for farmers. He emphasized the importance of reducing pollution and adopting sustainable farming practices to earn carbon credits. Dhamankar highlighted the implications of the carbon credit market for rural populations, particularly in areas like bamboo farming, underscoring the opportunities for green finance and investment in sustainability initiatives.

In the second panel, Ms. Smita Murthy stressed the transformative power of technology in agriculture. She encouraged students to view challenges as opportunities and emphasized the importance of recognizing and utilizing different learning methods in the era of the Internet.

Ms. Devleena Bhattacharjee emphasized the need to generate additional income resources for fishing communities, especially in the face of climate change. She highlighted the challenges of customer/human-centric design in adopting agricultural technology and advocated for continuous learning and an open mindset.

Mr. Alok Pradhan emphasized the crucial role of credit and finance in the farmer ecosystem. He urged a focus on agriculture and self-sufficiency in food in the era of climate change. Pradhan highlighted that with a digital platform, the entire complexities of the supply chain become structured, enabling efficient data analysis and the provision of services, including insurance, to farmers.

Ms. Asha Sridhar shed light on how farmers use hazard analysis for risk-free crop cultivation. She encouraged students by highlighting numerous business opportunities arising from government policies in agriculture. Sridhar stressed the importance of making people at the farmer's level aware of simple practices like personal hygiene and judicious fertilizer use, promoting more sustainable solutions for agriculture.

Mr. Shantanu Patil emphasized the potential of replacing traditional breakfast ingredients with nutritious millet. He encouraged the development of sustainable solutions, pointing out opportunities in the shift towards healthier and sustainable food options.