The Department of Subsidiaries and Strategic Investments (DSSI), Head Office, Mumbai organised a Seminar on “Harnessing Opportunities: NABARD Transforming Agri-Landscape” at Sofitel, Mumbai on 06 March 2024. The Seminar was graced by Shri Shaji K V, Chairman. Shri G.S Rawat, DMD, Dr. Sitikantha Pattanaik, Chief Economist, NABARD. CGMs of DEAR, SPPID, FSDD, DoR, AD & FD and DSSI also participated in the Seminar.

Shri P.S Jayakumar, former CMD, Bank of Baroda and Shri Ashish Wadhwani, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of IvyCap Ventures, were the Guest Speakers at the event.

Smt Rema Subramanian, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Ankur Capital, Shri Darius Pandole, MD and CEO JM Financial Private Equity and Shashwat Rai, Senior Investment Manager, Avishkaar Capital, participated as domain experts in one panel discussion. Another panel discussion was attended by Kishor Kumar Jha from Ergos and Madhuri Sawant from Jai Kisan. Further, chiefs of various Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), CEOs of successful Startups, CEO of NABARD-supported Incubation Centre (AIDEA) also shared their thoughts and success journey in the Seminar.

The Seminar brought together key stakeholders in the agricultural sector to explore opportunities and emerging trends in the agri-business landscape, promote innovation quotient among agri-startups, explore funding opportunities and investment strategies facilitating collaboration and networking between investors, startups, and incubation centres. It helped in providing a platform for participants to share learnings and success stories in the agri-business space and facilitate policy suggestions to spur growth and channelise investment in agri. startup ecosystem.

Shri Kamalesh Kumar, CGM, DSSI, in his welcome address stated that technologies available in the Agri sector can increase productivity and farm- income. He further emphasised the need for fresh investments in agriculture, Agri-Tech and Agri-Business to attract young Indians to take up agriculture as an occupation.

Shri G.S Rawat, DMD, NABARD in his address remarked that there is a need for technology diffusion in the Agri-sector and that a plethora of opportunities exist in the Indian agricultural economy in the form of Agri-cooperatives, Agri based MSMEs and FPOs for the Startups. He also indicated that NABARD would be eager to partner with various stakeholders to find solutions to problems being faced by the agriculture Sector.

Shri Shaji K V, Chairman, NABARD, in his address said that NABARD has been active in the Venture Capital space since 2005 and in AIF from 2012 onwards. He stated that NABARD being a Development Financial Institution is focused on fostering innovation in the agricultural sector by providing patient capital and being a patient partner with a focus on creating impact in the sector. He expressed that commercialisation of agriculture has the potential to spur growth in agriculture and create jobs. He stated that NABARD is increasing its risk-taking appetite and realigning itself. A new NABARD will be visible in the times to come.

AIFs and Startups made presentations of the current innovations and constraints faced by them and suggested various policy issues to be addressed.

The event was organized by the DSSI team led by Shri. Manoj C. Lalwani, DGM under the overall guidance of Shri Kamalesh Kumar, CGM.