Global South cohort gains hands-on skills in value addition, food processing, and market linkages to drive rural enterprise growth

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) of India’s Ministry of External Affairs, has concluded an intensive international training program aimed at empowering women and youth from the Global South to transition from primary production to profitable agri-entrepreneurship.

The two-week program, held from January 19–30, 2026, brought together 35 participants from 22 countries, including farmers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and educators, united by a shared ambition: enabling farmers to capture greater value from their produce through small-scale food processing and market-oriented enterprises.

Opening the program, ICRISAT Director General Dr. Himanshu Pathak emphasized the importance of South–South collaboration in strengthening agribusiness ecosystems and highlighted the institute’s Center of Excellence for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture initiative. He noted that when women and youth across the Global South pursue agripreneurship, they become catalysts for transforming crops into safe, nutritious, and affordable foods while building resilient, market-ready food systems.

Small-scale food processing enterprises, a central focus of the training, play a critical role in reducing postharvest losses, meeting rising consumer demand for quality food products, and generating employment within rural communities. The curriculum combined technical instruction with entrepreneurial skill-building, equipping participants to establish and manage viable food enterprises.

Hands-on modules covered processing technologies, quality assurance, packaging, branding, marketing strategies, financial literacy, and enterprise management. Participants engaged directly with ICRISAT’s Agribusiness Innovation and Nutrition platform and the Product Development and Pilot Processing Unit, gaining exposure to practical pathways for converting research outputs into commercial products.

The cohort also toured key research facilities, including the institute’s Genebank, the Charles Renard Analytical Laboratory, and its Genomics and Insect laboratories, providing insight into how scientific innovation underpins sustainable agribusiness. Visits to national institutions such as NutriHub at the Indian Institute of Millet Research and the Rural Technology Park at the National Institute of Rural Development showcased successful models translating research into scalable enterprises.

Dr. Stanford Blade, Deputy Director General – Research and Innovation at ICRISAT, underscored the intersection of science, entrepreneurship, and markets as the foundation of sustainable agri-enterprises. He observed that when these elements align, innovation moves beyond laboratories and becomes a driver of tangible economic change.

A team-based business pitching exercise formed a core component of the program, allowing participants to develop and present enterprise models grounded in market realities. The group also attended National IP Yatra 2026, gaining exposure to intellectual property frameworks essential for commercializing innovations.

Participants reflected on the program’s practical relevance. Essia Maghrebi of the National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia noted that the training reshaped her perspective on local challenges, highlighting the business potential embedded in market gaps.

Course directors Dr. Padmaja Ravula, Principal Scientist – Sociologist, Gender & Nutrition Research, and Mr. Purushotham Rudraraju, Manager – Agribusiness Relations, emphasized that the initiative went beyond technical knowledge to cultivate entrepreneurial confidence and strategic thinking.

By equipping women and youth with the tools to add value, build brands, and connect to markets, the ICRISAT–ITEC collaboration underscores India’s expanding role in fostering inclusive, innovation-led agricultural transformation across the Global South.