“Precision agriculture and data-driven technologies such as satellite imagery are key to reducing costs and wastage”

In an exclusive interview with AgroSpectrum, Dr Dinesh Kumar Chauhan, the recently appointed CEO of ICRISAT’s Agribusiness and Innovation Platform, discusses recent advancements in the AIP programme and how it can strengthen the agri-ecosystem.  Edited excerpts:

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), has developed the Agribusiness and Innovation Platform (AIP), for agricultural and agribusiness industries. AIP offers a nurturing and empowering atmosphere through its network of experienced mentors, investors, and stakeholders. In an exclusive interview with AgroSpectrum, Dr Dinesh Kumar Chauhan, the recently-appointed CEO of ICRISAT’s Agribusiness and Innovation Platform, discusses recent advancements in the AIP programme and how it can strengthen the agri-ecosystem.  Edited excerpts:

As the new CEO of the Agribusiness & Innovation Platform (AIP) at ICRISAT, what are your plans for this platform in the coming years?

The role of AIP in the broader scheme of things, is to create, leverage, and aggregate programmes and services to promote agribusiness and enhance partnerships through entrepreneurship development, innovation, and value addition for accelerated agricultural growth in the drylands. AIP operates in three modules, namely Agribusiness Incubator (ABI), Innovation and Partnership (INP) and Nutri-Plus Knowledge (NPK).

ABI supports startups and SMEs to successfully enter markets, by providing technical, research and infrastructural support services and also help scale-up agri-businesses with global connect through soft-landing services.

INP develops collaborative partnerships with public, private, and allied sectors for agribusiness and entrepreneurship development across value chains. The aim is to improve the livelihoods of   small- farmers, with special focus on women to help them thrive as independent, self-sufficient and valuable members of their communities.

NPK focuses on value addition, post-harvest management, nutritional study interventions, nutritional and health claim validations along with food safety awareness in the agri-food sector through innovative processing, product/ technology development and capacity development.

The Intellectual Property Facilitation Cell (IPFC) provides IP protection, advisory, and technology transfer services for SMEs to enhance their competitiveness.

These existing programmes enhance agricultural resilience and improve farmers’ lives. We aim to maximise their potential, adapt to new opportunities, and establish our platform as a global hub for all our incubation centres. Our goal is to be recognised as a world leader in agribusiness incubation. Additionally, we plan to create a Center of Excellence in Food Processing with a focus on alternative proteins. 

What are some of the value chain projects that AIP has worked on in the past or is currently working on?

AIP has implemented a supply chain management project under the aegis of the Government of Tamil Nadu in 10 districts of the State. The project entailed creating primary and secondary processing units for fruits and vegetables through establishment of effective backward and forward linkages. It was also successful in developing the key crop value chains by adopting digital solutions.

Another project, funded by the Walmart Foundation, was focused on accelerating value chain benefits for improved income for small farmers and nutrition for consumers. The project adapted innovative methods through end-to-end value chain interventions along with establishment of kitchen gardens, women-led Farmer Producers’ Company (FPC), four primary processing units for ground nut and pigeon pea and a secondary processing unit for manufacturing millet-pulse-groundnut based ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat foods.

We are currently implementing a supply chain management project for fruits and vegetables in Odisha and are involved in building a value chain for millets in Bihar. With the Assam government, we’re implementing the Millet Mission.

Similarly, in Africa, ICRISAT has developed and implemented novel agribusiness entrepreneurship promotion models in 12 African countries in partnership with a diverse set of stakeholders from the agricultural and rural development ecosystem.

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In an exclusive interview with AgroSpectrum, Dr