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HomePosts Tagged "ceo" (Page 3)
Agro chems – Pesticides, Agrotech, India, Interaction

Rajavelu N K, CEO, Crop Protection Business, Godrej Agrovet Ltd

Godrej Agrovet Limited’s (GAVL) Crop Protection Business made headlines with the launch of PYNA, an umbrella brand for sustainable cotton production in May, 2023. As a pioneer in introducing the concept of selective cotton herbicides in various markets, GAVL is set to offer three of its cotton weed management products, Hitweed, Hitweed Maxx, and Maxxcott under the PYNA brand. The brand aims to minimise crop–weed competition and facilitate the establishment of cotton crops during their early stages, which has a positive impact on the yield. In an interaction with AgroSpectrum, Rajavelu N K, CEO of the Crop Protection Business at Godrej Agrovet Ltd, shared his views on how the company is addressing the challenges faced by cotton farmers and its future plans. Edited excerpts:

When you already have a host of effective cotton weed management products such as Hitweed, Hitweed Maxx and Maxxcott, what prompted you to launch the PYNA brand? How will this make a difference for farmers?

Of the total 333 lakh hectares area under cotton cultivation globally, India ranks first with 120.69 lakh hectares area under cotton cultivation. However, in terms of productivity, it ranks 38th with a yield of 510 kg/ha. The primary reason for this is the weed infestations which can reduce cotton yields by up to 45 – 50 per cent due to wider spacing between the crops.

We are the sole manufacturer of selective cotton herbicide — Pyrithiobac sodium — in India. Our three weed management products for cotton – Maxxcott (Pre-Emergent Stage), Hitweed Maxx (Early Post Emergent Stage) and Hitweed (Post Emergent Stage) – offer farmers an extensive range of weed management options, starting from seed sowing to the active flowering stage of the crop. We noticed that only 10 per cent of the total cotton acreage area is treated properly today, with these products. We realised that there is a significant opportunity to make a greater positive impact on cotton yield and overall productivity by consolidating all our selective cotton herbicide products under the PYNA brand, to enable sustainable cotton production.

PYNA brands minimise the crop-weed competition and facilitate the healthy establishment of cotton crops in their early growth stages, thereby positively impacting the yield. To support the maximum number of farmers, we have partnered with Bayer CropScience, Rallis India, Dhanuka Agritech, PI Industries and Indofil Industries. With these companies also having their own products based on the active ingredient Pyrithiobac sodium, extending the PYNA brand would ensure quality supply to farmers every time and aid farmers to reduce dependency on manual and mechanical methods of weed control too. Brands can leverage the trust that the Godrej brand has earned amongst the farmers in the last 36 years and collectively tap into the remaining 90 per cent of untapped cotton acreage.

Why is only 10 per cent of the total cotton acreage area treated properly in the country? 

Cotton crops are vulnerable to pest infestations caused by the lack of crop rotation, monoculture practices, adverse weather conditions, poor soil quality, and inadequate pest management. Amidst this, India’s lower cotton productivity per hectare, compared to other countries also stems from outdated farming practices, insufficient irrigation facilities, and poor seed quality. The lack of access to proper irrigation, high costs of inputs like seeds and pesticides, and dependence on unpredictable monsoon rains further hinder effective treatment practices. These challenges collectively impact the productivity and quality of cotton crops, making it difficult for farmers, especially small-scale ones, to afford necessary treatments and maintain crop health.

To read more click on: https://agrospectrumindia.com/e-magazine

Rajavelu N K, CEO, Crop Protection Business,

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Environment, India, IT, Sustainability

IESS 2047 is a user-friendly interactive tool that can help ministries/ departments to develop a variety of energy transition scenarios to achieve net-zero.

A Revamped India Energy Security Scenarios (IESS) 2047 (IESS 2047 V3.0) to assess the integrated impact of various green energy policies of Government of India was released by NITI Aayog. An open-source tool, IESS incorporates several policies related to alternative energy resources like Green Hydrogen, Energy Storage, Renewable Purchase Obligations, PM-KUSUM, offshore wind strategy, Electric Vehicle policy, Energy efficiency, etc. Assessing the demand and supply of energy in the country, the tool helps in analysing emissions, cost, land, and water requirements till 2047.

The release was attended by Suman Bery, VC, NITI Aayog, Dr. V.K. Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog, B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, CEO, NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant, G-20 Sherpa, and other experts from Academia, Industry and the Government.

With an aim of making this technology available to the people, this version of IESS is easily downloadable and facilitates users to generate their own pathways. It will help researchers and think tanks to develop user-specific scenarios and the option of customised applications on the basis of share of industry/services/agriculture, population, the pace of urbanisation, end-use energy demand etc.

IESS 2047 is a user-friendly interactive tool that can help ministries/ departments to develop a variety of energy transition scenarios to achieve net-zero. The tool is flexible enough to provide many permutations and combinations of net-zero pathways. It provides capabilities to compute the energy needs and estimates of the country and hence reduce India’s dependency on external agencies for the estimates.

Designed with the help of IIT Bombay, the revamped IESS 2047 will be updated on yearly basis. The baseline has been standardised in 2020 and calibrated up to 2022.

 BVR Subrahmanyam, CEO, NITI Aayog termed IESS as a national asset and an outstanding example of the research and development being undertaken at NITI Aayog. Emphasising upon the fine balance between justified growth aspirations and sustainability, he said that it is important to have such tools and data platforms for holistic planning and policy making at national and state level.

The web version of the tool offers user-friendly graphical representations of energy demand and supply scenarios for the country based on user choices. The results of some of the illustrative scenarios from IESS are shown below:

IESS 2047 is a user-friendly interactive tool

Agro chems – Pesticides, Agrotech, Company News, India, Textile industry

PYNA brand to have a range of weed management options from seed sowing to active flowering stage.

Godrej Agrovet Limited’s (GAVL) Crop Protection Business announced the launch of PYNA, an umbrella brand for sustainable cotton production. A pioneer in establishing the concept of selective cotton herbicides in different markets, GAVL will be selling three of its cotton weed management products Hitweed, Hitweed Maxx, and Maxxcott under PYNA brand.

The cotton crops grow at a slow pace during the early stages. Additionally, due to wider spacing between the crops, weeds impact the cotton yield up to 45-50 per cent. With PYNA brands providing a broad window of weed management options from seed sowing to active flowering stage of crop stage, farmers can now get longer duration of weed-free crop. PYNA brands minimizes the crop – weed competition and helps to establish the cotton crop in the early stages, which directly has a positive impact on the yield.

GAVL also announced that it will be extending PYNA brand logo to co-marketers like Bayer CropScience, Rallis India, Dhanuka Agritech, PI Industries and Indofil Industries etc. are promoting and helping the farmers grow cotton sustainably through on PYNA brands which is a symbol of Trust and Quality.  Easy and safe to use, PYNA brand products aid farmers reduce dependency on manual and mechanical methods of weed control too.

Rajavelu N.K, CEO, Crop Protection Business, GAVL said, “Globally, India has largest area under cotton cultivation. However, with only 10 per cent of total cotton acreage area treated properly, it has not only impacted the productivity but also farmers profitability. Hence in order to enable sustainable cotton production, we are happy to bring our 3-marquee offerings under PYNA brand.”

“In order to ensure quality supply to farmers every time, we are excited to partner with co-marketers to leverage PYNA brand. The same will allow them to leverage the trust that Godrej brand has earned amongst the farmers in the last 36 years and collectively tap 90 per cent untapped cotton acreage,” he further added.

GAVL was the first company to introduce post-emergent selective cotton herbicide, Hitweed, in 2007. Enabling cotton plants to get more space, light, and air for robust growth without impacting the soil, it was developed for usage 20-25 Days After Sowing (DAS).  Witnessing the need to protect cotton crop during early post-emergent phase viz. 7-15 DAS, it launched Hitweed Maxx in 2019 which enabled farmers get superior crop safety and better efficacy. In 2023, the company launched Maxxcott – a pre-emergent herbicide to be used 0-3 DAS – which eliminates growth of major weeds in cotton, ensures good growth of cotton seedlings, and reduces further spread of major weeds.

PYNA brand to have a range of

Agrotech, Biostimulants, India, Industry Reports / Analysis

Factors such as the growing popularity of organic farming, surging demand for environmentally friendly agricultural inputs, and official encouragement of the practice, are driving the expansion of the biostimulant market in India, though inadequate production infrastructure may present challenges in distributing products on time and in sufficient numbers. The lack of education, awareness and encouragement of biostimulant use in India’s agricultural sector further exacerbates this problem. 

Despite being in the early stages of development, the biostimulant market in India has substantial potential for expansion as demand for sustainable farming methods and reduced use of chemical fertilisers grows. Multinational corporations currently dominate the market but rely on local distributors for product sales. 

Biostimulants, such as biopolymers, non-living products produced from microbes, formulations based on biomolecules, and botanical extracts, are designed to be used in harsh environments and require targeted marketing to reach their full potential.

According to Dr Venkatesh Devanur, CEO, MD Agri Life, “the biostimulant industry is growing well in most crop segments across India. Abiotic pressures on crops and their adverse impacts are felt by farmers.” 

Biostimulants have the potential to enhance crop yields, improve soil health, and increase farmer income sustainably, making them an attractive option for the Indian agricultural sector. 

Despite facing challenges such as erratic weather patterns, soil salinity, and declining soil health due to the climate crisis, India’s agricultural sector has made remarkable strides in becoming a leading food provider worldwide.

As the world’s population continues to grow, sustainable agricultural practices, such as the use of seaweed biostimulants will become increasingly important in maintaining soil health and meeting food demand. 

Commenting on the subject, Prashant Kharwadkar, Regional Business Director, Acadian Plant Health, said, “increasing awareness among farmers on the importance of good quality biostimulants against the adverse impact of crop chemicals/residues, pest–disease resurgence, increasing cost of production, climate changes (abiotic stresses), and deteriorating soil health will continue to drive the demand for good quality biostimulants and sustainable technologies in agriculture for increasing crop yield and produce quality. India is an emerging market for biostimulants and provides a unique opportunity for continued growth on a sustainable basis.”

To read more click:https://agrospectrumindia.com/e-magazine

Factors such as the growing popularity of

Agrotech, Biofuel industry, India, Opinions

By Kishan Karunakaran, CEO, Buyofuel

India’s cement production capacity is expected to reach 550 MT by 2025. The cement demand is estimated to touch 419.92 MT by FY 2027 driven by the expanding demand of different sectors, i.e., housing, commercial construction, and industrial construction. Given that the cement industry heavily relies on fossil fuels for production, there is an urgent need to transition to sustainable, green, and renewable fuel options, such as biofuels, to transform the cement industry into a low-carbon emitting industry. The use of biofuels in the cement industry can offer a range of benefits for farmers, including additional revenue streams, waste reduction, improved soil health, and reduced dependence on fossil fuels.

Rapid development and urbanisation have propelled India’s economic progress on an upward trajectory. The Indian government has made significant investments in large-scale infrastructure projects in recent times, aiming to boost connectivity and create new avenues for revenue generation and employment opportunities.

With growing industrialisation and a burgeoning population, there is an increasing need to build robust infrastructure across the country to meet demands and cater to the needs of the people. This infrastructure push has resulted in a domino effect across various industries, with the cement industry being particularly prominent among them.

India, the second largest cement manufacturer globally, is experiencing a surge in cement demand, leading cement producers to ramp up their manufacturing capacity.  For example, in 2022, India constructed 12,000 kilometres of highways, and the demand for housing continues to rise. The housing sector alone accounts for 60-65 per cent of India’s cement consumption, and as a result of these factors, predictions indicate that cement production is expected to grow by approximately 6-8 per cent in 2023-24. The infrastructure push is expected to catapult cement consumption and demand in the country. However, it is crucial to note that this growth also presents the challenge of ensuring sustainability in the long term with minimal environmental impact.

India has committed to achieving a net-zero economy by 2070 and has set a target of meeting 50 per cent of its electricity needs from renewables by 2030. Given that the cement industry heavily relies on fossil fuels for cement production, there is an urgent need to transition to sustainable, green, and renewable fuel options, such as biofuels, to transform the cement industry into a low-carbon emitting industry.

According to the available data, the cement industry is responsible for 8 per cent of global CO2 emissions. It is also a significant source of pollutants, including dust, particulate matter, and hazardous gases such as NOx (nitrogen oxides), SOx (sulphur oxides), carbon dioxide, methane, and others. However, on a positive note,  cement manufacturers have recognised the importance of mitigating carbon-emitting practices and investing in greener options, such as biomass briquettes, to reduce their carbon footprint, decrease dependency on fossil fuels, improve efficiency, and gain cost-related advantages.

To read more click on:https://agrospectrumindia.com/e-magazine

By Kishan Karunakaran, CEO, BuyofuelIndia’s cement production

Agrotech, Company News, India, People, Sustainable Energy

Chalasani has over 40 years of experience in the public and private sector across the entire gamut of the power sector.

The Board of Directors of Suzlon Energy Limited has appointed J. P. Chalasani as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in place of Ashwani Kumar who has resigned as CEO of the company with effect from 5th April 2023 on account of personal reasons.

JP Chalasani joined the Suzlon Group in April 2016 as Chief Executive Officer. Post a highly successful tenure as CEO, Chalasani transitioned to a Strategic Advisor role with the group in July 2020. JP Chalasani was reappointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Suzlon Group on 5th April 2023. Renowned for his project management and people leadership skills,  Chalasani brings to the company more than 40 years of experience of working in the Indian power sector, especially with companies like NTPC, Reliance Power and Punj Lloyd.

Prior to joining Punj Lloyd, Chalasani had spent over 18 years with the Reliance Group. He joined Reliance Group (undivided) as a Vice President in 1995 and worked on a number of assignments for the group.

Chalasani has over 40 years of experience

Finance, India, Opinions, Schemes - Banks, Schemes - Govt

By Prabhat Chaturvedi, CEO, Netafim Agricultural Financing Agency Pvt. Ltd. (NAFA)

Agriculture is a dominant sector of the Indian economy, with approximately 85 per cent of farm holdings being less than 2 ha in size, still producing sufficient food and fibre for our large population of 1.41 billion. In addition, it generates some net export surplus. It would not have been possible without a massive credit infusion to farmers. Access to adequate, timely, low-cost credit from institutional sources is essential, especially for small and marginal farmers. The policymakers have initiated several measures to improve the accessibility of farmers to institutional sources of credit. These policies have emphasized progressive institutionalisation for providing timely and adequate credit support to all farmers. Thus, focusing on enabling small and marginal farmers to improve agricultural practices.

Even though the country has taken some proactive steps in heralding reforms in agri-credit to provide financial assistance to the farmer community, it is still behind compared to some neighbouring nations. While the volume of credit has improved over the decades, its quality and impact on agriculture have only weakened. Agriculture requires substantial capital commitment, as procurement of equipment remains a significant spend for most farmers. Still, most agricultural credit extended to farmers is of a working capital nature, thus stagnating more than 80 percent of farmers’ income.

The analysis of Indian credit demand suggests that even though the banks and other financial institutions are aggressively increasing their reach to the farmer community under priority sector lending, the penetration continues to be low. In this scenario, the Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFC) sector focusing on Agriculture mechanization has scripted a remarkable success story. It is a testimony to the truly diverse and entrepreneurial spirit of India. From large Agri infrastructure financing to small farmers’ microfinance, these NBFCs have innovated over time and found ways to address the debt requirements of the farmer community as a whole. Over time, agri-focused NBFCs / Fintech’s have evolved to be well regulated and, in many instances, adopted best practices in technology, innovation, risk management, and governance. Thus, act as conduits and have furthered the Government’s agenda on Financial Inclusion.

The agri-focused NBFCs /Fintech’s can meet the long-term credit needs of the farmers as most of them have high penetration in rural India, and the bulk of their credit disbursements are focused only on small and marginal farmers. Public domain data suggests that only 30 percent of total small and marginal farmers have access to banks and other formal credit channels. Some of the issues faced by banks in providing credit to the farmers are difficulty in reaching far-flung and remote areas and lack of critical technology.

Further, banking activity involving lending to small farmers is plagued by various limitations like higher acquisition and servicing costs for marginal farmers and a greater risk of loan default. There are other problems that banks have faced, like difficulty in gathering farm-level data and getting information such as the cash flow and credit history of farmers. This is where the role of Agri-focused NBFCs /Fintech’s becomes critical. They have leveraged technology to derive essential insights into the farm domain and individual farmers to give out loans seamlessly and fairly. They also quickly offer credit to the farmers through lower paperwork and documentation. Adopting advanced analytics and rural market intelligence helps them bring efficiencies in the lending mechanism and cut the time taken to disburse a loan.

The various purposes for which agri-dedicated NBFCs lend money to the farmer include loans for equipment and machinery, modern and efficient methods of irrigation, and various other components in the value chain of cultivation. They have also brought down the interest rate of loans to as low as 12-18 percent compared to 24-60 percent available in the informal credit system in the vast rural parts of India. The use of modern technology to draw estimates of loan demand, visibility of usage of credit, tracking irrigation facilities, etc., to come up with the exact products and offerings for the farmers are another set of distinct advantages these NBFCs offer.Rol

It’s time the policymakers support such NBFCs who are charged up to bring radical and profound changes to the formal farm financing. The major challenge these NBFCs are trying to tide over is inclusion under reforms that currently are limited to banks and their Agri credit business. The policymakers must ensure that agri-focused NBFCs/ Fintech’s are included in effective programs such as the government subsidy schemes, a benefit hitherto available only to the Banks. It will enable them to lend efficiently, and mitigate farmers’ credit requirements, thereby supporting their income growth. It will also go a long way in boosting agriculture financing and help India dominate global leadership of the agrarian economy.

By Prabhat Chaturvedi, CEO, Netafim Agricultural Financing

North America, World

Van Duijn brings more than 30 years of experience in agriculture and international development

The International Fertilizer Development Centre (IFDC) Board of Directors and staff announced the appointment of Henk van Duijn as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Van Duijn will assume his position and new responsibilities on January 1, 2023. IFDC is an independent Washington DC-based non-profit organisation that combines innovative research, market systems development, and strategic partnerships to spread sustainable agricultural solutions for improved soil health, food security, and livelihoods around the world.
Van Duijn brings more than 30 years of experience in agriculture and international development, with a focus on Europe, Africa, and Asia. He has led an impressive portfolio of programs that empower agribusinesses to access and benefit from profitable markets. Prior to his selection as IFDC President and CEO, van Duijn served as Vice President, Corporate Services, and Chief Operations and Finance Officer at IFDC. Before that, he headed the 2SCALE program (2019–2021) and served as CEO of Bopinc (2014–2019). As a diplomat and civil service director in the Netherlands, van Duijn led the design, start up, and implementation of large-scale interdisciplinary programs as well as national and international public-private partnerships in Europe, Africa, and Asia. He holds a master’s degree in Land and Water Management from Wageningen University & Research.
Outgoing IFDC President and CEO Albin Hubscher will retire after four years of deftly leading the organisation to a renewed commitment to soil health. He was instrumental in formulating IFDC’s plan to develop a global innovation centre that will design and scale next-generation soil health and plant nutrition innovations.
Dr Rudy Rabbinge, IFDC Board Chair and Professor Emeritus at Wageningen University & Research, announced van Duijn’s appointment during a staff reception hosted by the IFDC Board on October 26, 2022. Rabbinge encouraged staff to “use this as an opportunity to maintain our organisation’s momentum.” Upon accepting the appointment, van Duijn told IFDC leadership and staff, “IFDC is well-positioned to lead global innovations in soil health and food security. Now, it is time for us to move confidently in the direction set for us. I am honoured and privileged to walk with you all.”

Van Duijn brings more than 30 years

Agro chems – Pesticides, Company News, India, World

UPL Corporation, the flagship company of UPL Ltd for global operations, has appointed Mike Frank as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UPL’s Global Crop Protection (CP) business which manages all CP assets outside of India. Mike will be a member of the UPL Crop Protection Board of Directors.

He joined UPL in early 2022 as President and Chief Operating Officer of UPL’s Crop Protection business based out of its London headquarters and plays a significant role in driving sustainable solutions in global food value chain networks to advance its OpenAg® purpose.

“As we continue to realign our businesses and strengthen our advancement to lead the pureplay crop protection market, we have been taking a more focused approach to our structure. Mike Frank is the natural choice to lead this transition, bringing extensive experience leading global agriculture companies, deep knowledge of innovative and digital technologies, and a proven track record of superior value creation for all stakeholders. He demonstrates an impressive leadership style, entrepreneurial mindset and a strong commitment to strengthening organisational culture”. Said Jai Shroff, Group CEO of UPL and Chairman of UPL Corporation.

UPL Corporation, the flagship company of UPL