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HomePosts Tagged "DCM Shriram Foundation"
Agrotech, Company News, India, Industry Reports / Analysis, Water

The report recommends using science and data to make better decisions, focusing on local agriculture ecosystems (LAE).

DCM Shriram Foundation, supported by DCM Shriram, a leading conglomerate in India with a strong presence in agriculture, and Sattva Knowledge Institute, a knowledge platform for the impact ecosystem, today launched the report titled, Transforming Crop Cultivation: Advancing Water Efficiency in Indian Agriculture to identify actionable solutions to address the ongoing water crisis in the Indian agriculture sector.

Agriculture today accounts for 90 per cent of the water withdrawals in India, an indication of how water-intensive this sector is. Furthermore, within the agriculture sector alone, irrigation uses 84 per cent of the country’s precious water reserves, followed by domestic and industrial sectors. Unfortunately, this trend is estimated to continue, as per 2025 and 2050 projections, unless systemic changes are introduced to evolve from high water use methods to more sustainable options in the agricultural sector. These systemic changes will need to address complex challenges, such as the myopic reliance on philanthropic funding, limited scalability of initiatives beyond pilot projects, and inadequate collaboration among stakeholders.

Addressing these challenges will require catering to Local Agricultural Ecosystems (LAE), whilst also enabling the scale of these solutions and techniques across states. Solutions that account for the LAE will not only foster localised insights to tailor water- efficient techniques for individual farmers and specific regions, but also mobilise effective government and industry involvement to enable scale.

In the long term, addressing the water crisis from the agriculture sector will require diversifying funding sources, fostering partnerships with government and private sector actors, and promoting sustainable financing mechanisms.

Debaranjan Pujahari, Principal and Head, Agriculture Practice Area, Sattva Knowledge Institute, expressed the urgency of the situation by stating, “India is the most populous and the most water-stressed agrarian economy in the world. Our food security demands the production of water-intensive crops, exerting pressure on our water resources. Driving on-farm water efficiency in agriculture is the need of the hour if we want to avert the impending water crisis in India”.

Recognising the gravity of this situation, DCM Shriram Foundation and Sattva Knowledge Institute have undertaken a comprehensive study to understand the complexities of water scarcity and the use of water in Indian agriculture. The study sheds light on the intrinsic link between water and agriculture, emphasising the challenges posed by cultivating water-intensive crops like rice and sugarcane.

The report brings together insights from more than 50 public reports and over 40 sectoral experts to present three focused, actionable recommendations to scale water efficiency in agriculture.

● The first recommendation is to build a public tool that can offer tailored techniques and practices contextualised to LAEs. By providing personalised recommendations aligned with the unique characteristics of each ecosystem, the aim is to empower industry players, policy, and smallholder farmers to make informed decisions, driving sustainable practices at the grassroots level.

● The second recommendation introduces the concept of a Water Vulnerability Index, enabling science and data-led business and policy decisions. This comprehensive index consolidates diverse data parameters, offering stakeholders a reliable resource to guide their actions. By integrating scientific insights into decision-making processes, we pave the way for more effective water management practices and informed policy interventions.

● The final recommendation proposes developing a model for collaborative action among essential stakeholders in the ecosystem, including government entities, to encourage joint commitments to harness the industry’s capabilities to promote greater adoption of water-efficient practices in agriculture. This framework aims to facilitate collective learning and advocacy efforts.

Aman Pannu, Vice President, Corporate Communications & CSR and President, DCM Shriram Foundation expressed her optimism about sharing this report in collaboration with Sattva Knowledge Institute, “Water scarcity poses a formidable threat to India’s agricultural landscape, demanding urgent attention and collaborative action. Our findings highlight the urgent need for collective action and innovation to safeguard our water resources while ensuring food security for all. We believe that by leveraging science, data, and strategic collaboration, we can drive transformative change and build a sustainable future for generations to come.”

The report recommends using science and data

Agrotech, Company News, Finance, India, Nature, Water

The challenge invites disruptive technology-driven agricultural startups and social entrepreneurs to innovate and provide tangible solutions to this intricate problem specifically focused on scalability for smallholder farmers.

DCM Shriram Foundation and Nudge Institute’s Centre for Social Innovation, with the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor (GoI), have launched an Rs 2.6 crore prize challenge, aimed at fostering innovation at the intersection of agriculture and efficient use of water. The challenge seeks to encourage leading AgTech & Social Impact Entrepreneurs to develop population scale solutions & innovations within India’s agri-water ecosystem, with massive impact on stagnant livelihood opportunities, especially for smallholder farmers.

80 per cent of India’s groundwater is used for agriculture, but 60 per cent of this is inefficient utilisation. Misaligned practices on application of nutrients and fertilisers have led to imbalance and soil degradation resulting in inefficiency in water utilisation, declining groundwater and affecting crop yields. Hence, water scarcity, non-judicious use of freshwater resources, unsustainable agricultural practices, overdependence on erratic rainfall and climate change threaten the state of the agriculture sector in India, home to over 600 million farmers.

For the upcoming DCM Shriram AgWater Challenge, The/Nudge Prize encompasses a substantial prize purse of Rs 2.6 Crore. This includes a grand prize of Rs 2 Crore for the winner, representing one of the most generous grant prizes for sustainable agricultural interventions. Additionally, a total of 60 Lakh rupees will be distributed among three other finalists who successfully cross the milestone thresholds (Rs 30/20/10 Lakh respectively).

To create unprecedented urgency & impact on this topic – The challenge is also enabling an AgWater and SHF expert ecosystem, consisting of leading market players, government departments, research Institutions & senior mentors/visionaries across India & beyond. This ecosystem will be essential to promote high potential innovators and accelerate adoption of their solutions, along with the leadership of the PSA, tasked with providing pragmatic and objective advice to the Prime Minister and the cabinet in matters of Science and Technology.

While announcing the launch, Aman Pannu, President, DCM Shriram Foundation said, “Any effort aimed at conserving water on a large scale must closely align with the needs of agriculture. Such a program would have to navigate through a complex web of factors, including weather conditions, selection of crops and varieties, yield potential, water requirements of crops, available irrigation resources, water-saving technologies, agronomic practices, agricultural extension services, accessibility of agricultural inputs, electricity availability, and numerous other variables. Additionally, policy changes that affect input pricing and agricultural produce must also be considered. Undoubtedly, creating a conducive environment for water conservation and improving water-use efficiency in agriculture is an exceedingly challenging task. In view of the same the DCM Shriram AgWater Challenge has been launched in collaboration with Nudge Institute with significant emphasis on addressing the water-related challenges in agriculture. The challenge invites disruptive technology-driven agricultural startups and social entrepreneurs to innovate and provide tangible solutions to this intricate problem specifically focused on scalability for smallholder farmers.”

Kanishka Chatterjee, Director, The/Nudge Prize added, “While lucrative solutions addressing agri-water problems have gained momentum in recent years, there has been far less vitality in affordable and accessible models for the small and marginal farmers. Their high dependence on groundwater and increased vulnerability to water stress/climatic changes, land productivity, price and market risks call for audacious problem solving. An inducement challenge like the DCM Shriram AgWater Challenge, pushes AgTech to develop, demonstrate & deploy rapid innovation for this critical problem. Innovating for efficient water utilisation in agriculture holds the potential to improve economic outcomes for over 600 million smallholder farmers across the country.”

The challenge invites disruptive technology-driven agricultural startups