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Agrotech, Award, Company News

The Agri drone AGRIBOT has empowered farmers to increase their income, distinguishing IoTechWorld in this category and earning them the prestigious award

IoTechWorld has been honoured with the distinguished Leaders of Tomorrow Season 11 award in the Technology category, organised by ET Now. 

Recognised as a trailblazer in agriculture drones, IoTechWorld proudly holds the 1st Type certificate from DGCA for its agriculture drone, AGRIBOT.


The event’s chief guest, the Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal, presented the award to IoTech’s Co-Founder and Director, Deepak Bhardwaj. During his keynote address, Piyush Goyal remarked that this recognition collectively showcases a new India poised to offer startup opportunities and attract national and international investments.

The jury members at the event also acknowledged the pivotal role that technology is set to play in agriculture. Following the award presentation, Deepak Bhardwaj, IoTech’s Co-Founder and Director, expressed pride in the company’s technological prowess. He highlighted how their unique technology connection with agriculture, particularly through the Agri drone AGRIBOT, has empowered farmers to increase their income, distinguishing IoTechWorld in this category and earning them the prestigious award.

The Agri drone AGRIBOT has empowered farmers

AgroPolicy, India, Interaction

Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of India (2nd from right) along with dignitaries inaugurating the 5th World Coffee Conference 2023 by lighting the lamp on Sept 25 at Bangalore.

Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, called upon the coffee industry leaders and stakeholders “Together, let’s nurture a sustainable and thriving coffee industry for generations to come.”

He said after inaugurating the 5th World Coffee Conference (WCC) 2023, on the theme “Sustainability through circular economy and regenerative agriculture”.

Addressing the gathering the minister said “The theme of the conference emphasizes the crucial importance of sustainability, waste reduction, and inclusivity in shaping a greener coffee future. As we gather in Bangalore, a hub of flavour and innovation, I stand by four core principles: continuous innovation from farm to cup, promoting sustainability, fostering global collaborations, and maintaining top-quality standards throughout production, processing, and packaging.”

Organised by the International Coffee Organization (ICO) in collaboration with the Coffee Board of India; Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India; Government of Karnataka, and the Coffee Industry, 5th World Coffee Conference (WCC) 2023 is taking place from September 25-28, 2023, at the iconic Bangalore Palace in Bengaluru.

Joe Kuli, Minister for Coffee from Papua New Guinea; Massimiliano Fabian, Chair of the International Coffee Council; Suresh Narayanan, Chairman & Managing Director, Nestle India Ltd.; Sunil D’Souza, CEO & MD, Tata Consumer Products; Challa Srishant, Managing Director, CCL Products (India) Ltd.; Shiva Krishnamurthy, Vice President, South Asia Food & Beverage, Hindustan Unilever Limited; N. Sathappan, Chairman & MD, SLN Coffee Pvt. Ltd.; Dr Vanusia Nogueira, Executive Director, International Coffee Organization, and representatives of UNIDO, FAO, ITC, Afreximbank and ILO were present on the occasion and shared their views on sustainable and thriving coffee industry.

Rohan Bopanna, India’s No.1 Doubles Tennis Player & Arjuna Awardee who is the Brand Ambassador of WCC 2023 shared his comments via a recorded message as he is representing India at the ongoing Asian Games in China.

Welcoming the Chief guest and dignitaries at the World Coffee Conference, Dr KG Jagadeesha, CEO and Secretary, Coffee Board of India, said, “Today marks the commencement of an extraordinary journey for the coffee industry, not only in India but across the expansive landscape of Asia. The journey encompasses a four-day World Coffee Conference, a sprawling exhibition, business-to-business meetings, exhilarating competitions, and enlightening skill-building workshops. Our primary objective is to cultivate knowledge, promote collaboration, and facilitate networking among coffee professionals on a global scale.”

He further said “This grand event brings together over 80 countries, 2400+ delegates, 130+ esteemed speakers, 250+ exhibitors, and an impressive count of 10,000+ business visitors and 300+ B2B meetings. We are honoured to extend our warm welcome to revered leaders and visionary figures from every corner of the world. Together, we embark on a path of profound transformation and unparalleled growth, bound by our shared passion for coffee and a steadfast commitment to progress.” N. N. Narendra, Director Finance, Coffee Board of India proposed vote of thanks.

The 4-day long event features Conference, Skill Building Workshops, Growers Conclave, CEOs & Global Leaders Forum, Startup Conclave, Competitions & Awards, and an Exhibition showcasing cutting-edge coffee products and services. In line with India’s commitment to the global coffee industry, this event enhances awareness, fosters partnerships, and celebrates the world of coffee.

This prestigious occasion unfolded in the iconic Bangalore Palace, covering an impressive 30,000 sqm area. It is poised as a global rendezvous for coffee enthusiasts, industry leaders, experts, and aficionados. The participants profile includes ICO Member Country Representatives, Coffee Growers, Coffee Roasters, Coffee Curers, Farm to Cup Coffee Industry, HORECA, Café Owners, Coffee Nations, Policy Makers, StartUps, R&D, and students.

A notable highlight of the event is a captivating dome-shaped structure designed as a Coffee Museum, which serves as a remarkable showcase of coffee plantations in the Western Ghats. This feature is particularly appealing to all participants, with the primary goal of raising awareness about the distinctive qualities of shade-grown and sustainable nature of Indian coffees among international attendees. This exceptional structure will vividly depict the journey of a coffee bean from its origin to the coffee cup, offering insights into various coffee varieties from India. It utilises indigenous plants sourced from this region of India to enhance the experience.

Exhibition at WCC 2023 is a star attraction where entire coffee value chain- from bean to cup, equipment companies, coffee machines, soluble coffees brands as well café chains are exhibiting. There are also beautifully designed themed pavilion representing states such as Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and the North-East, each showcasing the diverse range of coffees produced in India.

Conference Sessions will revolve around important topics like Circular Economy & Regenerative Agriculture, Financing Mechanisms, Coffee Quality, Sustainability & Climate Change, Start-up Innovations, Coffee Trade, Livelihood Challenges, Consumption, Social Sustainability, Importance of Robusta and Trading Platforms.

Another highlight is the Skill Building Workshops which will focus on sessions around The Rise of Alternative Milk, Everything Brewing – Cold and Hot, Creating Coffee Community – Cafes and Micro Roasters, Sample Roasting at Origin, Alternative fuel for the future of Coffee Roasting, Cooperative venture in India: 19 steps to fetching a cupping score of 91 points – seed-to-cup journey, Panel Discussion on The Cafe Business, A Masterclass in Espresso – (Intermediate & Professional), Sipping Sustainability: Exploring Climate-Resilient Coffee Species – Tasting & Panel Talk, Basics of Barista Championship Preparation, The Mysterious Robusta Bean (With Sensory Assessment), Cocoa and Coffee – A story in the making and Blending & profiling Robusta.

Growers Conclave during WCC 2023 aims to provide a platform for knowledge sharing, networking, and collaboration among individuals who contribute to the coffee cultivation and production process. Participants will get the global perspective from speakers from all over the world including Brazil, Mexico, Vietnam, Colombia, Europe, and more. They will also get to explore cutting-edge techniques, sustainable practices, specialty coffee and exciting trends in the world of coffee farming.

Bengaluru serves as the host city for this exceptional global assembly, highlighting a shared dedication to sustainability and innovation within the coffee industry. As part of the event, traditional folk dances from coffee growing states of Odisha, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and the North-East have been organised, providing delegates from around the world with a delightful glimpse into India’s rich and diverse cultures.

The day concluded with insightful keynote sessions on Global Coffee Perspectives and Future Prospects by Dr Vanusia Nogueira, Executive Director, ICO; Principles of Circular Economy and Regenerative Agriculture by Prof. Gunter Pauli, Economist, Blue Economy and Coffee Market Future Trends by Matthew Barry, Insight Manager- Food & Beverage, Euromonitor International.

This event continues the tradition of previous successful editions held in England (2001), Brazil (2005), Guatemala (2010), and Ethiopia (2016), each of which garnered widespread acclaim from coffee enthusiasts worldwide.

Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry,

AgroPolicy, India, Textile industry, Trade

Goyal emphasised a holistic approach towards making the Textile sector more vibrant so as to prepare to take on global competition

Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Textiles, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Commerce and Industry, discussed the roadmap to achieve the target of $250 billion in textiles production and $100 billion in exports by 2030.

While interacting with the officers and staff during the Chintan Shivir organised by the Ministry of Textiles, Goyal emphasised a holistic approach towards making the Textile sector more vibrant so as to prepare to take on global competition. He asked the officers to come up with innovative ideas and underscored the importance of streamlining the institutional structure for better service delivery.

The Ministry of Textiles organised Chintan Shivir to brainstorm on various issues relating to the sector.

The session was inaugurated by Darshana Jardosh, the Union Minister of State for Textiles, who highlighted the importance of the textiles sector in the economic growth of the country and the need to collectively focus on promoting growth across all segments in the value chain. 

She mentioned that the Chintan Shivir was a platform for collectively deliberating and finding solutions to important issues pertaining to the sector. It would also help in promoting better understanding and coordination among all offices within the fold of the Ministry of Textiles.

Officers from the Ministry of Textiles as well as field offices from across the country attended the day-long Chintan Shivir.

Goyal emphasised a holistic approach towards making

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, Pulses, Supply Chain

The introduction of ‘Bharat Dal’ is a major step taken by the Centre Government towards making pulses available to consumers at affordable prices by converting the chana stock of the government into chana dal

Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Textiles and Commerce and Industry, launched the sale of subsidised Chana Dal under the brand name ‘Bharat Dal’ at the rate of Rs 60 per kg for one kg pack and Rs 55 per kg for 30 kg pack.

The retail outlets of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) in Delhi-NCR are selling the chana dal. The introduction of ‘Bharat Dal’ is a major step taken by the Centre Government towards making pulses available to consumers at affordable prices by converting the chana stock of the government into chana dal.

The milling and packaging of the Chana Dal is undertaken by National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) for distribution through its retail outlets in Delhi-NCR and also through the outlets of NCCF, Kendriya Bhandar and Safal. The chana dal, under this arrangement, is also made available to state governments for supplies under their welfare schemes, police, jails, and also for distribution through their Consumer Cooperative outlets. 

Chana is the most abundantly produced pulse in India and is consumed in several forms all over India.

The introduction of ‘Bharat Dal’ is a

AgroPolicy, Biofuel industry, Sugar industry, Sustainability

In the last 9 years, the sugar sector has been self-sufficient with more than 99.9%

The growth of the ethanol sector has been tremendous which has set a sort of example for the world, said Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Textiles and Commerce and Industry while addressing a one-day seminar on ‘National Seminar on Maize to Ethanol’ organised by Department of Food and Public Distribution.

Goyal said that in the last 9 years, the sugar sector has been self-sufficient with more than 99.9 per cent payment to farmers for the previous season. Now, ethanol will support maize farmers in increasing their income and bringing growth with stability along the lines of sugarcane farmers. Investments of thousands of crores have come creating thousands of jobs in the rural sector which has generated a multiplier effect on the Indian economy. He highlighted that environment-friendly fuel like ethanol has been on the top priority list which has resulted in more than doubling of ethanol blending in just 2 years and the target of 20 per cent ethanol blending has also been preponed from 2030 to 2025.

Timely planning, industry-friendly policies and a transparent approach of the Government of India with the collaboration of industry have made these achievements a reality, he said. He stressed the need for synchronous efforts of the Central Government, States, Research Institutes, OMCs and Distilleries to achieve the target of 20 per cent ethanol blending while keeping the interests of the farmers always on top priority.

The Union Minister highlighted that India has transformed to accomplishing bigger goals in a shorter time to be the world leader. The Target of E 20 was preponed from 2030 to 2025 so that India can have clean fuel with propagating farmers’ interests.

In the last 9 years, the sugar

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains

Aggregation of demand through GeM to bring down the cost of procurement for the government.

On the directions of Prime Minister, a review meeting of GeM (Government E-Marketplace) was held under the chairmanship of Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. Buyers from over 50 Central Govt. Ministries and 50 CPSEs were invited for getting first-hand feedback of the Buyers.

 Goyal lauded the efforts being made by various Buyer organizations in increasing their procurements through GeM and emphasized that Hon’ble Prime Minister has set a target of 75 per cent procurement to be made through GeM by 15th of August and 100 per cent procurement to be made through GeM by the end of the current financial year.

The minister said that there was a need to keep a strict vigil on GeM procurement data and identify any deviant behaviours using Advanced Analytics and AI ML based tools so that immediate and strict action could be taken against any such deviant behaviours.

The Minister emphasized on the need to change in the perception that public procurement is a source of corruption. He said that GeM has brought about a sea change in the way public procurement is perceived by public at large. He expressed the hope that GeM will continue its engagement with all stakeholders and going forward will also focus on ease of doing procurement. He desired that GeM should be benchmarked against best in the class rather than being benchmarked against other Government systems.

 Goyal also expressed the hope that the kind of data being generated in GeM will certainly help government in improving transparency and efficiency in public procurement. The Minister said that aggregation of demand because of procurement happening through a single portal will help in reducing the cost of procurement also for Govt. Buyers. With collective wisdom and collective efforts of all stakeholders, GeM can well become the largest marketplace for public procurement in the world, he added.

Aggregation of demand through GeM to bring

AgroPolicy, Bamboo industry, Trade

The policy amendment will reduce high input cost of raw bamboo and make the bamboo-based industries, mostly in the remote rural areas, financially profitable

Government of India has lifted the export prohibition on bamboo charcoal, a move that would facilitate optimum utilisation of raw bamboo and higher profitability in the Indian bamboo industry. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), which is supporting thousands of bamboo-based industries in the country, was persistently requesting the government to lift the export restriction on bamboo charcoal. Chairman KVIC Vinai Kumar Saxena had written to the Minister of Commerce and Industries, Piyush Goyal, seeking to lift the export restriction on bamboo charcoal for the larger benefit of the bamboo industry.

“All the bamboo charcoal made from bamboo obtained from legal sources are permitted for export subject to proper documentation/ certificate of origin proving that the bamboo used for making charcoal has been obtained from legal sources,” read the notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).

Chairman KVIC, Saxena thanked Minister of Commerce and Industries, Piyush Goyal for the policy amendment saying the decision would reduce the high input cost of raw bamboo and make the bamboo-based industries, mostly in the remote rural areas, financially profitable.

Notably, the Indian bamboo industry, at present, is grappling with extremely high input cost owing to inadequate utilisation of bamboo. In India, bamboo is mostly used in manufacturing of Agarbatti wherein, a maximum of 16 per cent is used for manufacturing of bamboo sticks while the remaining 84 per cent of bamboo is a complete waste. As a result, the bamboo input cost for round bamboo sticks is in the range of Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000 per MT as against the average bamboo cost of Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 per MT.

However, export of bamboo charcoal would ensure complete utilisation of the bamboo waste and thus make the bamboo business more profitable. Bamboo charcoal for barbeque, soil nutrition and as a raw material for manufacturing activated charcoal, has great potential in international markets like the US, Japan, Korea, Belgium, Germany, Italy, France and the UK.

The policy amendment will reduce high input

AgroPolicy, Allied Industry

The council will be formed under the Chairmanship of Suresh Bhai Kotak

Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Textiles, Commerce & Industry and Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution has announced formation of Cotton Council of India, under Chairmanship of Suresh Bhai Kotak, a renowned veteran cotton man, with representation from Ministry of Textiles, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Finance, Commerce and Industry, Cotton Corporation of India and Cotton Research Institute. The first meeting of proposed council has been scheduled on May 28, 2022. The council will discuss, deliberate and prepare a robust action plan for bringing out a tangible improvement in this field.

The announcement came during a meeting with stakeholders from cotton value chain, held under the Chairmanship of Goyal wherein Minister of State for Textiles Darshna Jardosh, Secretary Textiles and Secretary Agriculture were also present.

In the meeting, a cross-section of views and suggestions were deliberated for softening cotton and yard prices on urgent basis, to address unprecedented price rise witnessed in the current season. It was pointed out that cotton productivity is the biggest challenge in the country, resulting thereby less cotton production despite largest area under cotton cultivation. The minister emphasised upon the need for making available better quality of seeds to improve productivity of cotton farmers.

Addressing the meeting, Goyal gave a clear and loud message to all stakeholders to resolve cotton and yarn price issue, in the spirit of collaboration rather than competition and super profiteering, without pushing government to intervene as it may have long term impact on cotton value chain.

He also emphasised the need of holding hands of cotton farmers who is the weakest part of cotton value chain, besides extending all possible support to stakeholders engaged in the backward and forward integration through out of box thinking at this critical juncture.

Pointing out that government is committed to protect the interests of cotton farmers, spinners and weavers, the minister assured to actively consider the demand of the spinning sector for exemption from import duty on those import contracts in which bills of lading is issued upto September 30, 2022 to overcome current cotton shortage and logistic issues.

Goyal also appealed to the spinning and trading community to ensure hassle free supply of cotton and yarn first to the domestic industry and only surplus cotton and yarn should be diverted for exports. He cautioned that export should not be at the cost of domestic industry which is the largest generator of employment in the country.

The council will be formed under the

AgroPolicy, Country, Supply Chain, World

The Russia-Ukraine turmoil has had and in future will have a lot of repercussions on the global food sector. Many developing and developed nations could be impacted by it, including India. However, this unfortunate chaotic situation could turn out to be a silver lining for Indian exporters. Let’s see if that is possible and how.

Be it natural calamities, or war between different nations, the first thing which comes to one’s mind is the disruption of trade which in some ways lead to the food crisis in certain parts of the world. Though the Russia-Ukraine war which is now going on for the second month has not only taken its toll across various sectors around the world, however, the main worry remains on the import of food grains to various countries including India.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), prices of wheat, corn and cooking oils have all increased to record high soaring prices. Food commodities are likely to expose several million people to hunger as the supply of key staple crops such as wheat, corn and sunflower could be affected. FAO states that countries like Australia, Argentina, India and the US could make up for a portion of the grain shortfalls from Ukraine and Russia. However, the FAO’s preliminary assessment is that, due to the war, 20 per cent to 30 per cent of wheat, corn and sunflower seed crops will either not be planted or go unharvested during Ukraine’s 2022-2023 season.

Lingering crisis
According to the United Nations, the war has led to a giant leap in food prices last month to another record high. Ukraine is a major producer of cereals such as maize and wheat which have risen sharply in price too. The UN says that the war in the Black Sea region spread shocks through markets for staple grains and vegetable oils. The Food and Agricultural Organisation of the UN warned last month that food prices could rise by up to 20 per cent as a result of the conflict in Ukraine, raising the risk of increased malnutrition across the world. The world’s wheat projection has been cut for 2022 from 790 million tonnes to 784 million tonnes, because of the possibility that at least 20 per cent of Ukraine’s winter crop will not be harvested because of direct destruction.

The India story
The pandemic followed by the political imbalance between Ukraine and Russia has resulted in the advent of inflation, resulting in rising costs for critical commodities such as cooking oil and largely the food sector. India imports around 90 per cent of sunflower oil from Russia and Ukraine, hence, the crisis is likely to impact prices and supply in the country. A report from Reuters states that the
Government of India has halted sunflower oil imports from the Black Sea region as about 3,80,000 tonnes of sunflower oil shipments from the region are stuck at ports amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As per the Department of Consumer Affairs website, the prices of six edible oils — groundnut oil, mustard oil, vanaspati, soya oil, sunflower oil and palm oil — have risen between 9 per cent and 56 per cent at all-India levels in the last one year and with the war in full swing, the price will head north.

However, according to the All India Edible Oil Merchant Federation, the import price of edible oil has seen around 12 to 15 per cent corrections in the last two to three weeks and will be reflected
in the retail market in the coming month.

Piyush Goyal, Commerce Minister, Government of India said, “Sunflower oil imports have been affected as it largely came from Ukraine, it has a smaller proportion in our edible oils basket. But, whenever there is a situation like this it has an impact all over the world and almost all edible oil prices in the entire world have shot up today because of the Russia-Ukraine war.” Crisil in its report mentions that the supply disruptions caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict could lead to a supply shortfall of at least 4-6 lakh tonnes of crude sunflower oil for India next fiscal. The report further mentions that Russia’s major banks are severed from the SWIFT system after it invaded Ukraine and the resultant sanctions imposed by the US and European nations. Although trading of food products with Russia has not been prohibited, trade settlement has become difficult, leading to supply disruptions.

An opportunity for Indian exporters
Amidst the crisis, the Russia-Ukraine war created an unlikely opportunity for some of the Indian agri-exporters who trade in wheat, maize, millet and processed foods. Since the war began, Indian wheat has been in huge demand among European countries. It may be noted that Ukraine is the top wheat exporter in the world and Russia and Ukraine together have a 25 per cent share in the global wheat market.

Says Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey, “Wheat exports from India, the world’s secondbiggest producer of the grain, have picked up after global prices surged due to Russia’s war
against Ukraine, and total shipments from the country have already touched a record of 6.6 million tonnes this fiscal so far.”

He added, “It is an “opportunity” for Indian exporters as the new wheat crop will be available early from March 15 onwards when compared to other global wheat producers.” Not only wheat but sugar exports are also expected to touch 7.5 million tonnes in the 2021- 22 marketing year (October-September), much higher than 2 million tonnes in the last year buoyed by strong global prices.

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) mentions, a ban on Russian flights to Europe has also resulted in an opportunity for Indian exporters of processed foods like say nuts, fruit juices, confectionery, pulses etc.

Govt’s initiative
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal during one of his speeches in Rajya Sabha said “Indian wheat exports are set to cross 70 lakh metric tonnes this year from merely 2 lakh metric tonnes two years ago. Many ships and containers have been blocked in several European countries following the Russia-Ukraine war and the crisis has only deepened, especially after the COVID-19 crisis.”

“The government has maintained dialogue with shipping companies and those who operate containers. The government is keeping a close watch on the situation and whatever steps are required to be taken it will take action,” he said.

The Government of India is waiting for things to stabilise. The Department of Commerce is holding regular consultations with all stakeholders to ensure the availability of essential imports and to find alternate destinations for our exports.

“Our position is quite comfortable,” says Food Secretary Pandey while mentioning the case of edible oils for which India is heavily dependent on imports and for sunflower oil amidst the Ukraine crisis.

What does the future behold?
No one knows till when will this war go on. The likely disruptions in agricultural activities in both countries will lead to an escalation of food insecurity globally when international food and input prices are already high and volatile. Many countries are likely to be affected by this war. India seems to be well prepared to mitigate the crisis. Though there has been a lot of hue and cry on how India overcomes challenges when certain situations arise, be it sanctions from the US and other developed countries, the country can handle the crisis in a better way when it comes to strategies like food protectionism.

Sanjiv Das
sanjiv.das@mmactiv.com


The Russia-Ukraine turmoil has had and in

AgroPolicy, Australia, Middle East countries, Textile industry, Trade

Goyal was speaking on the sidelines of the news trade agreements in the textile sector between India, Australia and the UAE

The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles, Piyush Goyal said that new Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreements with Australia and the UAE would open infinite opportunities for the textile industry. He said that Indian textile exports to Australia and the UAE will now face zero duty and expressed confidence that soon Europe, Canada, the UK and GCC countries would also welcome Indian textile exports at zero duty.

Goyal was delivering the Keynote address at the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the ‘Confederation of Indian Textile Industry- Cotton Development and Research Association’ (CITI- CDRA) in New Delhi today. The Vice President of India, M Venkaiah Naidu was the chief guest at the celebration.

The minister mentioned that trade agreements would help in increasing exports from labour-intensive industries. He added that India must also be open to receiving new technology, rare minerals, raw materials which are in short supply in India etc. from the world at reasonable costs. This will only increase our production, productivity and quality, which in turn will increase demand for our products all over the world, he said.

Goyal also said that the Indian textile industry has the potential to achieve $100 billion in exports by 2030.

He applauded CITI-CDRA for working towards developing a robust cotton ecosystem by directly engaging about 90,000 cotton farmers. The minister observed that more than just fibre, cotton has been an integral part of Indian culture, lifestyle and tradition.

Goyal called upon Indian cultivators to adopt new technologies and global best farm practices. He spoke of the AI technology that is enabling farmers in Australia to control spraying operations, as the cotton crop is sensitive to spraying through data-driven decision making.

Goyal was speaking on the sidelines of

AgroPolicy, R&D, Textile industry

Urges for steps to be taken to guide the farmers through better research and by adopting best practices

The Vice President, M Venkaiah Naidu called upon all stakeholders to make concerted efforts to improve cotton yield and productivity in India to enhance farmers’ incomes. Expressing his concern over the low yield of Indian cotton compared to other major cotton growers in the world, Naidu said that steps must be taken to guide the farmers through better research and by adopting best practices.

Naidu called for increasing the global competitiveness of Indian cotton textiles and “capitalise on our traditional strengths, shift to modern agronomic practices and consolidate our position as a global leader in the cotton industry.”

Noting the importance of the textiles sector as the second-largest employer in the country after agriculture, Naidu emphasised improving farm productivity, increasing mechanisation, upskilling textile workers, and hand-holding small firms to give a boost to the sector. Naidu also suggested diversifying into speciality cotton such as the extra-long staple (ELS) cotton and organic cotton.

The Vice President was inaugurating the CITI-CDRA Golden Jubilee Celebrations from Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) is a leading industry chamber of the textile sector in India and the Cotton Development and Research Association (CDRA) is the extension arm of CITI, undertaking various seed development and extension activities in the cotton sector.

Shri Naidu expressed his concern that despite being the largest cotton producer (23 per cent) in the world and having the highest area under cotton cultivation (39 per cent of world area), the yield per hectare in India remained at a low of 460 kg lint per hectare when compared to the world average of 800 kg lint per hectare. To address this, he called for improving the planting density, taking up mechanisation of cotton harvest and giving a thrust to agronomy research.

He said, “We need to improve our seed technology, increase yield, adopt global best practices, produce clean and high-quality cotton and brand it better to improve the farmers’ income.”

The Vice President noted that while India has a strong global footprint in cotton yarn, it has to improve its competitiveness in fabrics and apparel. He called for hand-holding small firms and upskilling textile workers to give a fillip to the sector. He said government schemes such as the Amended – Technology Up-gradation Fund Scheme (A-TUFS) and SAMARTH (Scheme for Capacity Building in the Textile Sector) are aimed at achieving these objectives.

On this occasion, Shri Naidu conferred awards to excelling cotton scientists and farmers in CITI-CDRA Project Areas. He also released a Coffee Table Book – ‘Millennial Shades of Cotton’ at the event.
Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Textiles, Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs and Food & Public Distribution, T Rajkumar, Chairman, CITI, PD Patodia, Chairman, Standing Committee on Cotton of CITI-CDRA, Shri Rakesh Mehra, Deputy Chairman, CITI, Upendra Prasad Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Prem Malik, Co-Chairman, Standing Committee on Cotton of CITI CDRA and other dignitaries were present during the event.

Urges for steps to be taken to

AgroPolicy, Trade

Goyal was speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing Parliament Session

Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Commerce and Industry and Textiles has said that the Centre stands committed to buying the excess stocks as per quality standards from Telangana.

Speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing Parliament Session, Goyal pointed out that in 2014-15, Rs 3391 crore was paid as MSP of paddy to farmers of Telangana. However, in KMS 2020-21, the Union government paid Rs 26,610 crores as paddy MSP to the farmers of Telangana.

“The Central Government stands committed to buy whatever excess stocks are there in Telangana, after their own consumption, in the form of raw rice and as per the quality specified by Food Corporation of India (FCI), as per the MoU with the Centre, as was committed by the state government in writing to the union government,” he said.

Goyal also briefed about the rice procurement process. He said that the Centre procures the rice based on the consumption pattern and demand of various states. The states after procuring the rice, keep stock for domestic consumption of the state and the balance is taken by the Centre.

Goyal was speaking on the sidelines of

AgroPolicy, Textile industry

The minister was speaking at the recently held CII Manufacturing Conclave 2022

India will play an increasing role in the revival and restoration of international economies, said Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Commerce & Industry, Textiles, Consumer Affairs and Food & Public Distribution at CII Manufacturing Conclave 2022.

“We do have international geopolitical uncertainties as we see today on the Ukraine-Russia crisis, but I am very confident that India will play an increasingly important role in the revival and restoration of international economies in the years ahead. In the post-covid world we are going to see a new world order and India, though we may be a $3 trillion economy today, should aspire for very, very bold and aggressive targets. I think we can still aim for the $5 trillion economy by 2026 but it’s not possible unless all of you participate with full gusto in this very, very ambitious plan,” said Goyal in his address through video conferencing.

Goyal called upon the industry champions to invest heavily in labour-intensive sectors.

“You have the power to lift the millions out of poverty, you have the power to give a better quality of life to the underprivileged. Together we can create not lakhs but crores of jobs in the Textiles sector, Agri/Food Processing, there are so many sectors where Labour is an important element of cost, that’s our competitive or comparative advantage that we should leverage,” he said.

Goyal said India needs to focus on our EDGE in Global Competition, – Economies of Scale, Demographic Dividend, Government and Industry focus on Quality & Efficiency. “For ‘Brand India’ to emerge, we need a mindset change towards quality from Compliance to Consciousness,” he said.

The minister was speaking at the recently

AgroPolicy

FCI celebrates its 58th Foundation Day

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) recently celebrated its 58th Foundation Day where Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Textiles and Commerce & Industry was present along with Minister of State Sh. Ashwini Kumar Choubey and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti.

“Today, FCI procures nearly 1,300 LMT of wheat and paddy annually against nearly 13 LMT procured during 1965. Similarly, distribution across the country has increased from about 18LMT in 1965 to nearly 600 LMT. Even the storage capacity from 6 LMT in 1965 has increased to over 800 LMT now,” Goyal said.

Goyal mentioned five mantras for FCI’s success:

  • Change the public perception of FCI from being inefficient and corrupt to dynamic, inclusive and honest.
  • Focus on integrating end-to-end tech solutions right from procurement to delivery to achieve operational efficiency and leakage-free, distribution – reduce PDS response time, beneficiary tracking etc.
  • Establish a grievance redressal mechanism to react rapidly to farmer/Farmer Producer Organisation in distress. Reaching out to farmers through “Jan Jagrukta” programmes at the grass-root level to spread awareness.
  • Plan for modern infrastructure and logistics. 
  •  Upgrade warehouses to international standards. Improve storage capacity for the growing need- Power backup, CCTV, robust network facility.

On this occasion, Sudhanshu Pandey, Secretary (Food) also addressed the officers and officials of FCI and applauded the transformation efforts being made by FCI, especially the recent initiatives to ensure transparency and enhanced efficiency which includes the introduction of HRMS of Employees, Bill Tracking System, Depot Online System, Enhancement of capacity by increasing Stack sizes, Asset Monetization, Age Testing of Rice and Direct Benefit Transfer of MSP to farmers account.

FCI celebrates its 58th Foundation DayThe Food