First time Startup Agribusiness Incubation Programme started at NRRI

First time Startup Agribusiness Incubation Programme started at NRRI

September 24, 2019. Under RKVY RAFTAAR programme of Ministry of Agriculture a two month ‘Startup Agri- Business incubation Program’ lunched by VIKAS R-ABI was inaugurated by Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Director, National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack for the first time in Odisha. VIKAS R-ABI (Vyapar Initiative in Krishi and Agri- Startups RKVY Agribusiness Incubator) has been hosted under ICAR – National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack. VIKAS R-ABI aims to promote innovation led Entrepreneurship through startup creation. This program is funded under the scheme of RKVY- RAFTAAR Agribusiness Incubator by Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. Twenty-four candidates having innovative prototype joined in this program. The prototypes ranged from Consumer product/ Post harvest and food technology, Agri Inputs, Agricultural machinery, IOT, ICT & AI in Agriculture, Agri supply chain, Organic Farming, Animal Husbandry and Dairy, Farm Mechanization, Precision Farming, Natural Resource Management and Mobile application service.

There is a provision of grant-in-aid of Rs. 25 lakhs for successfully graduated incubate. The incubates would be provided funds as per their genuine requirement and appraisal & evaluation of their business plans by RKVY Committee, New Delhi. On this occasion all the startups exhibited their prototypes.

Dr. G.A.K Kumar (Head, Social Science Division and Principal Investigator of VIKAS R-ABI), Dr. BC. Patra (Co-PI VIKAS R-ABI) and all scientists of the Institute along with Head of Divisions, FAO, HoO and project staffs were present in the program.