Day: April 20, 2023

AIM, NITI Aayog, and UNCDF Team Up to Make India a Global Agri-tech Leader

 Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) today jointly launched a whitepaper aimed at making India a global leader in Agri-Tech innovation and expanding these innovations to the least developed countries in Asia and Africa.

The whitepaper, meticulously prepared by experts from AIM, NITI Aayog, and UNCDF, offers actionable steps to overcome challenges faced by Agri-Tech start-ups and facilitate their growth at national and international levels.

The whitepaper outlines the significant observations and recommendations required to tackle challenges in the agriculture sector and promote sustainable practices that support smallholder farmers across developing economies. Agri-Tech innovations will help address food security, supply chain inefficiencies, and climate change concerns.

Addressing the audience, Mr. Samuel Praveen Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare stated, “Agri-tech startups in India have emerged as a game-changer in the agriculture sector, offering innovative solutions to the emerging challenges in Agriculture like Climate change, Improving Productivity etc. The AIM-UNCDF Agri-tech challenge has uncovered the immense promise and potential of this market, and we are excited to see what the future holds.”

Speaking during the launch, Mission Director Atal Innovation Mission Dr. Chintan Vaishnav said “the agriculture sector is critical to food security, supply chain efficiency, and climate change mitigation, and the Agri-Tech start-ups in India have provided significant solutions to these challenges. Through this partnership with UNCDF, we aim to facilitate cross-border engagement, knowledge exchange, and investments to support high-impact Agri-Tech innovations and make agriculture practices efficient, resilient, and sustainable for smallholder farmers across developing economies. We look forward to working with our partners to realize this vision.”

At the launch, Jaspreet Singh, Global lead, Financial health and Innovation, UNCDF, said, “The learnings from the Agri-tech challenge have been immense and revealed that the market is enormous and has immense potential for global south-south collaboration. Moving forward, we are working towards creating a community platform for smallholder farmers which can be helpful for Agri and Agri-tech startups to exchange ideas, explore collaboration, and share knowledge”

With over 70% of the agricultural workforce in India comprising smallholder farmers, Agri-tech start-ups have emerged as the solution to the challenges faced by farmers. AIM, in partnership with UNCDF, aims to create a south-south collaboration environment where start-ups from Asia and Africa can exchange ideas and generate opportunities in their respective countries.

AIM, an anchor partner of the south-south collaboration initiatives, collaborates with partner countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, and Zambia. The collaboration focuses on addressing three key challenges in the agriculture sector, namely low productivity, poor risk resilience, and inefficient supply chain management. Out of 25 potential Agri-Tech start-ups that aim to solve critical challenges around production, supply chain, risk, and climate change, the partners have shown interest in and are at various stages of cross-border engagement.

The Agri-Tech start-ups in emerging economies have successfully provided digital solutions to several agricultural challenges that the sector has faced in the past. AIM, in partnership with UNCDF, is committed to supporting high-impact Agri-Tech innovations, creating an enabling environment that facilitates start-up growth and sharing of knowledge across borders. The Indian start-up sector has the potential to play the role of a knowledge hub and support market development in less-developed start-up economies across the globe.

The launch of the whitepaper marks a significant milestone in the journey towards making India a global leader in Agri-Tech innovation and expanding these innovations to the least developed countries in Asia and Africa. AIM, NITI Aayog, and UNCDF are committed to working together towards this goal and achieving sustainable and inclusive growth in the agriculture sector.

 

First Global Buddhist Summit hosted by Ministry of Culture in collaboration with International Buddhist Confederation

 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the inaugural session of the Global Buddhist Summit at Hotel Ashok in New Delhi today. The Prime Minister walked through the photo exhibition and offered flowers to the Buddha statue. He also offered monk robes (Chivar Dana) to nineteen eminent monks. Union Minister for Culture, Shri G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister for Law and Justice, Shri Kiren Rijiju, Union Ministers of State for Culture, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal and Smt Meenakshi Lekhi, and Secretary General of International Buddhist Confederation, Dr Dhammapiya were present on occasion.

The two-day Summit is being hosted by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with International Buddhist Confederation on 20-21 April. The theme of the Global Buddhist Summit is “Responses to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy to Praxis”. It is an effort towards engaging the global Buddhist Dhamma leadership and scholars on matters of Buddhist and universal concerns, and to come up with policy inputs to address them collectively. The discussion at the Summit explored how the Buddha Dhamma’s fundamental values can provide inspiration and guidance in contemporary settings.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister welcomed everyone from different corners of the world to the inaugural session of the Global Buddhist Summit. “Buddha is beyond the individual, it is a perception”, and Buddha is a sensation that transcends the individual, he is a thought that transcends form and Buddha is a consciousness beyond manifestation. “This Buddha consciousness is eternal”, the Prime Minister said. Noting the occasion, he expressed confidence that the inaugural Global Buddhist Summit will create an effective platform for the efforts of all nations and thanked the Ministry of Culture and International Buddhist Confederation for this momentous event.

The Prime Minister credited the teachings of Lord Buddha for an inherent empathy in India for the issues of humanity. He mentioned peace missions and India’s whole-hearted efforts in rescue work for disasters like the earthquake in Turkiye. “This emotion of 140 crore Indians is being seen, understood and accepted by the world”, he said. Platforms like IBC, he continued, are giving the opportunity to like-minded and like-hearted countries to spread Buddha Dhamma and peace.

Click here for full text of PM speech

On the occasion , Minister of Culture, Tourism and Development of North-Eastern Region Shri G Kishan Reddy said that it is a matter of pride for all of us that the Global Buddhist Summit is being inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi. He informed that the theme of this two-day Global Buddhist Summit is ‘Responses to Contemporary Challenges- Philosophy to Praxis’. About 170 International Delegates from more than 30 different countries of the world are participating in this Global Buddhist Summit. The two day Global Buddhist Summit will discuss topics like Peace, Environment, Morality, Health, sustainable development and Buddhist Confederation. The Global Buddhist Summit is an initiative of the Modi government and it will help in strengthening our cultural and diplomatic relations with the world, the Minister added. He said  that Prime Minister has said that major challenges of the world can be solved by Buddhist philosophy of life and I think the Global Buddhist Summit will be a successful effort in that direction.

On the occasion, Union Minister of Law and Justice Shri Kiren Rijiju said that the support from the Mahā Sangha, world over and the Supreme Patriarchs, Sangha Nayakas, Meditation Masters, various Buddhist Associations, Monastic body, learned Buddhist Scholars have brought us to this historic Day when we are all witnessing this auspicious Day happening. I am glad to know the theme of this Global Buddhist Summit is – ‘Responses to Contemporary Challenges – Philosophy to Praxis’ and that the Summit is divided into two separate parallel sessions – a Sangha Session and an Academic Session with several diverse sub-themes, such as, Buddha Dhamma and Peace, Environmental Crisis, Health and Sustainability, Preservation of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition, Buddha Dhamma Pilgrimage, Living heritage and Buddha Relics etc”.  He also congratulated all the members of the International Buddhist Confederation to make it Successful.

He also said ” Buddha Dhamma is not just a religion; it is a way of life that emphasizes compassion towards all beings. The teachings of impermanence and interdependence remind us that everything in the world is changing and are interconnected, and we must learn to live in a way that is sustainable and respectful of the earth and its resources. “

On the occasion, an exhibition, the Panch Pradarshan, the celebration of Five Exhibitions was organised as part of the two-day Global Buddhist Summit on the theme, “Responses to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy to Praxis”

These depict the 10-years of IBC’s journey, the rich cultural legacy of Buddha manifesting in the heritage of Vadnagar city, Gujarat, travel accounts of Buddhist pilgrim Xuanzang, work of Buddhist religious leader and master Atisa Dipankara Srijana, and Digital Restoration of Ajanta Paintings showcases the process involved that goes into the digital restoration of cultural artifacts through the example of the digital restoration of the cave painting of Padmapani (Ajanta Ellora).

The programme started with the offering of flowers to the Buddha statue by the Prime minister while the Mangalacharan was being recited.Dr Subhadra Desai gave a classical rendering of the Ratana Sutta.

The Summit witnessed the participation of eminent scholars, Sangha leaders and Dharma practitioners from all over the world, who will discuss pressing global issues and look for answers in the Buddha Dhamma based on universal values. The discussions were held under four themes: Buddha Dhamma and Peace; Buddha Dhamma: Environmental Crisis, Health and Sustainability; Preservation of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition; Buddha Dhamma Pilgrimage, Living Heritage and Buddha Relics: a resilient foundation to India’s centuries-old cultural links to countries in South, South-East and East Asia.

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