IIT Madras Collaborates with Agriculture Ministry on Project VISTAAR to Empower Farmers
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Chennai, Jan 2 (NationPress) The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has revealed a partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare concerning Project VISTAAR, which aims to boost the efficiency and effectiveness of the agricultural extension system via digitalisation.
The recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Agriculture Ministry and IIT Madras allows for the enhancement of the VISTAAR platform (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources) by integrating information about start-ups in the agriculture and related sectors.
This initiative will help farmers and stakeholders in agriculture to easily access information about the offerings and capabilities of start-ups.
“Agriculture is fundamental to India’s social and economic framework. Strengthening this sector is therefore a significant policy objective. Start-ups play a crucial role in driving innovation throughout the agricultural value chain,” stated Prof. Thillai Rajan A., Head of the Centre for Research on Start-ups at IIT Madras.
“The startup information platform, developed by the Centre for Research on Startups and Risk Financing at IIT Madras alongside its incubatee startup YNOS Venture Engine, contains data on approximately 12,000 start-ups linked to agriculture and farming. This partnership will make this invaluable information easily accessible to farmers, thereby significantly enhancing the extension services provided by the Department of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare,” Rajan elaborated.
The digitalisation of the current extension system will greatly broaden its reach, allowing every farmer to obtain high-quality advisory services regarding crop production, marketing, value addition, and supply chain management.
The advisory services will also include information on all government schemes related to agriculture and allied sectors, including rural development, which can benefit farmers.
This digitalisation process supplements the existing agricultural extension system by delivering timely, relevant, and precise information and advisories to farmers in agriculture and related fields.
“Innovative technologies from agri-startups are essential for making agriculture sustainable and resilient to climate change. Therefore, bridging the gap between agri-startups and farmers through extension services is vital for access and adoption. The partnership with IITM will facilitate this goal through VISTAAR's Digital Platform for Agriculture Extension,” remarked Samuel Praveen Kumar, Joint Secretary (Extension) at the Ministry of Agriculture.
