| ICAR-CIWA has been striving for gender mainstreaming and women empowerment in agriculture to realize enhanced productivity and sustainability of agriculture. ICAR- Central Institute for Women in Agriculture had organised Industry-Stakeholders Interface-2025 on 24th of March 2025 to provide a provide a unified platform aimed at advancing women-friendly technologies and fostering agri-entrepreneurship among farm women and industry stakeholders. The theme of the interface was ‘Innovations to sustainability in agriculture through inclusive approaches’. The primary objective of the meeting was to foster Public-Private Partnerships and create a platform for highlighting women-friendly technologies to industry leaders and technology partners. Additionally, it aimed to gather feedback from entrepreneurs to steer research in a focused direction, ensuring positive and impactful outcomes. There were 75 numbers of Industry personnel, Women FPO leaders, Entrepreneurs from different districts of Odisha attended the meeting. |
| Honourable Deputy Director General (Agril. Edu.) Dr. R. C. Agrawal graced the occasion as Chief Guest during the programme through online mode. He appreciated the R & D efforts of ICAR-CIWA particularly for IPR filed, establishing MoUs between WFPOs, SHGs and FIGs, establishment of Custom Hiring Centres and technology commercialization. He emphasized that collaboration with industries is important for refinement and dissemination of technologies developed by the institute to different stakeholders including entrepreneurs. Women farmers are the key stakeholders for our food security and their issues. He also urged for the need of industry collaboration to obtain the technologies to ultimate users, i.e., women farmers to resolve their issues. There is also a need for involvement of CSR multiplication and wide spread of technologies, he added. |
| Dr. Mridula Devi, Director, ICAR-CIWA, in her opening remarks extended a warm welcome to all the stakeholders from different public and private organisations including NGOs, FPOs and emphasized upon importance of industry meet, agri-preneurship and government policies. She briefed about the activities carried out by ICAR-CIWA and the steps taken by the institute to address the issues of women farmers through research & development to enhance their efficiency & effectiveness. The women farmers can contribute their fullest potential in order to achieve the profitability in agriculture & move towards sustainability, she added. She also highlighted that the Institute focuses in assessment, refinement and development of technologies in order to enhance women efficiency, drudgery reduction and occupational health hazard reduction. The Director, highlighted that these industries play the crucial role to reduce the gaps between research, technology availability and access of farm women to different technologies. She pointed that the institute is also working the aspects of climate smart agriculture and nutri sensitive agriculture. |
| Dr A K Panda, Head, GFCS Division in his address briefed about the importance of industry stakeholder meet and motivated the stakeholders to take the technologies developed by ICAR-CIWA for fabrication and large number multiplications. Dr S K Sarangi, Head, ATW Division also addressed the audience and narrated about different technologies which are helpful in reducing cost of production, minimizing labour and conserving natural resource. He also encouraged the stakeholders to come forward and transfer the appropriate technologies at farmer’s field. |
| Dr. Gayatri Moharana, OIC, ITMU briefed about the activities and achievements of ICAR-CIWA. There were speakers from different areas such as Manufactures, Suppliers of tools and implements, Organic farming, Designated Officers, FSSAI, and Charted Accounted etc. participated and shared their valuable insight during the programme. Dr A K Panda, Head, GFCS Division offered formal vote of thanks at the end. |
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