Bhubaneswar: Social Alpha, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, Government of Odisha, convened a State-Level Multi-Stakeholder Workshop on “Promoting Agri-Tech in Odisha”, at Hotel Presidency in Bhubaneswar.
The technologies showcased were accompanied by farmers who had used them firsthand, allowing attendees to hear directly about their experiences and the impact these innovations have created. The day included a product demonstration, an open Q&A with the audience, and a high-level panel discussion featuring policymakers, technology validation agencies, and startups.
Ayan Deb, Director, East Zone, Social Alpha, emphasized that over the past four years, Social Alpha and its partners have piloted 17 agri-tech solutions across Odisha, five of which have successfully completed the pilot stage and were presented during the session. Many of these innovations have reached over 7,000 rural households, and the long-term goal is to move from program-based scale to institutional, government-driven scale.
Mr. Subhranshu Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, emphasized the government’s commitment to inclusive technology. Dr Umashankar Pal (Asst Professor ,Collage of Agricultural Engineering and Technology highlighted the foundational approach required for impactful innovation. Mr. Sangram Keshari Pattnaik, Deputy Director, Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, added, “Over the past year, we have initiated discussions and laid the groundwork for collaborative efforts with the Gates Foundation and technology partners like Social Alpha. Our goal is to form a strong and effective team that can scale up agri-tech solutions across Odisha. From a technical perspective, Mr. Debabrata Satpathy, Director, State Level Farm Machinery Training and Testing Centre, emphasized the importance of engineering solutions across the agricultural value chain.
The workshop showcased five agri-tech startups: Khetworks, Capsber, Steupify, Terracroft, and Ekosight. These technologies have demonstrated success beyond pilot testing. Each solution was presented alongside field insights, farmer testimonials from Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Rayagada, and Dhenkanal, as well as demonstrations. In addition, Hi-Tech Nursery, supported by CInI (Collectives for Integrated Livelihood Initiatives), was featured as a successful model for decentralized seedling production, highlighted through the success story of a woman farmer from Keonjhar.
The event signals a collective move towards aligning entrepreneurial innovation with the government’s mission to enhance productivity and livelihoods in rural India.
