ICAR- CIWA Organized Industry-Stakeholders Interface-2025
Bhubaneswar : 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 for transfer of different technologies developed by ICAR-CIWA to different stakeholders including industries and entrepreneurs.
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 also briefed about different technologies including tools & implement, process, models etc developed by ICAR-CIWA, Bhubaneswar and AICRP on Women in Agriculture. She also emphasized for ensuring availability of women friendly technologies and Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) at local markets which will reduce drudgery of women farmers, minimize the occupational health hazards and increase their work efficiency by saving time, energy and cost of labour.
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.
