Guwahati, Assam: Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), Guwahati-led Centre of Entrepreneurship (CoE), OctaNE, has launched its flagship AgTech Program, named Assam AgTech OCP (Open Challenge Program), in collaboration with ARIAS Society, Department of Agriculture, Govt. of Assam. The launch event took place on 9th February 2024 at STPI, Near LGBI Airport, Borjhar, Guwahati, and was attended by top officials from the Central and State Governments, industry leaders, academia, investors, startups, and students.
The inauguration of the AgTech summit commenced with the lighting of the lamp by dignitaries, followed by the welcome address delivered by Smt. Vandana Srivastava, Jurisdictional Director, STPI Guwahati. During her address, she highlighted STPI’s initiatives in nurturing the startup ecosystem, including the operationalization of 23 domain-specific CoEs in different cities, with 8 CoEs operational in the NE Region to date.
Various esteemed guests addressed the audience during the summit, including Shri Kumaran Venkatesh, President, Astrome Technologies Private Limited, who emphasized the importance of problem identification and commended the support provided by government initiatives like state-of-the-art Labs created by STPI. Shri Virendra Mittal, IAS, State Project Director, ARIAS Society, Department of Agriculture, Govt. of Assam, detailed the Open Challenge Program by ARIAS in collaboration with STPI to nurture promising startups in the agriculture domain.
Shri Arvind Kumar, Director General, STPI, highlighted STPI’s focus on leveraging technology in the agriculture sector and emphasized the importance of problem identification for startups. Shri Kuntal Sensarma, Economic Adviser & Group Coordinator, MeitY, Govt. of India, elaborated on issues in the Agriculture sector and the opportunities in the Eastern part of India.
Chief Guest, Shri S. Krishnan, IAS, Secretary, MeitY, Govt. of India, lauded the launch of the Assam AgTech OCP and emphasized the immense potential in the Eastern region for agriculture. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was exchanged between STPI and North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (NEDFi) during the summit.
The Assam AgTech OCP aims to bridge the gap between the agriculture and technology sectors, supporting innovators and existing startups in developing solutions for smallholder farmers and Farmer Producer Companies (FPC) in Assam. Selected startups will receive benefits under the STPI OctaNE CoE program, including seed funding, incubation and lab facilities, mentoring, marketing, and networking support.
The AgTech Summit 2024 serves as a catalyst for change, fostering collaboration and innovation to shape the future of Assam’s agriculture sector.
