Demand for Additional Budget for Content Development and Co-working Space Approved by Agriculture Ministry

Chirag Gupta

New Delhi: In a meeting held under the R.K.V.Y. RAFTAAR Yojana, chaired by Faiz Ahmad Kidwai, Additional Secretary – Marketing, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the demand for additional funding for content development and a startup co-working space was approved. The meeting took place at Krishi Bhawan, where Dr. Anil Kumar Singh, Director of Research at BAU, Sabour, led the presentation of the SABAGRIS project.

Kidwai praised the efforts of the Bihar Agricultural University (BAU) team, commending their work in fostering startups, generating employment, and securing patents and trademarks. He noted that BAU’s performance in these areas has set a high standard for other states. To further support their efforts, a maximum amount of Rs 149 lakh was granted to BAU Sabour by the Ministry, while other incubators received smaller allocations: Rs 85 lakh to Jobner, Rs 72 lakh to Cuttack, and Rs 42 lakh to Kharagpur. A commitment was also made to release additional funds later.

Vice Chancellor D. R. Singh expressed his satisfaction with the government’s support, stating that BAU’s incubation centre is leading the country in its efforts to promote agri-startups, which is reflected in the substantial funds granted by the Government of India.

The announcement was made in the presence of Dr. Ravi Goyal, CEO of CCS-NIAM, Jaipur. The SABAGRIS project, established by BAU Sabour in 2019, aims to enhance farmers’ incomes by improving value chains through agri-startups. Representatives from incubators at IIT Kharagpur, SKN Agricultural University in Jobner, NRRI in Cuttack, and BAU Sabour attended the meeting.

BAU Sabour’s achievements, recognized on a national scale, highlight the impact of sustained efforts to develop the agricultural startup ecosystem in Bihar.