AGRISUMMIT 2023

Agri Summit 2023, in association with the Quality Improvement Cell (QIC), the flagship event of SIIB’s Agri-business Management Department, was organized on December 16, 2023, from 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM, on the theme of “Agriculture 4.0: Issues and Challenges in AI and Digital Implementation.” The event explored the changes and transformations needed in the agricultural landscape to unlock the transformative potential of technology, especially AI, revolutionizing traditional farming practices and reshaping perspectives on the agricultural landscape.

The event was inaugurated with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by distinguished guest speakers- Mr Kaushal Jaiswal, MD of Rivulis Irrigation India Pvt. Ltd; Mr. Deepak Sinha, Associate Director, Grant Thornton Bharat LLP; Mr. Pankaj K Dwivedi, Senior Director at Reshamandi; Mr Ferman Haider, Head of Marketing, APAC (Veg Seeds), Syngenta Agro Seeds Ltd., Bangkok; Dr Asmita Chitnis, Director, SIIB; Dr Prakash Rao, Deputy Director, SIIB; and Dr Nisha Bharti, HOD Agribusiness, SIIB. This was followed by an introduction to the event by Professor Sushant Malik. He laid the groundwork by emphasizing the micro-macro parallel of the technologies and their impact on the agricultural landscape, reciprocal influence, and the importance of a holistic approach to address the challenges in AI and Digital Implementation.

After that, each speaker and moderator presented their views on the theme “Agriculture 4.0: Issues and Challenges in AI and Digital Implementation.”. The session was moderated by Dr. Pawan Alamchandani, Chief Human Resources Officer of Prompt Group of Companies. He emphasized Prompt’s digitalization journey, highlighted key issues and challenges, and shared how their company addressed them. Mr Kaushal Jaiswal, MD of Rivulis Irrigation India Pvt. Ltd., discussed digitalization’s role in irrigation and sensor technologies that improve irrigation efficiency. Mr. Deepak Sinha, Grant Thornton’s Associate Director of Public Sector Consulting, provided information about the role of stakeholders through the Commodity Stewardship Council project. Mr. Pankaj K Dwivedi, Senior Director at Reshamandi, emphasized the importance of accurate data collection and establishing long-term data systems in agriculture. Mr Ferman Haider, Head of Marketing, APAC (Veg Seeds), Syngenta Agro Seeds Ltd., Bangkok, emphasized the importance of the commitment of agribusiness professionals for this sector and highlighted a few issues related to data.

Following these informative presentations, an engaging panel discussion addressed essential and critical issues concerning AI and digitalization in agriculture. More data privacy education, privacy norms, advocating for a flexible privacy ecosystem, and data rights awareness are needed on how farmers and industries balance passion and profit and focus on creating viable business models that serve farmers’ interests while generating revenue. The discussion also focused on corporate accountability, the role of intermediaries, digital trust issues, and the fair price determination of the farmers’ data. The challenges of limited resources and ecosystem constraints in AI and digitalization were thoroughly discussed, shedding light on the importance of infrastructure. The summit concluded with unveiling the 9th edition of the department’s agribusiness magazine.

Dr. Nisha Bharti, HOD, Agribusiness, extended a vote of thanks, acknowledging the invaluable contributions of speakers and participants. The Agri Summit 2023 provided a comprehensive platform for delving deeply into the complexities and opportunities presented by AI and digital implementations in agriculture. It sparked insightful debates and envisioned paths for sustainable agricultural growth in an ever-changing technological landscape.