In a move aimed at building a future-ready ecosystem for rural employment, Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak, is planning to collaborate with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, to promote agri-based innovation and technology-led startups among rural youth.
The proposed initiative seeks to prepare a roadmap for agri-entrepreneurship by equipping young people with practical skills, innovation-oriented training and startup support in agriculture and allied sectors. The focus will be on creating self-employment opportunities in areas linked to climate-resilient farming, agri-tech solutions and value-added agricultural enterprises, said Sunit Mukherjee, Director (Public Relation), MDU.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Milap Punia held detailed discussions with Dr Rabi Narayan Sahu, Principal Scientist and Programme Leader at ICAR-IARI, Pusa, on launching awareness and capacity-building programmes related to agricultural startups and innovation-driven entrepreneurship.
Speaking on the occasion, Punia said climate resilience and entrepreneurship would play a defining role in the future of work. He said that agriculture and agri-technology-based startups could open new avenues of self-employment, especially for rural youth, provided they are supported with structured training, institutional guidance and innovation opportunities.
He emphasised that young people must be prepared for changing agricultural realities through skill development programmes that combine scientific knowledge, entrepreneurship and practical exposure.
Sahu assured MDU of institutional support from IARI and ICAR, observing that the institutions have played a historic role in India’s agricultural transformation, including the Green Revolution. He said ICAR-IARI was keen to extend its expertise for meaningful academic and entrepreneurial collaboration with the university.
The discussions were attended by Dr Sunil Kumar, Principal Scientist, Centre for Agricultural Bioinformatics, IASRI (ICAR), New Delhi; Professor Ajit Kumar from MDU’s Department of Bioinformatics; scientists from IARI; and MDU Director (Public Relations) Sunit Mukherjee.
The delegation also met MDU Registrar Professor Sandeep Bansal, who welcomed the proposed collaboration and expressed optimism that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between MDU and IARI would open new avenues for academic, research and innovation-based opportunities for students.
“MDU has been steadily strengthening its focus on innovation, incubation and entrepreneurship. The university is also in the process of framing a startup and entrepreneurship policy aligned with the initiatives of the Government of India and the Haryana Government,” said Mukherjee.
