Experts to discuss role of technology and marketing in rural economy

The importance of technology and marketing for the prosperity of the farming community will be in focus at a day-long conclave organized in New Delhi on Friday by Rural Voice to mark the second anniversary of the interactive digital media platform dedicated to agriculture and rural economy. Panellists of experts drawn from various fields will deliberate on burning issues before agriculturalists and policy framers, said Harvir Singh, Editor-in-Chief, Rural Voice.

Experts to discuss role of technology and marketing in rural economy

The importance of technology and marketing for the prosperity of the farming community will be in focus at a day-long conclave organized in New Delhi on Friday by Rural Voice to mark the second anniversary of the interactive digital media platform dedicated to agriculture and the rural economy.

Panelists of experts drawn from various fields will deliberate on burning issues before agriculturalists and policy framers, said Harvir Singh, Editor-in-Chief, Rural Voice.

Four sessions with a team of experts as panellists will be held on the following themes: The rationale and basis for a “legal MSP” and its implications - Role of central and state governments; Role of cooperatives, agri start-ups and FPOs for the prosperity of the farming community; New-age agricultural marketing – futures & options and electronic trading; and Technology in boosting agricultural growth and farm incomes.

The panellists will include Prof. Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog; Sundeep Kumar Nayak, IAS, DG, NPC, Ministry of Commerce and Industry; Siraj Hussain, former Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, GoI; Prof. CSC Sekhar, Institute of Economic Growth & member MSP committee; Dr Chandrapal Singh Yadav, Chairman, Kribhco; Dr RS Sodhi, Managing Director, Amul; Dr DN Thakur, President, Sahakar Bharati; Ajay Vir Jakhar, Chairman, Bharat Krishak Samaj; and Subhadeep Sanyal, Partner at Omnivore.

Prakash Naiknavare, Managing Director, NFCSF Ltd; Yogendra Kumar, Director, Marketing, IFFCO; TVK Chaitanya, Head, Agri Commodities, MCX Ltd; Prasanna Rao, CEO and Co-Founder Arya.ag; Murugan Chidhambaram, Head of Digital Transformation and Marketing, Aquaconnect; Dr RS Paroda, Chairman, TAAS and former DG, ICAR and Secretary, DARE; Dr Trilochana Mohapatra, Chairman, NAAS and former DG, ICAR and Secretary, DARE; Dr Harsh Kumar Bhanwala, Chairman, MCX and former Chairman NABARD; Roshan Lal Tamak, Executive Director and CEO - Sugar Business, DCM Shriram Limited; and Dr Renuka Diwan, Director, BioPrime AgriSolutions Pvt Ltd are among the other experts.

Harvir Singh said ministers, officials, agriculture scientists, economists and policy experts, besides farmers, participating in the deliberations, will throw light on the current and future challenges before Indian agriculture.

Rural Voice websites www.ruralvoice.in in Hindi and eng.ruralvoice.in in English are quite a hit. Rural Voice also runs a YouTube channel, ruralvoicein, carrying video stories, interviews and agricultural technology shows. “Rural Voice is not just a news platform — it's for advocacy for good policies for rural India,” Singh explained.

Singh said that Rural Voice, in the span of just two years since its launch, has increased the number of its viewers and readers manifold and also its reach among the farming community. Rural Voice has done thousands of impactful stories and analytical articles for its targeted audience.

Another highlight of the event will be the release of a print version of Rural Voice.

The award ceremony will be graced by Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, Minister of State of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, GoI; and Dr US Awasthi, Managing Director, IFFCO.