Singapore-based bizman calls for building entrepreneurship in agri sector

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 28

Low farm incomes, exodus of next generation from farms to overseas and suicides by farmers have been matters of concern in the state lately.

A city-based NGO, Dilbir Foundation, which has been consistently working with cultivators to improve the situation through natural farming, took up the matter in a meeting with Singapore-based entrepreneur Ashvinder Kundan Singh, who was on a visit to the city.

Ashvinder, who is the founder of several start-ups, including Sikhipedia, and a top gun, INSEAD professor, whose courses are adopted in 20 countries, stressed upon adopting other developing countries riding the “green” and “organic wave” and lamented upon the brain drain in the state.

He talked about the potential to rethink the model and support young aspiring entrepreneurs with the foundation, Khalsa College and some of the top successful Punjabi entrepreneurs for best in class curriculum to help inspire new ideas and launch concepts with confidence.

“Our history depicts the state as a vibrant farming powerhouse for the country. With Guru’s blessings, my hope is that we can leverage new technologies, new consumer interest in organics and a well-connected and affluent Punjabi diaspora to create real opportunities for Punjabi farmers. If we don’t do something, no one else will,” he said.

Gunbir Singh, president, Dilbir Foundation, expressed that dwindling farm economy coupled with degraded soils and the fallen water table was an unsustainable nightmare for the state and its bordering areas.

“We needed an accelerator for our utopic efforts to transform the agriculture business and are happy for Ashvinder, who is committed to build sustainable farm production as well as entrepreneurship in the state,” he said.