Emerging agri technologies must empower farmers: Agri research council DG

Dr Mangi Lal Jat, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director-General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) emphasised the urgent need for science-led innovation to meet the challenges of climate change, sustainability and food security.

“Emerging agricultural technologies must empower farmers, improve productivity, and safeguard our ecosystems. Emerging agriculture technologies (EAT) for emerging science, technology and innovation conclave (ESTIC-2025) will act as a catalyst for integrating innovation with national priorities,” said Dr Jat, while chairing the curtain raiser of EAT for ESTIC-2025, organised at ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) on Monday. The programme is the beginning of a national initiative aimed at accelerating innovation and technology integration in Indian agriculture, which was attended by senior officials, scientists, agro-industries and experts from across ICAR institutions.

“The thematic area EAT under ESTIC-2025 aims at serving as a catalyst for deliberation and convergence of engineering, biological sciences and digital technologies for building resilient, efficient, and inclusive food systems, mainly focusing on AI & robotics, precision farming, farm automation, and omics-based innovations in agricultural sciences aligning with national goals of Atmanirbhar Krishi and Viksit Bharat 2047,” said Dr Jat.

Dr Raghavendra Bhatta, DDG (Animal Science), ICAR, underscored the importance of integrating animal science with digital innovations, adding that “Sustainable livestock development depends on our ability to combine traditional knowledge with emerging scientific tools.”

Dr Dheer Singh, Director, ICAR–NDRI, highlighted the institute’s role in pioneering technologies for sustainable dairy and livestock production. “ESTIC-2025 will be held from November 3 to 5 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. This conclave will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At NDRI, we are committed to transforming research into real-world applications that enhance resilience and productivity in the farming community,” he said.

Dr Anil Rai, ADG (ICT), ICAR, elaborated on its goals to foster cross-institutional collaboration and technology dissemination. “ESTIC is India’s first of its kind joint platform of different stakeholders of science, technology and innovation. There will be 11 thematic sessions from 13 participating scientific ministries and departments such as Health, Education, Agriculture, Energy, Space, Electronics & IT, Environment and more, will be organised involving diverse fraternity members and stakeholders, thereby bringing together researchers, industry, academia and government under one platform. ESTIC represents the whole-of-government approach,” he said.