Hyderabad: AgHub, an Agri innovation hub, and The Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with TSIC (Telangana State Innovation Cell) of the Information Technology, Electronics & Communications Department of the state to provide technical backstopping, to grassroot entrepreneurs and students in the state of Telangana.
As part of the Co-Incubation MoU, AgHub and TSIC will help the innovators, entrepreneurs, and students from Tier 2, Tier 3, and rural areas of Telangana, in understanding and developing innovations in a techno-commercial angle within the Agri and allied innovation ecosystem.
Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce (I&C), Jayesh Ranjan, and Information Technology (IT) departments of the Government of Telangana noted that many grassroot innovators and entrepreneurs are on the look-out for avenues to support them and this collaboration would help facilitate the needs of the hour, in the Agri innovation space, especially in the rural areas.
Vice-Chancellor, PJTSAU, and Chairperson, AgHub, Dr. V. Praveen Rao, pointed out that close collaborations and partnering with all ecosystem facilitators would build a strong and enabling ecosystem for aspiring agri-prenuers and start-ups.
He also emphasized the role of PJTSAU as a centre for validating the ideas and innovations through the strong research and extension wings of the university that is home to technical experts and domain specialists.
Managing Director, AgHub, Dr. R. Kalpana Sastry, stated that collaborations of catalysts like AgHub and TSIC will pave the way and facilitate the development of an innovation-driven Agri and allied ecosystem at the grassroots level, thereby providing a launchpad for grassroot innovators and students in the rural landscape of Telangana State.
Chief Innovation Officer, Government of Telangana, Dr. Shanta Thoutam, said “With this timely collaboration with Ag-Hub, we aim to leverage their resources and connections to nurture and scale our Agri and Food innovations. We will explore synergies with Ag-Hub on supporting innovators and startups referred by TSIC in terms of validation, business, mentoring, and other relevant opportunities that are needed to commercialize market-ready products,”.
