Smart farming

and digital management essential for climate-resilient agriculture: Pro-VC

Prof. (Dr.) Biswaroop Mehra

Prayagraj,

11 March (HS): The Directorate of Innovation, Projects, and Consultancy (DIPC)

at Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences (SHUATS)

organized a high-impact, one-day workshop on Innovative Solutions for Tea

Estates and Plantations today. The event marked a significant milestone

in industry-academic partnership, featuring senior leadership from the Rama

Prasad Goenka (RPG) Group and Harrison Malayalam Ltd. (HML), Kerala.

Inaugural

Session: The program commenced with a prayer by University Chaplain Rev. Lal

Chung Gangte, followed by the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by the Chief

Guest, Prof. (Dr.) Biswaroop Mehra, Pro-VC (Administration). Distinguished

Guests of Honour included Shambhu Jha (Senior Manager - Innovation, RPG Group)

and N. S. Vinod Kumar (Head-HR, HML).

Workshop

Convenor and Director of DIPC, Prof. (Dr.) Darrick Dennis, welcomed the guests

and shared details of a high-level meeting with the Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr.

Jonathan Lal . He highlighted the formal execution of an MoU between SHUATS and

HML. This partnership is a bridge between classroom innovation and field

application. By signing this MoU, we are ensuring that our students' creative

solutions directly address the real-world challenges of the plantation

industry,said Dr. Dennis.

Expert

Perspectives: Prof. (Dr.) Biswaroop Mehra (Chief Guest) Focused on smart and

sustainable farming. He discussed the integration of drones and sensors to

navigate the challenges of small landholdings in India. He emphasized

climate-resilient production models, solar energy, and product diversification

to ensure long-term sustainability. Shambhu

Jha (RPG Group) briefed the audience on the RPG Group’s innovation initiatives

and the strategic importance of partnering with SHUATS.

N. S.

Vinod Kumar (HML) detailed the technological landscape of tea estates in Kerala

and outlined future expansion plans involving young innovators. Er. Varun Paul

(DIPC) provided an overview of the SHUATS-HML Innovation Challenge,

while Er. Ashutosh Kispotta discussed technical advancements in farm machinery

for plantations. A key highlight was the announcement of the HML Innovation

Challenge winners by Joohi Srivastava (IP Development Officer). Prizes were

distributed to the winning teams who presented core solutions for plantation

management. The event concluded with a vibrant Q&A session and a vote of

thanks by Er. Abhishek Kumar Choudhry (Business Development Officer).

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi