Title : Farming start ups from seeding to harvesting

Moderator: Nagrajan Sir, IAS (Director, Higher & Technical Education)

Speaker: Hiranmay Mahanta (SSIP initiative)

: Nagraj Prakasam (IIM-B)

Date & Time : 05/05/2020 (04:00 PM)

Summary:

This webinar primarily focuses on ecosystem along with collaboration between industries, educator and mentor along with people and Government which recognises their collective effort in positive direction to convert this crisis arisen due to Covid19 into an opportunity, as rightly said by Mr. Nagrajan sir. It covers different approaches for ecosystem for different businesses to develop in rural agriculture system to urban services, certain startup stories based on supply chain and Hyper Local Delivery and initiative “Innovate while you isolate”. It includes several thought provoking key changes made in society like: “This Covid19 crisis has made all more tolerant”. Key questions related to start up, ecosystem, recent handling, success and loop holes to resolve which is handled by speakers very interestingly which makes this webinar more fruitful to many entrepreneurs currently finding way in this tough situation to succeed with their startup. Some of the answers handled by speakers  are as mentioned below:

• Idea regarding Management of cash flow in startup. Sustainable management of cash is need of an hour. i.e. indian Rupees Voucher for preserving cash, Angel investment.

• Current reverse migration due to Covid19 with strategies to be adopted to set new normal. Reverse migration may become silver lining as it is shifting youth, the working population to new location which makes government to design new strategy which includes skilling and training them where they are with new technology like Android app design, Teaching, sport so we can bring best for coming future.

• Cluster incubator model, which is group of expertise from different fields, working on one problem which gives sustainable, profitable, demand generating products. This model was successful in countries like China, USA and others. Which should be used by policy makers right now. 

• Some entrepreneurs model like New York model to North Eastern state's cluster model for silk suggests need of producing high quality raw material and product, inplace of importing from China.

• Bengaluru's equal society initiative, which is example of ecosystem where collaboration of different sectors like health sector, people, mentors, industries, NGOs etc join hands for one goal. 

• Textile industry problems and resolution, Issues faced by silk industry of West Bengal to sarees made in South india (kanchipuram sarees). By this example it signifies need to make high quality items from home.

• Right now as we are under isolation due to Covid19, we should use this as "innovate while you isolate". Certain startup stories add up th this, which are currently covering 2 areas: supply chain and hyper local delivery and quickly manufacturing. Whereas as demand rises for home delivery of medication to PPE kit for frontfighters of Covid19. Startups are there which are helping these frontfighters in surveillance via drones, mapping and robots.

• Importance of government in success of any startup by signifying it's role in business continuity via helping MSMEs, ease in patent filing which cause rise in number of patent gets filed, Niti Ayog's focus at school colleges for boost to R&D.