At UDYAM Viksit Marathwada conclave, speakers call for stronger farm-industry linkages, local processing, women-led enterprises and technology-driven agriculture
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Seventy-eight years after Marathwada’s political liberation, the region now needs an economic transformation built around agriculture, industry, local processing and entrepreneurship, speakers said at a special edition of the UDYAM — Viksit Marathwada mission held here on Marathwada Mukti Sangram Din. The programme, organised by the Chamber for Advancement of Small and Medium Businesses (CASMB) at MIT, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, brought together industrialists, agriculture experts, entrepreneurs, Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs), students and policy officials. Across five sessions, the recurring argument was that agricultural growth cannot be sustained by farming alone. Processing, inputs, technology, value addition, logistics and rural enterprise will have to expand alongside it.
‘If agriculture has to grow, industry must grow’
Senior industrialist Ram Bhogale, speaking as chief guest, recalled how a conversation with former Union Minister of State for Agriculture Annasaheb Shinde in 1983 changed his understanding of the relationship between farming and industry. “As a young man I believed agriculture deserved priority and industry deserved less. Annasaheb Shinde demolished that belief,” Bhogale said. He argued that the growth of fertiliser, seed, pesticide and food-processing industries had been critical to supporting agricultural production for a growing population. “If you want agriculture to grow, industry must grow first,” he said. Bhogale also urged students to understand the history behind India’s agricultural transformation rather than view food production in isolation from the industries and institutions that support it.
Questions over how subsidies translate into enterprises
Bhogale also raised concerns over the implementation of government schemes and the manner in which subsidies are converted — or fail to be converted — into viable businesses. Government allocations for such schemes are substantial, he said, but the real test is whether the benefit reaches those who need it and whether supported enterprises actually become operational. He pointed to opportunities in small-scale food processing and referred to work being done by institutions such as the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI). Bhogale also spoke about renewable-energy initiatives, including solar pumps and emerging compressed biogas (CBG) technologies based on agricultural biomass.
Five-year entrepreneurship mission
CASMB Secretary General Dr Umesh Kamble announced that the UDYAM Viksit Marathwada initiative would continue through programmes every two months over the next five years. “Nobody will come from outside to start your business. You will have to build it yourself,” Kamble said, framing entrepreneurship as a central component of the region’s economic development. MIT Director General Munish Sharma focused on cotton productivity, arguing that Maharashtra needs greater experimentation, research and improvements in soil management. He also outlined Agri-Win, an initiative aimed at encouraging young people to engage with agriculture.
Processing and marketing as important as production
B. S. Khose, President of the UDCT Alumni Association, Marathwada Chapter, stressed the importance of commercial viability. Production alone, speakers argued, would not substantially improve farm incomes unless accompanied by processing, market access and value addition. Mahesh Dongare of Seva Bharati, Devgiri Prant, urged young people to create livelihoods within Marathwada rather than depending entirely on migration to Pune or Mumbai. He highlighted the potential of farm residue, wastewater and other biomass resources for compressed biogas projects. In a video message, Dr Soumya Swaminathan of the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) emphasised women farmers, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, organic production and value addition, while supporting efforts to create rural entrepreneurs among young women and men.
Climate, AI, carbon markets and specialised crops
The conference covered a range of issues including women farmers, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), climate change, water management, agricultural technology and value chains. Speakers included Dr Venu Madhav Margam of MSSRF, Uday Deolankar, Dr Datta Deshkar and Meghna Badjate. Another session featured Kuldeepak Deshpande of Wonderlands FPC, Akshay Dabhade, Sarang Nerkar of Innosapien Technologies, Kerron Vaishnav, Dr Bhagwan Kapse of Maharashtra Mango and Mukat Joshi of Allganic Farms. Topics ranged from Artificial Intelligence (AI) in agriculture and carbon markets to turmeric value chains and farm-based enterprise models.
Fodder shortage seen as business opportunity
Pandurang Patil of Advanta Seeds highlighted the shortage of green and dry fodder and argued that Marathwada could develop large fodder-production clusters. He said relatively short crop cycles could create recurring income opportunities for farmers while addressing livestock-feed shortages. The figures cited by Patil on livestock numbers and fodder deficits were presented as part of his conference presentation.
Export potential in farm by-products
A later session focused on food policy, regulation, agricultural exports and value addition. Participants included Prof. Dr B. K. Sakhale of UDCT, Govind Suryawanshi of Royal Canin India, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) Deputy General Manager Nagpal Lohakare and Sahdev Satpute. Lohakare pointed to potential products derived from what is often treated as agricultural waste or low-value output — including hesperidin from fallen sweet lime, cosmetic ingredients from pomegranate peel, plant proteins from soybean and tur dal, and natural sweeteners derived from sorghum. He also cautioned exporters about increasingly stringent sustainability and traceability requirements in overseas markets.
Student presents ‘AgriVeer’ portal
Ansh Mahire, a final-year MIT student, presented the AgriVeer portal, designed around the idea of connecting agricultural land, machinery and people interested in farming. The proposed platform uses local-language access along with Kisan ID and Aadhaar-based verification, according to the presentation. Other presentations were made by Kalyan Kanade, Yogesh Patange, Atul Kherde and Shubham Borade, Assistant Director, MSME–MIT Incubation. Regional entrepreneurs and startup founders were felicitated at the valedictory session. The event was held in association with organisations including the UDCT Alumni Association, Seva Bharati Devgiri, AFSTI Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Chapter, MIT CSN, Saptahik Krushi Vivek, MSSRF and Jalasamvad.
PMFME implementation: Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar cites expansion of micro-enterprises
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar District Superintending Agriculture Officer Deepak Gawali, who was felicitated at the programme, presented figures relating to implementation of the Prime Minister Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme. According to figures cited by Gawali, the district ranks among Maharashtra’s leading performers under the scheme, with micro-enterprises operating in areas such as solar drying, flour milling, spice processing, dairy products, papad, pickles, noodles and frozen foods. He also referred to expansion in micro-irrigation and farm mechanisation. The expenditure and beneficiary figures cited during the presentation should be read as figures presented by the official at the event.
Marathwada grows the cocoons, but processing moves out
Rajesh Urkude, Founding Director of the Maharashtra Silk Association, highlighted what he described as a major gap in the region’s sericulture value chain. According to Urkude, Marathwada contributes a substantial share of Maharashtra’s cocoon production, with Beed among the leading districts, but much of the produce is transported outside the region for processing. He argued that inadequate local processing capacity and limited training are constraining the sector and called for environmentally controlled rearing facilities and a stronger policy framework for sericulture.
