Atal Incubation Centre (AIC), CV Raman College of Engineering Foundation, Bhubaneswar and Vrihi Foundation have entered into a MoU to develop a collaborative partnership for technology incubation and enhancing knowledge regarding sustainability of agri-food systems, policy development, capacity building, training, and dissemination of best practices.
There is real potential for transformation by bridging agriculture, food and hospitality sectors that has not been optimised yet. Conventional incubation programs are focused on specific sections of the value chain that, at times, may miss the bigger picture.
To bridge that gap, AIC and Vrihi Foundation will co-design, raise co-finance, and co-implement the tech incubation centre for sustainable agri-food-hospitality in heritage produce.
The objectives of the program are:
– Promote technology incubation and research projects of national importance.
– Facilitate training, and capacity-building programs for professionals.
– Encourage innovation, best practices, and policy development through joint studies, seminars, and workshops.
– Provide a platform for industry-academia collaboration to address challenges in transitioning towards sustainable practices in hospitality, food and agriculture.
“At AIC-CVRCEF, we believe that the future of innovation lies in solving interconnected challenges rather than addressing sectors in isolation. This partnership with Vrihi Foundation brings together technology, startups, academia, and industry to develop scalable solutions across the agriculture, food, and hospitality value chain. We look forward to supporting startups, researchers, and innovators who can transform India’s rich heritage produce into sustainable and globally competitive enterprises,” said Dr. Srinivas Nagesha Rao Shroff, CEO, AIC-CVRCEF.
The incubatees will have access to the food labs, hospitality school, agriculture department as well as computer science and AI division of the CV Raman College of Engineering Foundation, making it the first of its kind program where such diverse but interlinked streams can come together to build solutions for the future.
The potential of the partnership extends to:
– Green, low-cost and agile technology incubation in agriculture, food and hospitality
sectors.
– Leadership Development and Capacity Building for Professionals.
– Sustainable Water and Energy Management for Agriculture, Food and Hospitality.
“There is need for a targeted program that works on interlinkages as much as it works on the sectors themselves. Technology or capacity building interventions that aren’t designed around specific value chain needs don’t have much long term impact. We and Atal Incubation Centre at CV Raman Global University have a specific geographic and value chain focus that differentiated the program from others,’’ said Om Routray, Founder of Vrihi Foundation.
The program will develop a collaborative partnership for technology incubation and enhance knowledge regarding sustainability of agri-food systems, policy development, capacity building, training, and dissemination of best practices. The program will also be sensitive to agro-ecology and unique requirements of heritage agriculture related commodities.
