EBTC to set up Centre of Excellence in Vizag

Visakhapatnam: In what seems to be a big leap towards the agriculture sector, the European Business and Technology Centre (EBTC) plans to set up a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Visakhapatnam.

If things shape up as envisaged, a memorandum of understanding towards this will be signed at the Global Tech Summit which is scheduled for two days, starting from Thursday.

The agreement would be inked among the EBTC, National Research Development Corporation (NRDC), local university and Department of Science and Technology (DST). "However, the local university is yet to be zeroed in. Pulsus is contemplating on providing infrastructure space for the purpose," shares Srinubabu Gedela, group's CEO and co-convener of the Global Tech Summit.

The collaborative endeavour would align a local university, a research centre and an organisation, paving the way for a multitude of opportunities for the farmers across Andhra Pradesh to adopt best practices through technology transfer. Plans are also afoot to help the farmers of the state to focus on export-oriented crop production.

Apart from the incorporation of drone technology, the CoE would aid in adopting advanced farming techniques followed by European countries such as GPS-based field mapping, remote sensing to optimise crop yields and minimise environmental impact.

In addition, European agriculture lays a strong emphasis on research and development. "With farmers and private institutions working in tandem, the focus is also on developing new crop varieties, improving soil health and reducing water consumption. Farmers in Andhra Pradesh could gain an edge if they adopt advanced technologies in alignment with local conditions," opines Srinubabu.

Meanwhile, an exhibition of the British High Commission would focus on exploring the scope for enhancing trade opportunities between India and UK and create a hassle-free platform for people to set up shop.

The two-day event will witness the coming together of global leaders, including 30 percent from pharma industries, over 30 percent from IT firms, 40 percent from healthcare sector and academic experts to explore the possibilities of forging alliances.

With the support of the government, the summit will hold meetings in G20 nations month-wise and the event in Vizag is termed as a curtain-raiser for the subsequent events. While 14 summits have already been scheduled, six more are likely to be added to the list. Some of them will be held in Seoul, London, Korea and New York as well.

By the end of the year, the organisers intend to host a mega summit again in Visakhapatnam.

As a part of the inaugural session, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy are participating in the Global Tech Summit in a virtual mode.