Hyderabad: Torch-bearing run conducted by Ag Hub at agri varsity

Hyderabad: To celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship, the Agri Innovation Hub (AgHub) of Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU), in collaboration with T-Hub, RICH and NABARD, organised a pre-run up event and relayed the torch at the university auditorium.

Dr V Praveen Rao, Vice-Chancellor, PJTSAU, and chairperson, AgHub, Ajit Rangnekar, Director-General, Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) Somasundaram, Deputy General Manager, TSRO, NABARD, Dr Seema, Dean of Agriculture, PJTSAU, and Vijay Nadiminti, CEO, AgHub, were present. The event attracted more than 1,000 school and college students.

The V-C said "Innovation is key for economic development and sustenance all across the world. It is important for us to have innovation enabling ecosystems, like the one Telangana is striving for. An ecosystem like this creates a series of opportunities for young innovators, connecting them to businesses and industries, providing them access to funding, helping them scale up and accelerate them for faster impact."

Emphasising the importance of creating an innovation ecosystem in the State, Rangnekar said, "Since 2015, The state government has been working towards creating a really strong innovation infrastructure. That is how really the government is supporting the spirit of entrepreneurship."

Somasundaram shed light on role of NABARD as a catalyst for agri- innovations and its effort in promoting grassroot-level innovations with intent to improve livelihood opportunities and creating employment in rural areas.

The event concluded with the relay of torch in presence of students and dignitaries. AgHub is a First-of-its kind Incubator built in a hub and spoke model that caters to creating a vibrant innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem across the agri-food value chain. It strives to nurture entrepreneurship among start-up founders and student entrepreneurs through the innovation hHub at PJTSAU and spur rural entrepreneurship among rural communities through rural innovation spokes at Jagtial, Warangal and Vikarabad. AgHub is funded by NABARD for building an innovation-driven agriculture ecosystem.

The relay runs with the torch are aimed at recognising and celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit of Telangana's robust innovation ecosystem. T-Hub organised this first-of-a-kind event to make innovation inclusive and accessible to entire Telangana.

The torch was lit and flagged off by Telangana State Innovation Cell (TSIC) through Adilabad and Nizamabad on June 22. The Telangana Academy of Skill and Knowledge (TASK) relayed the torch to Ranga Reddy on the same day. It relayed the torch across Mahbubnagar on June 23. T Works relayed it through Warangal and RICH relayed the torch on Thursday through Hyderabad respectively.

Going ahead, WE-HUB will be the torch bearer for Nalgonda and Khammam and will relay it across the districts on June 24. In Hyderabad, the torch will be handed over to MSR, CEO of T-Hub on June 28 at T-Hub which is then given to KTR and will get passed on to prominent unicorn founders, thereby strengthening the commitment to keep nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit in the State.