AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.

com
4

Volume 03  |  Issue 11  |  January 2023

Publisher & Managing Editor Assistant Editor ( Digital)
Ravindra Boratkar Sanjiv Das,
sanjiv.das@mmactiv.com
Advisor
Dr C. D. Mayee Correspondent: APAC
Former Chairman, ASRB-ICAR Hithaishi C. Bhaskar
Chief Editor hithaishi.cb@mmactiv.com
Dr. Milind Kokje Social Media Communication TOP STORIES
milind.kokje@mmactiv.com Ankit Kankar
Advisor - Content ankit.kankar@mmactiv.com
3Bee raises EU
Vijay Thombre CFO & Special Correspondent 5 Mn to scale
Editor Manasee Kurlekar the protection
manasee.kurlekar@mmactiv.com of pollinators in
Narayan Kulkarni Europe
narayan.kulkarni@mmactiv.com Operations and HR Scan the
QR Code
Executive Editor Asmita Thakar
asmita.thakar@mmactiv.com
Dr. Manbeena Chawla
Lindsay, Ceres
manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com Design
Imaging
Associate Executive Editor MEDIA VISION partners
to support
Dipti Barve Circulation, Subscription
precision
dipti.barve@mmactiv.com and Media Enquiry Scan the
agriculture
QR Code
Assistant Editor Sudam Walekar
Nitesh Pillai, sudam.walekar@mmactiv.com
Corteva,
nitesh.pillai@mmactiv.com NEVONEX
collaborates to
MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications explore digitally
South Region: Apoorva Mahajan (Key Account Executive), “NITON”, Block B, First Floor, 11/3, enabled crop
Palace Road, Bangalore 560052 Mobile- 7724025888 E-mail: apoorva.mahajan@mmactiv.com Scan the protection
QR Code opportunities
West Region:
 Mumbai : Ankit Kankar (DY. General Manager - Digital Intell & Growth)
1st Floor, CIDCO Convention Center, Sector 30A, Vashi, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra-400703.
Mobile: +91-9579069369 ankit.kankar@mmactiv.com
Eion takes in
 Pune : Vipan Kumar (Relationship Executive - Media) $12 Mn Series A
Ashirwad, 36/A/2, S.No. 270, Pallod Farms, Baner Road, Pune-411045 , funding to Scale
Mobile: +91-98347 45564, E-mail: vipan.kumar@mmactiv.com Production of
North Region: Dr. Manbeena Chawla (Executive Editor) Scan the CarbonLock™
103-104, Rohit House 3, Tolstoy Marg, Connaught Place, New Delhi - 110001. QR Code Tech
Tel. No: +91 11 4354 2737 І Contact No. + 91 11 41556270 E-mail: manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com

Nagpur: Manisha Boratkar

402, Govind Apartments, Shankar Nagar Square, Nagpur 440010. Tel. No: +91-712-2555 249 www.agrospectrumindia.com
INTERNATIONAL: Singapore
MM Activ Singapore Pte. Ltd.
Saradha Mani, General Manager #08-08, High Street Centre, 1 North Bridge Road, Singapore Product & Marketing:
- 179094, Tel: +65-63369142 І Fax:+65-63369145 І E-mail: saradha.mani@mmactiv.com Ankit Kankar
email: ankit.kankar@mmactiv.com

Printed and published by Disclaimer:

Ravindra Boratkar on behalf of MM Activ
Sci-Tech Communications Pvt Ltd
Printed at Girish Printers,, 150,153 Shaniwar
Peth, Near Amruteshwar Mandir, Pune 411030.
Phone - +91 9225541400.
Reprinted for private circulation
Published from Ashirwad, 36/A/2, S.No. 270,
Pallod Farms, Near Bank of Baroda, Baner Road,
Pune- 411045. Tel. No: +91 20 2729 1769
www.agrospectrumindia.com
 Views expressed in the published articles Contents and advertisements in Agro

are personal opinions of the contributors. Spectrum are purely for information
Agro Spectrum does not necessarily claim
to support these views. purposes and the Publisher & Editor of
Agro Spectrum give no warranty and
Readers are advised to make proper
 accept no responsibility for the accuracy
enquires before entering into any or completeness of information provided
commitment in relations to advertisements therein. Readers must undertake research
appearing in this publication. The
Printer, Publisher, Editor and Owner of and take professional advice before acting
the magazine will not be liable for any on any information provided in Agro
consequences. Spectrum.
AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
5

Letter from Publisher

Dear Readers,
I wish all our readers and advertisers A Very Happy and Prosperous New Year.
I am sure many of you might bid adieu to 2022 and welcome 2023 with a glass
of wine in hand. India, being the world’s third largest alcoholic beverage market,
the consumption of wine and a ‘wine culture’ are fast becoming part of our lifestyle.
India’s thirst for wine, so to speak, has increased in the last 20 to 25 years, invariably
boosting the wine making industry.
It’s hardly surprising that the Indian wine market is set to grow by $274 million
in just five years from 2021. This will include, not only the domestic consumption,
but also exports, as Indian wines abroad are being recognised for their quality,
matching that of local wines in numerous countries. They’re even reckoned to be
better than some international names, in several instances. The efforts of Indian
winemakers are paying off big time, with some vineyards in India turning into hot
Ravindra Boratkar spots for tourists.
Publisher & A wine producing company entered the stock market last month and its IPO
Managing Editor, was oversubscribed, indicating the people’s confidence in the growth potential of
MD, MM Activ Sci-Tech the wine industry of the country. I think this aptly summarises the success story of
Communications Pvt. Ltd. Indian wines.
As evident from the cover, this issue is dedicated to the Indian wine sector.
Aside from the big, well known brands, the articles and interviews give an insight
into our unexplored wine heritage – wines that are made from various flowers and
fruits. Some, like ‘mahua’ flowers, known for the traditionally made wine, haven’t
really taken off as brands yet, although they do hold great promise. For that to
happen, we will need conducive policies, investments and of course, innovations.
The growth of the wine market must be closely watched and encouraged to
empower farmers. Grape growers, as well as traditional small farmers and tribes
who collect ‘mahua’ flowers, need an encouraging push. For over 3000 years, some
of the tribes like the Santhals, Gonds, Mundas and Oraons have been using this
‘Tree of Life’ called mahua. Another exciting aspect is the experimentation with
fruits that can be used in wines and even in fruit beers, further contributing to the
incomes of fruit growers. AgroSpectrum found this topic interesting from that angle.
As cheese goes very well with wine, this issue also carries an article on cheese,
exploring the export potential of Indian cheese in particular.
With a toast to your good health, I wish you happy reading.
Thanks & regards,

Ravindra Boratkar
Publisher & Managing Editor

Wishes its readers, advertisers,

writers, subscribers and well-wishers a

Happy, Healthy & Prosperous New Year 2023

6 CONTENT AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com

CONTENT
COVER 16

Could
Indian
Be Toast of
the World?

21 24
"India has come a long way Meads -Gaining
and the gap between us Popularity
and global powerhouses is Rohan Rehani,
shrinking" Co-founder, Moonshine
Meadery
Aditya Sekhri,
Associate Director, Strategy & Business
Development, Fratelli Wines

Mahua Wines
22 Promoting Mahua Wines from The Tree of Life & Spirit
AGROSPECTRUM |JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
CONTENT 7

CONTENT
Union Budget 13T H A G R O V I S I O N E X P O

14 Sops, Subsidies & Export

Boost Expectations Continue 33 Centre to set up India’s first ICCA in
Nagpur at Rs 150 Cr: Gadkari
to Ride High

26 Wine & Cheese Appreciation

Comes of Age

29 Peaking Demand for

Flavourful Craft Beer

3R D A N N U A L G V F 2022

39 Why Vertical Farming is a

Crucial Alt Agri Tech

REGULARS

Editorial............................................................. 05 Academic News.............................................. 42

Your Views....................................................... 08 Technology News........................................... 44
Policy News..................................................... 10 Agri-Inputs news............................................. 46
Finance News.................................................. 12 Supply chain news......................................... 48
People News.................................................... 41 Let's Talk Agri.................................................. 50

Subscribe Today &

Avail PREMIUM Readership
benefitsfor a Year!
8 YOUR VIEWS AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com

TOP VIDEO
R G Agarwal,
Chairman,
Dhanuka Group
speaks about
the status of
agrochemical
industry in
APAC region

Scan the QR
Code 

Shanatanu
Gupta,
Executive
Director, Indian Feedback
Oil Corporation
Ltd speaks
about the status Interesting interview
biofuel industry on GM crops
in India The interview of Sir Richard John Roberts,
British Biochemist and Molecular Biologist
& Winner of 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology
or Medicine on GM crops and gene editing
published in AgroSpectrum December 22
Scan the QR issue was very interesting and informative.
Code  Suparn Khandalkar, Nagpur

Useful article on
agri-waste economy
Shantanu The article ‘Farm-to-Fuel Ecosystem:
Pendsey, Circular Economy for Agri-waste’ by Suhas
Chief General Baxi, Co-Founder and CEO, BiofuelCircle
Manager, SBI published in AgroSpectrum December 22
informs about issue was very useful and informative for
contribution of farmers and agripreneurs.
banking sector Naivya Gujrathi, Pune
in agri-finance
sector
Issue on plant-based
meat industry
AgroSpectrum should published an issue
on plant-based meat industry which is
Scan the QR growing across the world. It will be useful
Code  for agriprenuers and agriculture students as
a new industry for exploration.
Twarita Sutawane, Mumbai
AGROSPECTRUM |JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
Neanderthal Hunters
or Farmers?
W
hat did you eat yesterday, or a day
before? A relatively easy question
to answer if your memory is good.
What if this ‘yesterday’ is stretched
further back in time? May now, it’s become a bit
more difficult to answer, but may really not be
impossible. What if you try to learn the types of
foods that your parents or grandparents used to
eat back in the day, decades ago? How about a few
centuries ago, or even a thousand years ago, during
the prehistoric age? What did the humans of that
time period eat? We can only speculate, right? But
not anymore.
Now we know, not only what our forefathers
ate, but even their forefathers! Researchers have
discovered what our closest ancient human
relatives, the Neanderthals, ate. In a cave complex
in northern Iraq, researchers have unearthed
charred remains of the world’s oldest cooked meal.
From what the researchers have found, it appears
that Neanderthals were foodies.
The food leftovers found in Shanidar cave site,
a Neanderthal dwelling, appear to be 70,000
years old. The excavation of the cave in the Zagros
mountain, 500 miles North of Baghdad in Iraq is
coordinated by Charls Hunt, Professor of Cultural
Paleoecology at Liverpool John Moores University.
One important point that emerges from this
discovery is that contrary to the common belief till
now, our cave age forefathers were not consuming
raw meat, but they were consuming cooked meat.
Also, they were not just consuming protein from
animals. In addition to meat, Neanderthals also
consumed plants and seeds. Wild nuts and grasses
were combined with pulses, like lentils, and wild
mustards. Researchers feel that their findings are
the first indicators of a complex diet consisting of a
wide selection of plants which varied depending on
location. Cooking in a typical Neanderthal kitchen
was also complex as they used a range of tricks
to make their food more palatable. Overall, the
leftovers reveal that the cooking involved a variety
of ingredients, processes and deliberate decisions.
What researchers found in the cave was seed
P O LAIG
CRY ON E W
D IST 9
flatbread. They also found evidence of use of
mixtures of seeds in the food. But, while using
seeds, the cave cooks seem to not remove their
outer cover, indicating that they wished to reduce
but not to totally eliminate the pulses’ natural
flavours. They appeared to have some unique
preferences for specific plant flavours. Based on an
analysis by archaeobotanist Ceren Kabukcu and
others, the researchers have even put together a
recipe, based on their analysis and shared it with
people.
Researchers have also analysed remains of the
food 40,000 years old, from the same location
in Iraq and also 12,000-year-old food leftover at
another location called Franchthi cave in Greece.
Interestingly, despite the difference of 30,000 and
58,000 years and distances (Iraq to Greece) similar
plants and culinary practices were found at all
these locations. Researchers look at it as a shared
food culture. Perhaps, we could stretch this further
and speculate upon the existence of a Neanderthal
version of farming, albeit rudimentary.
Two TV anchors in the US, during their
breakfast show, tried to consume some patties
cooked using the ingredients and cooking method
of Neanderthals. However, one of them found
it too unpalatable to consume. Maybe it is an
acquired taste?
Meanwhile researchers are continuing on their
quest to learn more about the ingredients used
and the Neanderthal cooking style. Learning in
depth about our ancestors’ food habits, particularly
nutritious foods, may offer us some guidance
with regard to our approach to food. Afterall, the
search of history is not only for the sake of knowing
history, but it is for the sake of picking up the good
and avoiding the bad.
American author Richard Paul Evans wasn’t
too far off when he said, “The more I study history
the more I realise how little mankind has changed.
There are no scripts, just different actors.”
Dr. Milind Kokje,
Chief Editor
milind.kokje@mmactiv.com
10 P
YOL
UIRC Y
V IN
EEWW
SS
Centre forms advisory group to boost
bamboo sector
Narendra Singh Tomar, Union
Agriculture Minister, has
approved the formation of an
Advisory Group for streamlining
the development of the bamboo
sector. The advisory group
encompasses the representation
of various stakeholders, namely
academicians, researchers, innovators, progressive
entrepreneurs, designers, farmer leaders,
marketing specialists and policy makers. The
inter-ministerial and public- private consultation
is envisaged to dovetail the bamboo initiatives of
the ministries/ departments and to help revamp
the developmental architecture of the sector by
Tomar inaugurates
integrated Agriculture
Investment Portal
Narendra Singh
Tomar, Union Minister
of Agriculture and
Farmers Welfare
inaugurated the
creation of an
integrated 'Agriculture
Investment Portal'
by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers
Welfare in presence of Melinda French Gates,
the Co-Chairperson of Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation during her recent visit to New
Delhi. Krishi Nivesh Portal (Agriculture
Investment Portal) will prove to be a milestone
in terms of investment in the agriculture sector,
which will be a centralised one stop portal
for agri-investors to avail benefits of various
government schemes implemented by various
departments related to agriculture and allied
sectors. He said that this portal would prove
to be handy for the investors, they would get a
lot of help from it. Appreciating the work being
done by the Gates Foundation in various fields
in India, Tomar hoped that working in the
agriculture sector in India by the Foundation
would prove to be a good experience.
AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
incorporating synergy between
all the sections related to the
bamboo value chain. The subject
experts and other stakeholders
who are actively working in the
bamboo sector will advise about
the areas to be focused as well
as the policy interventions to be
taken in coordination with other stakeholders of
the sector. The members of the committee shall
advise on issues and technologies in propagation,
plantation of bamboo and intercropping, primary
processing, product development, value addition,
market infrastructure and linkages, processing
machineries, skill development, etc.
Centre unveils
Horticulture Cluster
Development Programme
The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers
Welfare has prepared the Horticulture Cluster
Development Programme (CDP), for which a
meeting was held under the chairmanship of
Narendra Singh Tomar, Agriculture and Farmers
Welfare Minister for its proper implementation.
Tomar said that the states of Arunachal Pradesh,
Assam, West Bengal, Manipur, Mizoram,
Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, among others,
should also be included in the list of 55 clusters,
identified with their focus/main crops. The CDP
will create cluster-specific brands, while helping
the economy, to integrate them into national and
global value chains, thereby providing higher
remuneration to farmers. The CDP will benefit
around 10 lakh farmers and related stakeholders
along the value chain. The CDP aims to improve
exports of targeted crops by about 20 per cent
and create cluster-specific brands to enhance
the competitiveness of cluster crops. A lot of
investment will also come in the horticulture
sector through CDP.
AGROSPECTRUM |JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
Centre releases data products and services of
RISAT-1A satellite for the user community
The government of India led by Dr Jitendra Singh,
Union Minister of State Science & Technology
and Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of
Agriculture & Farmers Welfare recently
released the data products and services
of RISAT-1A satellite for the user
community in Krishi Bhawan, New
Delhi. Dr Jitendra Singh informed
that some of the unique operational
applications which RISAT-1A offer
include “Revolutionary Radar Images” which is
High-End, Strategic Technology mainly used for
Defence, but in this case will be widely utilised for
civilian use in the agriculture sector. The minister
said, data from RISAT-1A include kharif crop sowing
Ag Ministry, ISB to
enhance agriculture-
nutrition convergence
Indian School of Business (ISB) has announced its
collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and
Farmers Welfare, Government of India to further
strengthen agriculture-nutrition convergence. The
collaboration will be led by ISB, the University of
Sheffield (UoS) and the London School of Hygiene
& Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). ISB will anchor
this collaboration in the ministry which will further
augment the government’s efforts in improving
nutrition outcomes and strengthening agriculture-
nutrition convergence while establishing an
institutional mechanism to identify convergence
opportunities at both central and state levels. Over
a five-year period, UoS, LHSTM, and ISB, along with
ISB’s implementation partners – CInI-TATA Trusts,
MicroSave Consulting (MSC) and Policy Development
and Advisory Group (PDAG), will work towards
the vision to increase the accessibility, availability,
and affordability of Nutrient-Dense Foods for low-
income population in underserved areas through
agriculture-nutrition policy convergence, such that
improving nutrition outcomes amongst the target
audience becomes a stable policy outcome over an
extended time horizon.
PPO
OLLIIC
CYY N
NEEW
WSS 11
prospect, estimating crop damage severity levels,
forest cover mapping and water body mapping
etc. Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that RISAT-
1A was the first satellite funded by four
users’ ministries namely, Ministry of
Agriculture & Farmers welfare, Ministry
of Jal Shakti, Ministry of Home Affairs
and Department of Space. He said, this
is first of its kind in the Indian space
programme, as the data from this satellite
is having significant use in agriculture and disaster
management sectors. The Minister said, this also
underlines Prime Minister Modi’s Integration
Approach as well as Whole of Government Approach
and added that with the involvement of Kisans.
DAHD integrates 12 breed
improvement institutions
with PM Gati Shakti NMP
The Department of Animal Husbandry and
Dairying (DAHD) has initiated the process
for integration of various infrastructures of
the department with Prime Minister (PM)
Gati Shakti-National Master Plan (NMP).
As a first step, DAHD has integrated its 12
breed improvement institutions (7 central
Cattle Breeding Farms, 4 Central Herd
Registration Scheme and Central Frozen
Semen Production & Training Institute)
located at various locations of the country
with PM Gati Shakti NMP, a digital platform
to bring 16 ministries including Railways
and Roadways together for integrated
planning and coordinated implementation
of infrastructure connectivity projects.
This multi-modal connectivity will provide
integrated and seamless connectivity for
movement of people, goods and services
from one mode of transport to another. It
will facilitate the last mile connectivity of
infrastructure and also reduce travel time.
The integration of other institutions such
as Regional Fodder Stations (RFS), Central
Poultry Development Organisations (CPDO)
etc. with PM Gati Shakthi NMP is under
progress.
12 P
Y
F IONU
LAIRC
NYC
VEIN
EEN
WWESW
SS
Bayer
CropScience
reports
Rs 14,519 Mn
Ops revenue in
Q2 FY23
Bayer CropScience Limited
(BCSL) has announced its
unaudited results for the
quarter (Q2) and half year
ended (H1) September 30,
2022. For Q2 ended September
30, 2022, BCSL registered
Revenue from Operations of
Rs 14,519 million as compared
to Rs 13,651 million in the
corresponding period of FY
2021-22. Profit Before Tax
stood at Rs 2,290 million,
compared to Rs 2,195 million
in the corresponding period
of the previous financial year.
For the H1 ended September
30, 2022, BCSL reported
Revenue from Operations of
Rs 31,193 million compared
to Rs 27,810 million for the
corresponding period in FY
2021-22. Profit Before Tax
for the H1 ended September
30, 2022 stood at Rs 6,113
million, compared to Rs 5,395
million for the corresponding
period in FY 2021-22. BCSL
concluded the sale of a part of
its seed distribution portfolio
comprising of mustard, millet,
cotton and sorghum seeds in
Q3 of FY 2021-22.
AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
Deepak Fertilisers posts
Rs 276 Cr net profit in Q2 FY22-23
Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Corporation Limited
(DFPCL), one of India’s leading producers of industrial
chemicals and fertilisers, announced its results for the
quarter ended September 30, 2022. The company registered
best financial performance with high growth in Q2 and H1.
Company’s Q2 FY 2022-23 net profit jumped nearly threefold
to Rs 276 crore whereas revenue was up by 51 per cent. DFPCL's
Q2 Fertilisers Segment revenues grew by 47 per cent y-o-y
with segment margins of 7 per cent. Although the southwest
monsoon started off abnormally, it made a full recovery
after June. India received above normal rainfall during the
monsoon season (June -Sept). Croptek Cotton and Maize
was introduced in the Kharif season. Croptek
sales volumes received
during the quarter
encouraging
which was majorly in
response
Cotton, Maize and Sugarcane. Restricted
availability of Muriate of potash
(MOP), key source
of Potassium i.e ‘K’,
majorly impacted
Smartek portfolio in
Q2.
UPL’s Advanta Seeds, Bunge
to acquire 40% stake in
SEEDCORP|HO
UPL Ltd, a global provider of sustainable agricultural
solutions, has announced that its company, Advanta Seeds
UK and Bunge have signed an agreement to acquire a 20 per
cent stake each in SEEDCORP|HO. This intended investment
is part of UPL Group’s OpenAg purpose to drive collaboration
to offer a complete package of solutions for farmers. It also
underscores the company’s commitment to supporting every
stage of the agricultural process, from sowing to post-harvest.
Through the agreement, Bunge intends to expand its barter
portfolio to reinforce its grain sourcing position in Brazil. The
deal also expands the portfolio of products and services to be
offered by Orígeo, a recently announced joint venture between
Bunge and UPL, which will provide complete and sustainable
solutions for farmers in Brazil.
AGROSPECTRUM |JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
FFIP
IN
NOAALN
NI C
CEYE N
NEEW
WSS 13

India overtakes China with

record-breaking $4.6B agrifood
tech investments in FY2022
India has overtaken China as Asia Pacific’s biggest funder of
agrifoodtech innovation, attracting record levels of investment nurture.farm
unveils ‘Bhav
in the fiscal year April 2021 to March 2022, according to
AgFunder and Omnivore’s fourth
India AgriFood Startup Investment
Report. With $4.6 billion in
Guarantee’
agrifood venture capital investments insurance
in FY2021-22, India’s agrifood
ecosystem is finally receiving the
service
funding required to tackle the Bengaluru-based nurture.
challenges faced by smallholder farm, India’s leading agri-
farmers, rural communities, tech organisation, has
agricultural value chains, and food systems. Farmtech startups launched a first-of-its-kind
closed $1.5 billion in funding, a 185 per cent increase on the $527 product offering to derisk
million raised in FY2021. Rapidly improving technology adoption farmers against market price
buoyed this segment of agrifoodtech, together with steady demand fluctuations. The product
for traceable quality produce, encouraging innovations aimed at offering is launched as part
ironing out chronic inefficiencies. Agribusiness Marketplaces of its flagship insurance
overtook Midstream Technologies to become the most funded programme ‘Kavach’ and
upstream category in FY2022. The former raised $569 million in is called Bhav Guarantee.
FY2022, a 7x jump from the $86 million raised in FY2021. The Kavach Bhav Guarantee
product aims to help farmers
get fair value for their produce
BharathKisaan raises Rs 100 Cr and minimise financial losses
from Grow Money Capital in case of price fluctuations.
While it is difficult to predict
New Delhi-based agritech startup BharathKisaan has the mandi prices for different
announced that the company has raised Rs 100 crore from crops as these prices depend
Grow Money Capital Pvt Ltd. The investment is a structured on a large number of variables,
deal involving debt flow under collect and pay trade model, nurture.farm has created
which is an exclusive proprietary product of BharathKisaan a risk cover mechanism
platform. Under BharathKisaan collect and pay model, small, through which the farmer
marginal farmers and FPOs have access to all the buyer is compensated for the
class of agri trade ecosystem like agriprocessors, general fluctuations in prices of their
trade merchants, modern trade partners, direct to consumer end produce. The advantages
brands and HoReca partners. BharathKisaan acts as price of the Bhav Guarantee product
discovery platform among agri buyers and agri sellers with offering include an index-
collect and pay model trade engagement. With the collect based trigger, shorter disbursal
and pay model; trade happens with certainty, this has window, and direct transfer
given wings for all agri buyers, agri sellers especially of the compensation amount
farmers and FPO’s to trade at PAN India level. to the farmer’s bank account.
BharatKisaan enables agri buyers nurture.farm has partnered
and agri sellers with price discovery with Advanta Seeds to launch
services, zero risk trade, zero cost Kavach Bhav Guarantee
warehouse rental solutions, zero for farmers who purchase
cost warehouse finance solutions, Advanta’s Raadhika, Jaani or
forward contracts with direct-to- Ratna brand of Okra seeds.
consumer labels.
14 U
F IO
Y NNIUA
ORN
NCVBE
IE
UNW
DEG
SWES
T AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com

Sops, Subsidies & Export Boost

Expectations Continue to Ride High
The Union Minister of Finance, Nirmala Sitharaman, is getting ready to deliver the annual Union
Budget on February 1, 2023. With the government expecting to bring in more money than
expected in FY23, all eyes are on the Narendra Modi administration to see if it can make good on
its promise of fiscal consolidation. However, like many other sectors, the agriculture industry is
also looking forward to the upcoming budget with a host of expectations from the government.

T
he agricultural industry in India was one
of the few that grew significantly despite
the pandemic. Increasing the income of
farmers by a factor of two by 2022–23
and reaching a GDP of $5 trillion by 2024–25
will remain the government's top priorities.
They anticipate Sops/allocations or incentives
in the upcoming fiscal year's agri-infrastructure,
exports, retail segment, storage facilities, and
credit-related services and allocations to improve
their social security situation.
Expressing his expectations from the
upcoming budget, Dr Neeraj Agarwal, Director
& COO, Resvera Winery stated, “Because of its
potential to boost rural economies by creating
jobs and increasing incomes for locals, I hope that
the wine and fruit wine industry is given higher
priority in the food processing sector. This would
be in line with my expectations and with Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's stated goals of doubling
farmers' incomes through value addition. The
wine-producing regions of the world are the most
prosperous places in the world.”
“The finance minister has to do a balancing
act in the budget. It is anticipated that the
FY23–24 budget would significantly emphasise
private sector investment to help farmers protect
their crops from the effects of climate change.
The government might relax regulations to
make investing easier for the private sector.
Shortcomings in post-harvest infrastructure
are often critical factors in determining how
much food is lost in the supply chain. A lack of
processing equipment, driers, cold chain facilities,
storage etc. often leads to the unnecessary loss of
produce. Government should prioritise effective
warehouse management, and expanding finance
availability will aid farmers in safeguarding their
harvest from external threats,” said Ashok Prasad,
Co-Founder & CEO, Unnati.
After China, India is the world's second-
largest producer of agricultural and horticultural
crops. However, the country has a relatively
small presence on the worldwide market,
particularly in the category of products with a
high premium and a high price. Commenting on
the Budget expectations, Tarun Arora, Director,
Single Family Office, IG International said, “It
is suggested that the government come up with
a liberal allocation for setting up post-harvest
facilities. By incentivising private investment
and channelling agritech investments through
government-led initiatives, the industry can
propel growth and the economy. The same can
be replicated for cold storage and cold chain
logistics as well. Already the government is
doing these things but the nation needs more.
Increased Funds for Agri Logistics infrastructure
development, better connectivity and hassle-free
access to the market and fewer holdups, a subsidy
of power and fuel, and such things are welcome.”
He further stated that with the budget
around the corner, the industry expects there
to be greater allocations and incentives that
can be a game-changer for the fruit industry,
especially at a point where climate change is
increasingly threatening the food supply. To make
the sector resilient and for a smooth transition
to sustainable agriculture, industry urges the
government to make adequate budget allocation
so that it covers even the smallest of the farmer as
well. There is huge potential in the Agri industry
and a sound financial policy can unleash the Agri
boom.
Even though farm regulations were
repealed toward the end of the previous year,
the government still intends to expand the
agricultural sector and is quite likely to encourage
value-added production in agricultural products
to increase the revenue of agricultural producers.
AGROSPECTRUM |JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
Providing services that create value is absolutely
necessary to develop backward linkages to farms.
This would also involve providing the farmers
with assistance in selling their products in foreign
countries, aiding them in building marketplaces
for their goods. Additionally, priority should be
given to the provision of adequate transport,
marketing, and branding incentives for exports of
a wide variety of agricultural products.
Speaking in a similar vein, Rajamanohar
Somasundaram, Founder & CEO, Aquaconnect
stated, “In recent times, farmers are adversely
impacted by the rising production cost due to
the increased farm input prices and making it
difficult for our exports to compete with our
counterparts. We expect favourable policies and
subsidies to help reduce feed prices and power
costs to control the prices. Although aquaculture
carries high production risks, unlike agriculture
farmers, fish and shrimp farmers are yet to get
subsidies on insurance premiums. Lack of subsidy
on insurance premiums demotivates the farmers’
from availing any risk mitigation for their crops,
as this adds to the production cost significantly.
Support on premiums from the government
will help farmers to a large extent in mitigating
production risks.”
Turning the focus on the Carbon market for
sustainable practices, Shailendra Singh Rao,
Founder and MD of Creduce stated, “The first
and foremost expectations from the government
in this budget is to clearly define the Carbon
market for sustainable practices in India across
multiple sectors. This would not only help in
enhancing energy efficiency but also seek to
provide energy security and sustainability. The
clarity on the Carbon market will also help the
Government define a low carbon path as well as
reduce emissions thus taking PM Modi's goal of
Net-Zero 2070 towards fruition. Provisioning
the development of the same would help farmers
accrue Carbon Credits and thereby make better
money. It would also help up and coming
industries to adapt better energy practices and
incentivise them at the initial stage. This would
also boost voluntary carbon credit owners
to participate in the larger proaces of energy
efficiency. The budget should also provision
funds for the promotion, understanding and
propagation of ideas around Carbon Credits and
Energy Efficiency.”
Nitin Konde
L I VU
EPN
SOITO
LON
ICB
K
Y UNDEGWEST 15
“Because of its potential to boost
rural economies by creating
jobs and increasing incomes for
locals, I hope that the wine and
fruit wine industry is given higher
priority in the food processing
sector. This would be in line with
my expectations and with Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's stated goals of doubling
farmers' incomes through value addition.”
Dr Neeraj Agarwal,
Director & COO, Resvera Winery
“The government might relax
regulations to make investing
easier for the private sector.
Shortcomings in post-harvest
infrastructure are often critical
factors in determining how much
food is lost in the supply chain.”
Ashok Prasad, Co-Founder & CEO, Unnati.
“It is suggested that the
government come up with a
liberal allocation for setting
up post-harvest facilities.
By incentivising private
investment and channelling
agritech investments through
government-led initiatives, the
industry can propel growth and the economy. ”
Tarun Arora,
Director, Single Family Office, IG International
“Although aquaculture carries
high production risks, unlike
agriculture farmers, fish and
shrimp farmers are yet to
get subsidies on insurance
premiums. Lack of subsidy on
insurance premiums demotivates
the farmers’ from availing any
risk mitigation for their crops, as
this adds to the production cost significantly.”
Rajamanohar Somasundaram,
Founder & CEO, Aquaconnect
“The first and foremost
expectations from the
government in this budget is to
clearly define the Carbon market
for sustainable practices in India
across multiple sectors. This
would not only help in enhancing
energy efficiency but also seek to
provide energy security and sustainability.”
Shailendra Singh Rao,
Founder and MD of Creduce stated
16 C
YOU
VER RV I E W S AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com

Could
Indian
Be Toast of
the World?

Wines from India are now among the best in the world. People were more open to trying
new wines of all sorts and price points while quarantined at home or while binging on home-
cooked meals as a form of entertainment during the pandemic-induced shut down, which
contributed to the resurgence of India's viticultural industry. Wine sales have surged as a
result of new brand innovations aimed at appealing to customers. As statewide alcohol
restrictions have been loosened, the industry too has got a new occasion to rejoice. What
remains to be seen is a marked increase and acceptance of Indian wines for their quality,
taste and brand value. Let's explore this facet of the Indian wine industry.

T
he global wine market is projected to
grow at a compound annual growth
rate (CAGR) of 3.18 per cent to reach
$146.820 billion by 2027, from $117.936
billion in 2020, according to the November 2022
report from Knowledge Sourcing Intelligence.
The report noted that with rapid urbanisation
and modernisation, the disposable income of
families is increasing. With increased disposable
income, they tend to upgrade their living standard
and make a shift toward attaining luxuries.
Moreover, wine intake at business meetings
tends to become normal and is also considered
a status symbol. Along with it, wine also helps in
reducing heart diseases, combating inflammation,
and promoting gut bacteria. As per OIV (the
International Organisation of Vine and Wine)
records, the world’s wine consumption in 2020
was 234 million hectolitres (Mhl). USA, France,
Germany, UK, and Italy are the five biggest wine-
consuming countries across the globe.
Millennials and Gen Z are currently under
the influence of clubs, cafes, and nightlife
culture. Increased digitalisation and social
media influence have made café culture a new
normal. This is acting as a driving factor for the
demand for alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages
in general. Along with it, after the COVID-19
pandemic, countries are taking up initiatives to
reboot the tourism sector. This also has led to the
AGROSPECTRUM |JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
expansion of the tourism industry, which further
has encouraged the hotels to demand premium
quality alcoholic beverages such as wine.
The market players are regularly analysing
the market trends and working on research
and development to take up fruitful investment
projects and make innovative product launches
such as working on newer flavours and methods
that will be helping in enhancing their product
offerings.
Shift in cultural norms
A growing segment of the population,
particularly the younger generation, is drinking
more wine as a result of shifting cultural norms
and the rise of a more urban consumer mentality.
There has been a rise in both wine consumption
and production as a result of this. There has also
been a dramatic expansion of vineyards, which
has resulted in more wine being produced. With
its ability to satisfy one's thirst, rose wine is
quickly becoming a summertime staple, leading to
a rise in rose wine manufacturing. Therefore, the
expansion of the rose wine market is expected to
be driven by the rise in wine production over the
forecast period, the report adds further.
According to the official data presented by
the government, India has exported 2.47 lakh
metric tonnes of alcoholic products to the world
for the worth of $322.12 million during 2020-21.
The major export destinations of Indian alcoholic
products in 2020- 21 were United Arab Emirates,
Ghana, Singapore, Congo, and Cameroon, etc.
Maharashtra has become an important state for
wine manufacturing as there are more than 35
wineries in the state. Around 1,500 acres are
used for grape cultivation for wine production in
Maharashtra. To promote wine manufacturing,
the state government has declared the wine-
making business a small-scale industry and has
also offered excise concessions.
The demand of India’s alcoholic beverages
products like beer made from malt, wine, white
wine, brandy, whiskies, rum, gin, etc. has
increased manifold in the global market. The
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export
Development Authority (APEDA) has conducted
several workshops and wine tasting events at
various international trade fairs for creating
awareness about the potential of Indian wines.
Indian Wine industry has grown at compound
annual growth rate of 14 per cent during 2010 to
S TA
P ORLTI C
UYPCNOEVW
ESR 17
2017 making it the fastest growing industry under
alcoholic beverage in the country.
Commenting further on this latest trend,
Dr Neeraj Agarwal, Director & COO, Resvera
Winery stated, “Initiation and development of
Indian wine industry is just three decade old
and this development is with the individual
efforts of few entrants namely, Chateau Indage,
Sula Vineyards in Maharashtra and Grover
vineyards in Bengaluru . We are making wines in
subtropical climates compared to well established
wine countries making wine for centuries and that
too in temperate climatic conditions. Now, Indian
wines have reached a certain level of quality. But
this needs to be introduced in western countries
for acceptance, requiring efforts in that direction.”
Currently, top Indian wine exporters that
contribute to international wine market are
Resvera Wines, Sula Vineyards, Good Drop
Wine Cellars, Hill Zill Wines, KLC Wines, Soma
Vine Village, Grover Zampa Vineyard, Plateaux
Vintners, ASAV Vineyards and Fratelli Vineyards.
The major export destinations of Indian alcoholic
products in 2020-21 were United Arab Emirates,
Ghana, Singapore, Congo, and Cameroon, etc.
Centre's boost to exports
The governments of Maharashtra and
Karnataka, anticipating increased production in
the years ahead, have taken a number of measures
to bolster the wine industry. Excise taxes on in-
state wines are being lowered or even eliminated,
distribution limits are being loosened, and
financial incentives are being offered to encourage
the establishment of vineyards and wineries.
Additionally, these states have implemented
significant excise taxes on both domestic wines
and wines from outside the jurisdiction. The state
government of Maharashtra has relaxed rules
and procedures for setting up vineyards and wine
shops.
The state government has also encouraged
investment in the wine business by establishing
wine industrial parks. Excise duty exemptions
granted to Maharashtra wineries in 2001 for
wines manufactured from state-grown grapes
expired in December 2021. Those in the local
business community are keeping their fingers
crossed for a favourable extension. Currently,
wineries in Maharashtra pay a value added tax
(VAT) of 20 per cent to the state government,
with roughly 16 per cent of that revenue returned
18 C
SO
Y TAU
VRE
RTRV
UIPE W
NESW S AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com

to the businesses.
Karnataka, like Maharashtra, offers financial
incentives to encourage the cultivation of grapes;
in this case, a subsidy of Rs 50,000 per hectare
for newly planted vineyards. Market promotion
events like wine festivals and tasting classes are
just some of the many things the Karnataka Wine
Board (KWB) organises regularly, in the state's
smaller cities. The Government of Karnataka has
approved a certification programme that KWB
has launched.
Further making suggestions to the
government, Dr Agarwal stated, “Government
of India should allow soft publicity of wines.
Also, interstate barriers must be abolished and
label registration fee and license fee should be
reduced in all states. This will ensure ease of
doing business, to develop the domestic market
first which has huge potential to grow. In turn,
it will help improve the rural economy by way
of generation of jobs in rural areas and growth
of wine tourism in rural areas. As wineries are
dependent on grapes and fruits, available in rural
areas, wineries must be established there, further
developing the rural economy.”
To further ramp up the Indian wine exports,
the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
(FSSAI) has started affixing labels on the beverage
bottles, declaring the standards and specifications
of the products in a globally compliant manner.
The move could not only catalyse formalisation of
the sector but could dramatically increase Indian
wines’ access to various export markets. The
standards put out by the FSSAI are in consonance
with the global best practices prescribed by the
Paris-based Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV),
which consists of 46 wine-producer countries,
including India.
The FSSAI labels indicate the origin of
wine, the range of sugar, variety of grape
used, residues/preservatives used, vintage etc.
These also carry statutory warning of alcoholic
content. India was nowhere on the global wine
industry map until the Sula Vineyards off Nashik
in Maharashtra caught the attention of wine
connoisseurs in recent years and emerged to
become the first Asian winery outside China to
sell 1 million cases in a year.
Yatin Patil, former President, All India
Wine Producers Association (AIWPA), said,
“These norms would mean that there are proper
definitions of red wine, white wine and wine
Top Indian Wine Exporters
Resvera Wines Sula Vineyards
Good Drop Wine Cellars
Hill Zill Wines KLC Wines
Soma Vine Village
Grover Zampa Vineyard
Plateaux Vintners ASAV Vineyards
Fratelli Vineyards
producers would also be required to share details
about the root stock that goes into the making of
the wine. This would bring in standardisation in
the industry.”
Creating fine wines using tech
Winemaking and retailing are vulnerable
to the effects of climate change, as well as
the increasing need for transparency and
accountability from consumers at all stages of
the supply chain. The wine business, like the
rest of the agricultural sector, is struggling to
adapt to the effects of climate change and the
unpredictability of irrigation. But technological
progress is giving vines the ability to adapt
to these changes. In India, forward-thinking
winemakers employ a variety of techniques,
including switching the grape-growing season,
substituting kiwi fruit for grapes, and putting
wine in cans.
The use of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors in
vineyards is another trend that is gaining traction
in India's wine sector. By using this technology,
winemakers can maintain a careful check on
the soil conditions and other equipment that
are crucial to the growth of the grapes and other
AGROSPECTRUM |JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
ingredients used to manufacture high-quality
wine. Saving money and time while protecting
the vineyard and its environment is a win-win
for everyone involved in the winemaking process
thanks to modern technological advancements.
Touching more on the technological domain,
Vivek Chandramohan, Chief Executive Officer,
Grover Zampa Vineyards said, “In addition
to incorporating cutting-edge equipment and
processes, Grover Zampa Vineyards is looking
into purchasing clay amphorae to implement
some of the traditional Georgian winemaking
techniques. It also hopes to implement high-tech
sensors and drones in the vineyards. The drones
will perform 24-hour surveillance of a large
region using sophisticated equipment that may
detect diseases at an early stage and measure
other variables. The quality of grape will increase
and water usage will decrease thanks to new sap
flow sensors that will only enable watering when
there is an optimal amount of hydric stress. By
managing all these operations through tech-
driven solutions, we are not only going to enhance
the quality but also help our exports to grow.”
“Our best bet is our climate where abundant
sunlight is available round the year which is
needed to develop good quality grapes and
development of sugar and flavors in grapes to
make good quality wines. But R&D is needed
aggressively,” opined Dr Agarwal.
Taxation woes
Similar to other industries, the Indian wine
business has a number of obstacles that prevent it
from flourishing. There is potential for the Indian
wine market to expand, but it is being hampered
by factors such as taxation, inter-state laws, and
P O L I C YCNOEVW
ESR 19
“Arunachal is promoting
wine culture in the state”
India’s first organic Kiwi
Wine was launched in
2017 with the brand
name Naara Aaba from
Zero Valley in Arunachal
Pradesh. The company
also launched plum, pear,
peach and wild apple wines
with the production of 60,000 litres per
batch. The Agriculture Ministry of Arunachal
Pradesh is promoting unique products, to get
into the international market.
India’s Northeastern region has a wine
culture. The state has a few small wineries
and breweries which produce local beer from
rice, millet and maize. Apong or Opo (rice
beer) and Marua (millet beer) are traditional
alcoholic drinks famous in Arunachal
Pradesh. On the occasion of IMY Arunachal
government is planning to build a millet beer
plant in the state. The wine business in the
state has provided income opportunities for
farmers and jobs for youths.
Tage Taki,
Agriculture Minister of Arunachal Pradesh
currency fluctuations. The cost of importing
and exporting booze throughout the country is
affected by both global and domestic currency
fluctuations. Because of the volatility of the dollar,
the cost of exporting wine is always fluctuating.
Raising another issue, Dr Agarwal mentioned,
“To enhance the demand for Indian wines abroad,
we must reach out to the global consumers,
present our wines, give a taste of our wines and
understand what global consumers are looking for
in Indian wines. Currently, mainly Red wines from
India are accepted abroad but at present, in the
countries where the Indian population is more.”
A further popular belief is that if the public
is educated about the positive effects of wine on
health, it will significantly alter the status quo.
However, in dispelling this myth, Dr Agarwal
stated that while the world at large is aware of the
health advantages of wine, more attention needs
to be paid to the unique qualities of Indian wines
and the terroir from which they emerge.
20 C
YOU
VER RV I E W S
“Indian wines still need to establish their
reputation, and right now they don't even
compare to the winemakers of the rest of the
world. Research and development (R&D) in grape
growing and winemaking is necessary because
there is still research work being done in India to
improve grape production and quality and wine
making, and then it needs to be taken to global
consumers to explain Indian wines and give the
taste of Indian wines to consumers around the
world,” opined Patil.
Increasing global presence
The Indian wine sector is primed for a surge
in international wine exports, but it has a long
way to go before it reaches its full potential. In
spite of these challenges, the industry has seen
a significant uptick in home consumption, and
regional manufacturers are posing a formidable
challenge to global leaders. Sustained investment
and monitoring are essential to meet the pressing
demand for R&D to improve grape quality for
the production of wine of superior quality for
AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
Indian wines still need to
establish their reputation,
and right now they don't even
compare to the winemakers
of the rest of the world. R&D in
grape growing and winemaking
is necessary because there is
still research work being done
in India to improve grape production and quality
and wine making, and then it needs to be taken to
global consumers to explain Indian wines and give
the taste of Indian wines to consumers around
the world.”
Yatin Patil, former President, All India Wine
Producers Association (AIWPA)
“To enhance the demand
for Indian wines abroad, we
must reach out to the global
consumers, present our wines,
give a taste of our wines
and understand what global
consumers are looking for in
Indian wines. Currently, mainly
Red wines from India are accepted abroad but
at present, in the countries where the Indian
population is more.”
Dr Neeraj Agarwal,
Director & COO, Resvera Winery
“In addition to incorporating
cutting-edge equipment and
processes, Grover Zampa
Vineyards is looking into
purchasing clay amphorae
to implement some of the
traditional Georgian winemaking
techniques. We hope to
implement high-tech sensors and drones in the
vineyards. By managing all these operations
through tech-driven solutions, we are not only
going to enhance the quality but also help our
exports to grow.”
Vivek Chandramohan,
Chief Executive Officer, Grover Zampa Vineyards
export. There has been a significant trend toward
incorporating cutting-edge technology into
vineyard operations, which is key to boosting both
quality and quantity produced. In addition, if
India wants to take the lead in the wine industry,
it must actively engage with wine drinkers
throughout the world to promote the consumption
of Indian wine and incorporate their feedback.
Nitin Konde
AGROSPECTRUM |JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
"India has come a
long way and the gap
between us and global
powerhouses is shrinking"
ADITYA SEKHRI,
Associate Director, Strategy & Business Development, Fratelli Wines
T
he post-pandemic sale of wine has
soared and companies are also making
the best of it by rolling out new and
improved promotional events to rope
in newer client bases. To learn more about the
market realities of the Indian wine industry
and its business roadmap for the future,
AgroSpectrum had an exclusive one-on-one with
Aditya Sekhri, Associate Director, Strategy &
Business Development, Fratelli Wines Pvt Ltd.
Edited excerpts;
What changes would you single out
when drawing parallels between the
history of India's wine exports and the
present day?
Since it was first established, the export of
Indian wines has been a fruitful channel that
has successfully brought us into the world arena.
Despite the fact that the volume of Indian wine
exports is still relatively low in comparison to
the sales of domestic wines or imported wines
in India, the category has been growing steadily
post-COVID and will continue to be a major
focus area for all domestic wine producers to
make the brands recognised globally. In India,
sales of domestic wines or imported wines make
up the majority of the market.
Do you feel that the increased
focus toward wellness is helping
the domestic alcoholic beverages
market?
The consumers of today, across all segments
of the liquor industry, are a lot more health
conscious than they were probably 10 years ago.
Given that wine is perceived as a drink that has
P O L I C YCNOEVW
ESR 21
certain positive effects on one's health, I believe
that the consumption of wine in India should
only continue to rise. It is important to educate
new wine consumers, despite the fact that this
particular factor is only projected to play a
supporting role in the anticipated expansion of
the wine business.
Could you comment on the rising
popularity of Indian wines abroad?
It is heartening to observe the growing
popularity of Indian wines in other countries.
I believe Indian wines are being exported to
somewhere around 20 nations, and I see both
the overall volume and this number growing
at a good rate year over year (YoY). When it
comes to Fratelli, the majority of our exports
originate from varieties such as Shiraz, Merlot
and Chardonnay.
How does India fare in comparison to
other global wine producers?
India has already come a long way, and the
gap between us and other global powerhouses
is getting smaller every year. However,
certain factors, such as more uniform taxation
policies across the country and technological
improvements on the viticulture side, will
enable us to reduce the gap even further.
What are your expectations from the
current government?
The nation's many stated policies need to
become more standardised and competitive
in their dealings with the country's various
domestic wine producers.
Nitin Konde
22 M
YOAU
HRU AV W
I EIW
NSES AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
Promoting Mahua Wines from
The Tree of Life & Spirit
M
ahua is the most well-known
indigenous alcohol in India. It's also
the world's only spirit produced
from sweet blossoms. However,
due to strict British era policy regulations and
colonial identification, this traditional beverage
was out of the mass alcoholic beverage market at
international level. Recently, the Madhya Pradesh
Government announced mahua as a Heritage
Liquor earlier this year, while the Maharashtra
government revised the Mumbai Mahua Flower
Rules 1950, making the collection, selling, and
transport of mahua flowers lawful. With these
positive changes at policy level, mahua wines
need a great deal of push in terms of processing
technology, branding and marketing. Mahua
wines can go a long way with the help of aggressive
action plans for mahua cultivation, commercial
wine production in tribal areas and branding at
international level.
The Mahua tree yields a wide range of
products, including vegetable butter, medicinal
derivatives, syrups, purees, and alcohol. Various
tribal pickers collect its flowers and fruits from
the forest areas, which is an important source of
income in many parts of the country. Recently the
Madhya Pradesh government announced Mahua
as ‘heritage liquor’ and gave approval for its
commercial sale. The government will soon have
a new excise policy in place that will enable tribals
in the state to brew liquor from the mahua tree
flowers in the traditional way and even sell it.
For a long period, the Adivasi community has
relied on the mahua tree (Madhuca longifolia),
which grows primarily in India's central and
eastern plains. Mahua is a primary cash crop
that is harvested for its bark, seeds, and flowers
(fresh flowers for preserves, dried flowers for
wine). However, the most common application
is a fermented pot-still purified spirit. Mahua
flowers are rich in Vitamin-C which is responsible
for its antioxidant activity and also carotene, the
precursor of Vitamin-A. Calcium, Phosphorus
and some amount of proteins and fats present in
mahua flowers, add to the health value as well.
Policy hurdles
Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016
prohibits the production, possession, sale, or
consumption of alcohol or intoxicants. Even
mahua drinks, identified as 'country or traditional
liquor', are covered under the law. Individuals in
the community are limited to producing 5 litres
only, for personal usage. These prohibitions are
strictly implemented, with raids and incarceration.
The selling of mahua is also governed by state
excise legislation, which prohibits the Adivasi
community from selling the liquor they produce.
This prohibition has been attributed to a variety
of factors such as contradictory viewpoints on
prohibition and addiction issues, a political
crackdown on land, and even systematic oppression.
Mahua is illegal in some states, including Bihar and
Gujarat. The production is restricted as per policy
rules in Maharashtra. As a result, consumption of
mahua wine produced in tribal areas is restricted
to the limited areas which is the main hurdle in
commercial production of mahua wine.
Export of dehydrated flowers
In August 2021, Agricultural and Processed
Food Products Export Development Authority
(APEDA) facilitated export of dehydrated Mahua
flower from India’s Chhattisgarh to France. It was
also the first time; a consignment of dehydrated
Mahua flower was exported via sea to France
from Chhattisgarh. The produce, sourced from
the forests in Korba district, Chhattisgarh was
processed by APEDA registered enterprise.
Furthermore, the tribal population from the
forests of Korba, Kathghora, Surguja, Pasan,
Pali, Churri in Chhattisgarh, were involved in the
collection of Mahua flowers that were exported.
Though APEDA has initiated export of
dehydrated mahua wines last year, there is a
strong need to formulate the strategy to boost and
promote mahua wines in international markets
at national level. As various types of fruit and
foodgrain wines are coming up in the domestic
and international market, the Indian government
needs to formulate an action plan to boost the
production and export of flower-based wines in
the international market. While speaking about
the status and potential of mahua wines, Dr
A Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA said,
“Considering the new innovations and increasing
AGROSPECTRUM |JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
trend in the global wine trade, the
Indian wine industry needs to
explore the possibility of making
wines from Mahua flowers. The
characteristics of Mahua wines may
be publicised aggressively for penetrating in the
global wine trade.”
Mahua Nutra beverage
In September 2021, the Tribal Cooperative
Marketing Development Federation of India
Limited (TRIFED) entered into a collaborative
project with Foundation for Innovation and
Technology Transfer (FIIT), a unit established by
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) and
Rusicaa Beverages Private Ltd, Purbi Singhbhum,
Jharkhand to commercialise the production of
Mahua Nutra beverage – A heritage drink in
Jharkhand. FIIT is an industry interface body to
foster, promote and sustain commercialisation
of research results in the institute. FITT
has been authorised by IITD for exploring
commercialisation and societal outreach. Mahua
nutra beverage is a value-added product made
out of Mahua flowers in the state. TRIFED in
association with FIIT has developed this value-
added product, Mahua Nutra.
Status in Maharashtra
Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra has a large
number of mahua trees, where the farmers have
been traditionally following the practice of mahua
flower collection and processing wine of mahua
flowers for centuries. However, this has not been
commercially leveraged. There is an urgent need
for branding and marketing of mahua wine in
Maharashtra. Mahua wine production is restricted
to tribal communities and its consumption is also
limited to domestic level.
Talking about the current status of mahua
wine production in the region, Sandip Karhale,
Senior Scientist and Head,
Krishi Vigyan Kendra,
Sonapur- Gadchiroli said, “The
farmers in Gadchiroli collect, clean
and dry the mahua flowers during
the season. They sell a large chunk
of mahua flowers to traders from Chhattisgarh.
Recently the Maharashtra government has
approved a proposal to classify alcohol produced
from mahua flowers and cashew fruit as 'foreign
liquor' which will definitely help mahua wine
P
MOA LHIU
CAY W
NEI NWESS 23
branding and production. Though mahua wine
production and export is banned in Gadchiroli
district, the dried flowers from Gadchiroli can
be processed for wine making in other districts
of Maharashtra.” He also said “We have filled an
application for GI tag for mahua wines in order
to promote it on national level. All the parts of
mahua tree have medicinal values so it is used in
cosmetic production also.”
Tech support for collection
There is a need to increase the cultivation of
mahua trees in other districts of Maharashtra for
more production of mahua wine. The collection
and dehydration process should be improved by
using the latest technologies and also storage of
dried flowers should be implemented for better
pricing. The value chain of mahua wines needs
to be developed using scientific methodology for
mahua processing and creating awareness among
the farmers about the potential of mahua wines
in the international market and importance of
mahua cultivation.
Need of right Branding
Mahua wines are considered a drink of the
lower income group in India. But considering its
values and potential in the market, appropriate
branding and marketing of mahua wine like grape
wine in higher class is the need of time. There
have been obstacles in getting mahua into Indian
liquor cabinets. Mahua wine is still referred to
as a "country liquor," a term used to describe
indigenous brews during the British era. Foreign
liquor was regarded as higher class, whereas
indigenous drinks were considered lower class,
and manufacturing was strictly regulated.
Way forward
In order to support the mahua wine
production, Farmer Producer Organisations
should come forward to promote mahua
cultivation. Government should give approval
for the commercial production of mahua wine in
districts with a large number of tribal communities
under One District One Product scheme so that
mahua flower collection, dehydration process and
wine production will be conducted under one roof.
It will provide employment in tribal areas and also
generate revenue for the state government.
Dipti Barve
dipti.barve@mmactiv.com
24 M
YOEU
ADR SV I E W S
Meads -Gaining
Popularity
ROHAN REHANI,
Co-founder, Moonshine
Meadery
M
ead is an alcoholic beverage made
by fermenting honey.
To draw parallels, just like beer
is made by fermenting barley, and
wine is made by fermenting grapes, Mead is
made by fermenting honey.
Mankind has consumed meads for much
longer than we’ve consumed beers or wines -
predominantly because both barley and grapes
require agrarian practices, which would have
been missing from the lives of our hunter-
gatherer ancestors.
Interestingly, meads have existed in every
culture independently of each other. Unlike a
lot of ‘technologies’ of the ancient world, the
knowledge of honey fermentation was discovered
independently by most civilizations. There have
been traces of mead found in ancient Chinese
pottery dating back to 7000 BC and in the tomb
of King Tut in Egypt. The ancient Greeks knew it
as Ambrosia - the nectar of the gods. The Vikings
drank it before battle, and mead (Tej) is still
widely consumed in Ethiopia. Circling back to
our subcontinent, meads have been mentioned in
Rigveda. The word Mead itself is a derivative of
the Sanskrit word - Madhu.
Meads in contemporary India
World over, meads have started to see a
resurgence with meaderies being established at
a frenetic pace worldwide. In 2017, meads were
the fastest-growing craft alcoholic sector in the
American markets.
In India, a change in regulations to the
Wine Policy of the state of Maharashtra in 2017
allowed the fermentation of honey (earlier
reserved only for fruits and grapes) into mead.
In 2018, the first commercial bottled meads were
released in India by Moonshine Meadery.
AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
Interestingly, world over, most meads are
made like wines - 10- 13% alc, still, and packaged
in a wine bottle. In India, Moonshine made their
meads at 6.5% alc, carbonated and packaged in
a quintessential beer bottle, firmly positioning
their meads as a competitor to beer, rather than
wine.
Over the last few years, other meaderies -
Cerana, NoLabel, and Stump, have also launched
their offerings with similar packaging and alcohol
content, further establishing meads in India as
uniquely different from the wine-like meads the
rest of the world currently consumes.
While Cerana and Hill Zill wines have both
launched higher alcohol by volume (ABV) meads
in recent years - Yule Spice and Arka respectively
- packaged in a wine bottle, more than 99 per
cent of all meads sold in India are competing
with the beer and Ready To Drink segments.
The reasons for this are quite clear - the
consumption of wines in India is a fraction of
the consumption of beer. Adding to this fact is
that the taxation structure on meads in the initial
days was very different, and a lot more than
the taxation on grape and fruit wines, making
competing in that category further difficult.
Furthermore, the Indian subcontinent has warm
and tropical climes. Chilled and carbonated
beverages which can quench the thirst of heat
will always do very well. One can further see this
trend in the increase in wine cooler sales in India.
Positioned as it is against beers, Meads in
India is a rapidly growing market, taking volume
away from commercial beers.
For decades, the commercial beer industry
has done a disservice to Indian consumers
by offering only 1 style of beer. Each brand
innovated within very narrow confines of what is
possible to brew, and generation after generation
AGROSPECTRUM |JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
of Indians have ‘acquired’ the taste for a bitter,
rather flavorless beverage.
Contrast that to what are the non-alcoholic
beverages we’ve consumed over the decades -
from sherbets whose ingredients change from
region to region, nimbu paani with chaat masala,
and more recently carbonated colas.
There’s one common trend that emerges - we
like flavourful beverages. And yet, when it came
to beers, we were told - ‘aadat lag jayegi - it’s an
acquired taste.
Which is why when the Craft Beer revolution
came to India in the early 2010’s, it changed the
perception of beer for a lot of us. I personally
went from disliking beer, to enjoying the
occasional Belgian wit and even some of the
previously unapproachable styles like IPAs.
Today, the consumption patterns in a
microbrewery speak volumes.
~35 per cent of the production and
consumption are wheat beers, which are slightly
sweeter, more flavourful and are less bitter. The
next ~35 per cent are ciders and meads, and the
balance ~30 per cent comprises all the other
styles of beers.
Once again, non-bitter and flavourful
beverages rule the roost.
Consumer markets are filled with examples
of brands that shook up the status quo by
innovating for a market that’s been ready for
innovation.
Bira is a great example of this - back in 2014,
in a world full of bitter lagers, Bira’s wheat beers
made quite a splash!
This is why in 2019, when Kingfisher
launched its first wheat beer, some of us further
rejoiced. It’s a sign of positive change for
the consumers when the largest player in the
industry releases something new to capture
market share they’re losing to craft players.
All of this bodes well for the mead industry -
we’re all producing meads which are flavourful,
gluten-free and made with natural ingredients.
The consumer’s choices are evolving in
response to what’s available to the consumer,
and meads are well positioned to be the beverage
of choice for a large number of consumers who
want to have a flavourful beverage, without
feeling bloated.
Meads and export
The Indian diaspora is widespread and
P O L I C YMNEEAW
DSS 25
there exists a demand for Indian beverages and
products in all international markets.
At the IWSC 22 (International Wine and
Spirit Competition, London), Moonshine won
a silver and a bronze for its Guava Chilli and
Grilled Pineapple Mead. Less than a year ago,
they’d also won a bronze, a gold and a double
gold at the European Beer Challenge (In the
Meads category)
These international awards led to an influx
of inquiries for exports and soon, the first Indian
meads will be sold on foreign shores.
Challenges
Alco-bev as a category is tough on new
entrants, especially if trying to establish a new
category. Sales is a function of availability and
awareness.
As it’s a highly regulated sector, there are only
a limited number of avenues through which an
alco-bev brand can be available to consumers.
Further, deep discounting by large players along
with exclusivity contracts often makes it unviable
for a channel partner to give a new brand a
chance.
Awareness is an even tougher nut to crack.
Most craft brands don’t have the large budgets
that legacy players do, and so awareness is built
at a slower pace. Even at events where alco-bev
brands are given a chance to showcase their
offerings, legacy brands can easily outbid the new
craft players.
Often brands will resort to growth hacks to
build awareness.
In early 2022, Moonshine appeared on Shark
Tank India. Practically overnight, millions of
consumers were aware of the category of meads.
Filling the white space
Meads fill the white space which exists in
the consumers' drinking journey - from sweet
carbonated cola to bitter carbonated beer.
The way meads are being made in India -
using all natural ingredients - fruits, spices, and
honey - make it a flavourful drinking alternative
to bitter beers.
That meads are gluten-free, further aids the
category in its growth journey.
As consumers discover better and more
flavourful drinking options and start focusing on
the ingredients of these beverages, meads are
perfectly suited to capture a large share of shelf
space in the alco-bev market.
26 CHEESE AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com

Wine & Cheese Appreciation

Comes of Age
The wine market in India is set to grow to $274 million by 2026 as per the latest
market reports. The demand for premium wine brands is increasing among
consumers in India and there is also rising consumer preference for smooth, rare,
and innovative flavours of wine. The rising demand for premium wine in recent
years has led to an increase in the parallel launch of innovative products such as
handcrafted or artisanal cheese.

H
umans have enjoyed cheese and wine
together since fermented foods were first
developed some 10,000 years ago. But
as generations got by and as new wine
tastes were discovered, pairing with new varieties of
cheese took an absolute new direction.
Artisan cheese maker, Parshva Kapadia, aka
Cheeseman, Co-Creator & Head Cheese Master,
Le Pondicherry Cheese, has been making cheese
and exploring the market segment for the past
seven years now. Before 2015, his cheese world was
dominated by big brands like Amul, but a trip to
France opened his eyes to the flavour of preservative
free real cheese, the unbelievable varieties that
existed. After trying a new cheese variety every
other day and savouring more than 25 different
types, over two months of his stay, Parshva started
appreciating natural cheese and instantly an idea
in him generated to hone the skill of cheesemaking
in India. Parshva then moved to Auroville in 2016
and started working at an artisanal production
unit making different varieties of cheese; where
he gathered all the basic knowledge about
cheesemaking. “The market at that time was
extremely niche with only countable artisan cheese
makers in the country. Auroville cheese was already
known amongst top end restaurants and resorts
in Goa, Mumbai, and Delhi. The market would
run high usually during festivities like Christmas
and new year’s. Interestingly, post pandemic,
Indian consumers began being health-conscious
and started looking for alternative healthier
ingredients. Dairy has always been a big part of
Indian households and natural cheese slowly started
getting accepted on platters, dinner parties and
as gift hampers. Consumers began reaching out
locally for artisanal cheese and the majority of the
currently existing cheese brands in India were born
then,” shares Parshva.
At present there are over 12 artisanal cheese
production units around the country giving the
Indian consumer wide varieties to choose from.
You can get young or aged, sweet, or sharp, white,
or yellow, and many other types of natural cheese
these days. So much has evolved in the space of
cheese over the last three years. Many want to
learn more about the art of cheesemaking, this
has also improved the market understanding and
consumption of cheese, indicates Parshva.
Anuradha & Namrata, Founders of Käse, a
Chennai-based artisanal cheese brand, believe that
cheesemaking is in many ways like wine making.
The terroir, they say, is a huge influence and that is
what makes cheese of every place unique. The duo
work with natural flora of the milk and claim that
they do not use freeze dried cultures in their cheese
making ingredients.
Commenting about the growing interest of
consumers in artisan cheese, Anurada says, “There
has been an enormous demand for cheese over
the last few years, which is driven by consumer
awareness. However, it's predominantly in the
processed cheese category and there are bigger
players like Amul and Britannia. Off late there is
an increase in the number of artisan cheese makers
as well. To give a number, there were hardly 5 or
6 artisan brands in 2016 whereas today there are
close to 30 artisan brands. However, artisan players
are mostly localised and homegrown and cater
to the local geography. There are 3 or 4 brands
(including ours Kase cheese) which are shipping
pan India. But this number is set to grow. If we go
to a supermarket, we can find at least a couple of
artisan or other local cheese brands.”
AGROSPECTRUM |JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
Sharing his view about the growing cheese
industry, Harshit Juneja, Director at Dairy Craft
India, says that the dairy industry has seen a
massive shift in India from immense consumption
of milk to increased consumption of Value Added
Dairy Products (VADP). VADPs are considered to
be high in nutrients, easy to consume, and a good
fit in most dishes. And, adoption of western trends
and cuisines, a growing population in the age
group of 20-40 years, and increased awareness of
various varieties of cheeses are some of the common
reasons for the increasing demand.
“Over the years, with a portion of consumers
focussing on health, we are also seeing increased
acceptance and adoption of natural, fresh variants
of cheese over processed variants. Feta cheese,
Natural cream cheese, Mascarpone cheese, and
fresh Buffalo Mozzarella/Bocconcini cheese have
seen increased acceptance over the last few years.
Although fresh cheeses usually have a lower shelf
life, they do not contain any preservatives that
are commonly used in the processed variants.
The growing health-conscious population savour
preservative-free cheese and prefer their children to
consume natural cheese,” explains Harshit.
In Anuradha’s view, artisan cheesemaking is
still a very nascent, niche category. “It has seen
signs of growth only over the past five years, mostly
because of a growing segment of millennials. “We
as a brand are targeting this audience through non-
traditional ways and engaging in a more personal
way through social media and other personalised
avenues like cheese pairing events, tasting events,
cheese platters, etc.” Although Indians have caught
the craze in artisan cheese, a lot of awareness
is required to boost its popularity. “Awareness
about the benefits of cheese had to be developed.
We witnessed the growth in consumers' mindset,
perspective, and palette by educating them with
workshops and giving them experiential tasting
of cheese in farmers markets. Along with this, a
rise in artisanal cheese brands around the country
has definitely played a major role in increasing
the demand for natural cheese all around India,”
says Anuradha. Similarly, Parshva envisions his
company, Le Pondicherry Cheese, to tip the scale
from processed cheese over to artisanal cheese in
the next five years. “To achieve this, we are not
only focusing on wider market size but rather
educating and spreading awareness about the
health benefits, quality, and production authenticity
of artisanal cheese, which is helping us reach our
POLICC
Y HNEEEWSSE 27
“I don’t think the wine industry
has impacted the growth of
the cheese industry to a large
extent. People who are drinking
wine aren’t necessarily having
cheese. It is an extremely small
population as wine is not the
first drink of choice here. Cheese
is something that has gained acceptance as such
- recently the cheese boards have become quite a
rage and most often these are processed cheese.”
Namrata, Co-Founder, Käse
“With increased demand for
wine, the cheese industry is sure
to see complementary growth.
Many restaurants and hotels
host ‘Wine & Cheese events’ and
are always on the lookout for
cheese variants that can best
go with wine. Consumers prefer
to pair their wine with Aged
Cheddar, Gouda, and Fresh Mozzarella cheeses
amongst many others in India.”
Harshit Juneja, Director, Dairy Craft India
goals. We believe in a collaborative and transparent
approach. Always open for factory visits, sharing
cheesemaking experience, conducting workshops,
working with other gourmet food brands to pair the
cheese with. All these practices have contributed to
paving our way into the big Indian cheese market,”
admits Parshva.
Go hand-in-hand
Wine and cheese have gone hand in hand for
centuries. With today’s ever-increasing options
for both wines and cheeses, there is now a surge
in interest to savour a drink paired with the right
cheese. The art of cheesemaking has been kindled
in many budding entrepreneurs, who are even
specialising in rendering expert opinions in pairing
cheese with delectable wine variants.
“With increased demand for wine, the cheese
industry is sure to see complementary growth.
Many consumers demand different variants of
cheese for cheese platters that are ideal to be
paired with wine. Some of our Dutch smoked
variants go very well with wine, and they have seen
extremely high acceptance in the retail sector. Many
restaurants and hotels host ‘Wine & Cheese events’
and are always on the lookout for cheese variants
28 C
YOHE
UERSVEI E W S AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
that can best go with wine. Consumers prefer to pair
their wine with Aged Cheddar, Gouda, and Fresh
Mozzarella cheeses amongst many others in India,”
says Harshit. However, Parshva says, “We see
around 2-3 per cent households have adopted this
concept for home gatherings or events but nowhere
can it be compared to the potential of consumption
we see from places like Europe. They have a cheese
and wine for each meal, they have specific dishes
that pair with certain types of cheese based on the
weather or occasion. This has developed culturally
and traditionally over decades. In India, we are still
young with this duo. It is a classic and beautiful
pairing, and there is so much more to explore here.
We have seen pairings of cheese with a lot of Indian
wines and have been amazed.”
In her observation, Namrata, Co-Founder of
Käse, says, “I don’t think the wine industry has
impacted the growth of the cheese industry to a
large extent. People who are drinking wine aren’t
necessarily having cheese. It is an extremely
small population as wine is not the first drink of
choice here. Cheese is something that has gained
acceptance as such - recently the cheese boards
have become quite a rage and most often these are
processed cheese.”
Export potential
India has one of the most globally revered dairy
companies and institutes that develop varieties
of cheese to cater to both the domestic as well as
international markets. A quick internet search on
the export scenario of cheese reveals that there are
almost 69 countries and territories, which actively
import Cheese from India. Among them the US,
UAE, Bhutan, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia are the
major countries importing cheese. The combined
value of total export is $27.19 million.
According to Parshva, exporting Indian cheese
has significant potential. “We have great milk
quality, interesting cheese cultures, and relatively
lower production cost than Europe. We are closer
to eastern countries such as Singapore, Malaysia,
and Thailand. These countries have a huge demand
for artisanal cheese. India can become their best
option due to lower time of transit and competitive
pricing to European cheese. That being said, Europe
is seen as the real maestros of cheese and it will take
precision, quality, and consistency to stand along
with them. In the artisanal space, cheese isn't only
about price and product. There is a lot to recognise
about the cheesemaker, the cow’s health, the unit’s
Awareness about the benefits
of cheese had to be developed.
We witnessed the growth
in consumers' mindset,
perspective, and palette by
educating them with workshops
and giving them experiential
tasting of cheese in farmers
markets. Along with this, a rise in artisanal cheese
brands around the country has definitely played
a major role in increasing the demand for natural
cheese all around India.”
Anuradha, Co-Founder, Käse
“We have great milk quality,
interesting cheese cultures,
and relatively lower production
cost than Europe. We are closer
to eastern countries such
as Singapore, Malaysia, and
Thailand. These countries have
a huge demand for artisanal
cheese. India can become
their best option due to lower time of transit and
competitive pricing to European cheese.”
Parshva Kapadia, Co-Creator & Head Cheese
Master, Le Pondicherry Cheese
location and process, the company’s philosophy,
making it a wholesome lifestyle product.”
India is not yet known for its cheese making
abilities in the global market, yet it is one of
the few nations with the right availability of
resources to represent itself in the global cheese
market. India is still one of the largest producers
of milk in the world, and with the transition to
VADP, India has the potential to export large
volumes of cheese in the time to come. Though
India exports cheese to several countries, we are
far from being a dominant cheese exporter in the
global market.
Harshit says with the introduction of the PLI
scheme for Mozzarella cheese, the centre has
taken an important step in the direction towards
recognising India as an exporter of cheese to
international markets in the time to come. His
company Dairy Craft has plans to expand and
commence exports to the Gulf region in the near
future. Many international variants have good
demand, yet not easy, affordable availability in
several export markets, and India has the ability to
change that in the time to come.
Anusha Ashwin
AGROSPECTRUM |JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
PO
C LRIA
CFYTNBEEW
ESR 29

Peaking Demand for

Flavourful Craft Beer
Beer accounts for a third of the Indian alcoholic beverages
market, in volume terms. Reports say that there is a rapidly
expanding market of beer drinkers emerging in India’s densely
populated urban centres who are craving the fresh, all-natural,
hand-crafted, locally-brewed, world-class beer that until the
past couple of years had been unavailable to them.

I
conic Australian Beer brand Coopers
Brewery, in the last quarter of 2022, forayed
the Indian beer market. Its foray was
enabled through India’s popular alcohol
distributor VBev. Coopers Brewery, which has a
long rich history of over 150 years in beer making,
has been brewing their signature Craft Pale Ales
for six generations. The brewery produces a range
of Ales, Stouts and Lagers. Coopers’ apparently
uses only natural ingredients including malt,
hops, sugar, water, and a special yeast strain
that's over 90 years old.
So, the question is what made Coopers foray
into India and why now? Did Coopers sense that
Indians have a growing liking for craft beers?
Answer is yes!
Census 2011 says India is home to around 440
million millennials. A considerable proportion of
this demographic population’s lifestyle changes
and affordability is driving an increase in beer
sales. Beer accounts for a third of the Indian
alcoholic beverages market, in volume terms.
Euromonitor projects the total volume of beer
will increase at a 6 per cent CAGR to reach 2.9
billion litres in 2025 and in that craft beer holds
a significant volume. Reports say that there is
a rapidly expanding market of beer drinkers
emerging in India’s densely populated urban
centres who are craving the fresh, all-natural,
hand-crafted, locally-brewed, world-class beer
that until the past couple of years had been
unavailable to them.
30 C
YROAUFRT V
B IEEEW
RS AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
Among the millennials, there is a sudden
frenzy to keep experimenting, innovating, and
exploring something new. Craft beers offer
distinctive flavours and its variety appeal to many
modern, adventurous consumers. Others value
the artisanal approach to brewing that many
brewers use. Whatever the cause, the demand
for craft brews is unquestionably rising. The
popularity of microbreweries and craft brewers
is one of the key factors driving the increased
interest in the craft beer market.
Well on one side is the adventurous crowd
seeking for variety in beer, other side is the
health-conscious consumers who prefer lighter
brews with different flavours (from fruits). And,
a section of the health-conscious population
preferring organic ingredient-based beers is seen.
Establishing microbreweries, hence, is seen as a
revolution in beer making and since bottled beer
contains preservatives and craft beers don’t, beer
brewed in the microbreweries taste more unique,
precise, and is viewed as a healthier option.
India gravitates to specialised beers
Homegrown premium beer company Bira 91
spearheaded the bottled craft beer movement in
India by targeting urban millennials. Recently,
Bira 91 raised $70 million in Series D funding,
led by leading Japanese beer firm Kirin Holdings.
The funds are to be deployed in the company’s
production capacity by commissioning new
breweries and expanding its existing facilities.
This development alone testifies India’s growing
appetite for craft beers. Bira 91’s offering of a
bottled craft beer with lower alcohol content
(ABV) and more focus on flavour captured the
attention of Indian youth who were seeking
something different from the mass-produced
beers that dominated the market.
Teja Chekuri, Managing Partner, Ironhill
India, says with a rising awareness, knowledge
and maturity in the market, consumers will
evolve and gravitate to more specialised beers.
“This is synonymous with the evolution of the
wine and coffee segments that took place in the
country in the last decade. Both these categories
have seen rapid adoption of specialised products
within the category. The craft beer growth is
expected to follow the same trajectory. While
beers have been in the country for a long time,
there has been rapid growth in the awareness
levels of specialised beers especially craft beers.
We are seeing consumers who can differentiate
the finer nuances in terms of flavours and
appreciate them. Globalisation of media and
international travel have also piqued the interest
of the Indian consumers in craft beer.”
According to the Indian Beer Market report,
the Indian beer industry has stood at a value
of nearly Rs 371 billion in 2020. The industry
is further expected to reach approximately Rs
622 billion by 2026, exhibiting an estimated
CAGR of about 9.2 per cent during 2023-2028.
In this, there has been a significant increase in
the demand for craft beer over traditional beers.
Beer drinkers have evolved over the period.
Also, Indian brewers are creating a niche in the
local and seasonal market by introducing new
buzzwords in the food and beverage industry.
“Over the past decade, the commercial and
craft beer brewing sector grew substantially
creating business for microbreweries. Today,
India has over 250-300 microbreweries that are
operational in Gurugram, Mumbai, Goa, Pune,
Bangalore, and Hyderabad. We see a rise in
uber-luxe brewery lounges that are constantly
innovating as per the industry trends. Few
beer trends that the brewery business is seeing
include- emergence of compact microbrewing,
contactless taprooms, innovation of beer making
using hops as a key ingredient which would
enhance the taste and aroma, and creatively
introducing low-carb beers. These factors are a
great positive sign for the craft beer market to
grow in coming years,” shares Suman Bharti,
Founder of Reflex BAR Brewery and Dining.
Sharing another interesting market trend,
Suman Bharti reveals that the pandemic
completely flipped the brewery and bar world.
The overall hospitality industry, he says, has
witnessed a significant change in the post-
pandemic world. “We can see a huge shift in the
consumer habits in the post COVID era with all
the restrictions lifted. The craft beer and brewery
industry are witnessing a sharp growth in the
post-pandemic world and there is no looking
back. Few reasons like the growing spending
power of today’s consumers and their flair for
luxury ambience, top quality service with world
class F&B is giving the pubs, bars, bistros, lounge
market a great push. Another factor driving the
market is the rising trend of night-life and mid-
week parties among the working population,”
indicates Suman.
AGROSPECTRUM |JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
Hoppy and cheerful market
According to Teja Chekuri, Managing
Partner, Ironhill India, the craft beer market
has tremendous room for expansion in India.
Demographically, the surge in craft beer’s
popularity is largely attributable to younger
customers, who are adventurous and open to
new experiences. He says, the market is being
dominated by this generation, which is not
likely to alter its preferences or spending habits.
Meanwhile, the older age group is becoming
aware of and appreciating handcrafted brews.
Ironhill wants to capitalise on these opportunities
and focus on the quality of the beers by not
compromising on the raw materials and processes
that have already paid rich dividends. This makes
Ironhill confident to increase their footprint
across other geographies. The microbrewery is
currently located in six Indian cities and intends
to increase its footprint within select cities and
add a couple of tier 1 and tier 2 cities in the next
financial year.
Likewise Suman Bharti, says he is very
positive being in an industry that is built on
creativity-led change. While commenting about
the market scenario, he says, “Seeing the future
prospects at the larger scale, which the market
holds, I was thrilled to launch Reflex Bar Brewery
and Dining in Gurgaon in September 2022.
In the brewery industry it is very important to
diversify the tap menus. Having diverse styles on
tap is the best way to attract customers having
varied taste buds. Making it personalised for our
customers, we have picked some of the classic
beer styles from the USA, Belgium, and Germany.
Our signature craft beer goes through an in-depth
process of in-house brewing giving its guests to
experience some of the first-class brews. I am
confident that the craft beer sales will be higher
than traditional beer due to the rise in local and
international brewers that are expanding their
distribution network.”
According to market research, the value of
the global craft beer market was $108.9 million
in 2018 and is said to see an increase of $186.6
million by 2025. Beer is the second most popular
choice of drink after whisky, amongst all alcoholic
beverages present in the market. As per the
research by Research & Markets, in terms of
volume, the beer market was valued at 5533.73
million litres in 2020 and is said to increase to
9004.74 million litres by 2025, with a CAGR
POC
L IRCAYF TN B
EEWESR 31
of approx. 10.89 per cent during the forecast
period of 2021-2025. It is also said that, during
this period, the craft beer market is estimated to
be the fastest growing segment and is expected
to grow at a rate of 108.50 per cent in terms of
volume over the forecast period.
Riding this wave in the craft beer market,
Arundeep Singla, Chairman and Managing
Director, Alcostar Group of Companies has laid
down specific expansion plans for his business.
Explaining his plans, he says, “The growth rate
suggests that the Indian market has potential
for breweries. Brewpubs are now switching to
bottled craft beer from cans in order to draw in
more potential customers as a result of the initial
craft beer boom. Establishing a reliable cold
supply chain, increasing craft beer production
and volume, and having the capital to engage in
brand building are all necessary for this market.
Beer market is growing endlessly every day and
no doubt this market involves infinite growth.
In these following years we have seen a lot of
craft beer brands coming into the market and
establishing a name for themselves. However,
we created a niche for ourselves in the market by
assuring consumers that our craft beer is made
with original ingredients that we source directly
from Germany.”
Since its inception in 2020, the Alcostar
Group of Companies has shown considerable
growth. During the financial year 2020-21,
the firm recorded a turnover of Rs 500 crore;
moving forward, the company increased its liquor
portfolio and hospitality business, recording
a turnover of Rs 800 crore in FY 22. After
completing three successful years, the company
now aims to achieve a turnover of Rs 1200
crore by FY 2023. While the company has been
doing great business in Punjab, Haryana, and
Chandigarh, it has now already set its footprints
in Delhi and Uttarakhand. In the coming three
years, it has plans to expand to Rajasthan,
Maharashtra, Goa, and Madhya Pradesh.
Agriculture gets its due impetus
Beer is made using water, yeast, hops,
and malted grains. Although malted barley is
preferred for beer making, wheat, oats, rye,
rice, and corn are all used. To these four core
ingredients, craft breweries add additional
ingredients like fruits and spices to give the beer
a unique flavour and aroma. The most well-
32 C
YROAUFRT V
B IEEEW
RS AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
known of all craft beer ingredients, hops are
responsible for giving beers their signature bitter
flavours. The type of hops used and when the
hops are added during the beer-making process
result in different flavoured beers. Currently,
a lot of unique tastes are being explored by
microbreweries using coffee, coriander seeds,
cherries, strawberries, and citrus fruits.
Yeast is another core ingredient in beer, which
is responsible for the fermentation process,
essentially turning sugar into alcohol. Its role
is so vital that many famous brewers refuse to
disclose the type of yeast they utilise. High-
quality water is perhaps the most essential of craft
beer ingredients. The beer-making process is so
delicate that the characteristics of the water can
hugely impact the resulting beer.
A report by USDA Foreign Agriculture Service
says that barely has seen steady production at
around 1.8 million metric tonne (MMT) over the
last few years in India. Sources report that around
one-third of barley production is used for brewing.
In the last few years, a few new, high-quality
malting barley varieties have been developed
through public-private breeding programmes
and are steadily replacing older varieties. Trade
sources report that some malting and brewing
companies have contract farms that produce
malting grade barley in the states of Rajasthan,
Punjab, and Haryana. While cultivation of barley
has increased in India, a considerable volume is
imported from many other countries. According to
the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD), in 2020, India imported
$16.6 million worth of barley, becoming the 40th
largest importer of barley in the world. Also, the
same year, barley was the 727th most imported
product in India. India imports barley primarily
from: Argentina, France, Ukraine, Denmark, and
the United States.
With regard to hops, in 2020, India exported
$468,000, making it the 25th largest exporter of
hops in the world. In the same year 2020, India
imported $3.6 million in hops, becoming the 34th
largest importer of hops in the world. Domestic
hops cultivation is seeing some mixed results
though. Farmers in Bihar and Himachal Pradesh
have been reaping significant benefits from its
cultivation as the biggest advantage with its
cultivation is that it does not require re-sowing.
Farmers also earn at least Rs 70 per kg of hops,
making it a lucrative business.
“The growth rate suggests that
the Indian market has potential
for breweries. Brewpubs are
now switching to bottled craft
beer from cans in order to draw
in more potential customers as
a result of the initial craft beer
boom. Establishing a reliable
cold supply chain, increasing craft beer production
and volume, and having the capital to engage in
brand building are all necessary for this market.”
Arundeep Singla, Chairman and Managing
Director, Alcostar Group of Companies
“With a rising awareness,
knowledge and maturity in
the market, consumers will
evolve and gravitate to more
specialised beers. This is
synonymous with the evolution
of the wine and coffee segments
that took place in the country
in the last decade. Both these
categories have seen rapid adoption of specialised
products within the category. The craft beer
growth is expected to follow the same trajectory.”
Teja Chekuri, Managing Partner, Ironhill India
“Over the past decade,
the commercial and craft
beer brewing sector grew
substantially creating
business for microbreweries.
Today, India has over 250-
300 microbreweries that are
operational in Gurugram,
Mumbai, Goa, Pune, Bangalore,
and Hyderabad. We see a rise in uber-luxe brewery
lounges that are constantly innovating as per the
industry trends. ”
Suman Bharti,
Founder, Reflex BAR Brewery and Dining
Beer makers being bullish on craft beers
and their expansion plans to increase capacity
and microbreweries across the nation, we can
evidently say that it is pushing the need for
domestic supply, import and export of beer
ingredients, fruits, and spices to a large extent.
If only more private-public partnerships are
increased in the country with more educational
workshops and other guidance resources provided
to the farmers, a lucrative business awaits to be
tapped by the Indian farmers.
Anusha Ashwin
AGROSPECTRUM |JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
13T H A G R O
PVOILSIICOYN NEEXW
PSO 33

Centre to set up India’s first ICCA

in Nagpur at Rs 150 Cr: Gadkari

Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh inaugurating the 13th Agrovision,
the four-day mega agri event in Nagpur on November 25. Seen in pic : Dr C D Mayee, Chairman,
Advisory Board Agrovision, Ravindra Boratkar, President of Agrovision Foundation and
Organising Secretary of Agrovision, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and
Highways, Dr Sharad Gadakh, Vice Chancellor, Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth;
Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Member of Maharashtra Legislative Council.

1
3th Agrovision, central India’s largest
agricultural exhibition was held from
November 25 to 28 at PDKV ground in
Dabha, Nagpur. In the four days of Agro
exhibitions, around 450 organisations from
different sectors of agri industry and research
institutes showcased their offerings and a wide
range of topical agri workshops, including special
conferences on Dairy, Bamboo and Fisheries
were conducted. ‘Future Farming- Food, Fodder
and Fuel’, the theme of 13th Agrovision, was
highlighted at different stalls, showcasing the latest
and best offerings in agri-technology.
Shivraj Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya
Pradesh (MP) inaugurated 13th Agrovision, the
four-day mega agri event at Nagpur on November
25 and released a directory of exhibitors and
programme document.
In his inaugural address Chouhan applauded
Agrovision for educating and empowering farmers
through interactive workshops and conferences.
He informed the audience that the MP government
has implemented a '5 Key Points Strategy' for the
growth of the agriculture sector in the state. It is
increasing production, reducing production cost,
providing better prices for agri produce, providing
compensation to farmers for any natural calamity
and use of the latest agri-technology for farming.
“The Government of Madhya Pradesh has
skipped conventional agriculture for the past
several years and has adopted modern techniques
of agriculture under the guidance of Agrovision,
taking agriculture to the next level in achieving
prosperity,” said Chouhan.
Chouhan said that Madhya Pradesh reported
the highest production of 1.39 crore metric tonne
wheat in 2021 by implementing the 5 key points
strategy. To reduce the financial burden of
farmers, the state government has provided a zero
per cent interest loan facility. Additionally, the
government has also provided compensation of Rs
30,000 per hectare to farmers who had lost more
than 50 per cent of their production due to natural
calamity.
Speaking at the inaugural function Nitin
Gadkari, Union Minister Road Transport and
Highways and Chief Patron of Agrovision,
announced that India’s first International
Convention Centre for Agriculture (ICCA) in the
name of former Agricultural Minister Dr Panjabrao
Deshmukh, is planned to be set up at the grounds
of Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Agricultural University
in Nagpur. For this, a proposal of Rs 150 crore
has been sent to the Union Agriculture Ministry.
34 1
Y3OTUHRAVGI R
EOWVSI S I O N E X P O
Agrovision foundation is also setting up its
permanent training centre for farmers in Nagpur,
he added.
Gadkari further said, “Farmers from Vidarbha
will get all the information about the training of
the sustainable agriculture practices and new agri
technologies, at the training centre and farmers
can take benefit of this to increase their income.
With the help of Agrovision, a permanent market
will be developed for organic farm products.”
Special Guidance Programmes
A special guidance programme on ‘New Ways of
Sugarcane Farming’ was held on the first day of
Agrovision. Aabasaheb Salunkhe, scientist from
Vasantdada Sugar Institute, Pune and experts
from the sugar industry guided thousands
of sugarcane producers about new farming
techniques and potential of sugarcane in allied
industry. A special guidance programme was also
organised for orange and sweet lime producers
in Vidarbha region to guide and inform the
farmers about the potential of oranges in the
international market and use of technology to
double the income of farmers. Around 3,000
farmers participated in this programme which
focused on boosting the export of oranges by
using advanced technologies from seed to post-
harvest. Experts from agriculture universities and
agri industry guided orange producers about the
better utilisation of their farm produce to increase
their income.
AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
Agrovision's primary objective has always been
to Educate, Encourage and Empower farmers
through its major activities that includes
free workshops for farmers, international
exhibitions, expert panel discussions,
conference, etc. Agrovision has been providing
an integrative framework and a platform
to bring all the stakeholders consisting of
farmers, government, NGOs, scientists, and
industry under a single umbrella to deliberate
and debate at different levels for an all-around
growth of agriculture.”
Ravindra Boratkar,
President of Agrovision Foundation and
Organising Secretary of Agrovision
Indian Oil Corporation has launched two plants
in Panipat, Haryana, one of which is producing
ethanol and the other is a bio-bitumen plant that
utilises rice straw. The production capacity of the
ethanol plant is 1 lakh litres and 150 tonne of bio-
bitumen per day. If India begins producing 80 lakh
tonne of bio-bitumen from rice straw, there will be
no need to import it, Gadkari said.
Gadkari observed that this in itself is a big
change in northern India, specifically Punjab,
Innovative agritech
Startups at Agrovision
13th Agrovision has not only educated
farmers about new agri-technologies, but
also provided a platform for innovators
and agritech startups. Startups incubated
at ICAR-Central Institute for Research on
Cotton Technology (CIRCOT) Rashtriya
Krishi Vikas Yojana – Remunerative
Approaches for Agriculture and Allied
Sectors Rejuvenation (RKVY- RAFTAAR)
Agri-Business Incubator, Mumbai had
presented new technologies in irrigation,
food processing machinery like novel
process for drying fruits and vegetables-
solar and electric hybrid dryer for food
dehydration, new trends in agri-food
processing such as beetroot, cashew
nut wine, jams, squash, milk based
products and various products made from
medicinal plants.
AGROSPECTRUM |JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
“5000 FPOs should be formed in
Vidarbha for development of farmers”
“Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) should
work to make farmers prosperous, wealthy,
debt-free, and happy. If FPOs are successful in
making farmers wealthy and debt-free then no
farmer will commit suicide in Vidarbha” said
Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport
and Highways and Chief Patron of Agrovision,
at a workshop organised for Farmer Producer
Organisations (FPOs) in Vidarbha at the 13th
Agrovision Expo.
Gadkari advised farmers to form companies
to market and export their products. Gadkari
said, “FPO is a power of farmers; with the
help of FPOs, farmers can sell their products,
without depending on the government. FPO
is the social economic transformation of
farmers. Farmers should get training in the
formation of FPO and market their products.
Farmers should find their own market. Five
thousand FPOs should be formed in Vidarbha
for the development of farmers”. In his address
Ajay Kadu, General Manager, Agricultural
Produce Market Committee, Nagpur, advised
farmers on forming FPOs and said “Till now
27 agro products in Maharashtra have received
geographical indication (GI) tags. 11 crops in
Maharashtra including four from Vidarbha are
part of the Maharashtra Agri-Business Network
(MAGNET) Project. MAGNET-focused crops
Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh where the burning of
straw causes air pollution. Now, instead of burning
it, rice straw will provide ethanol and bio-bitumen.
The roadways department requires bio-bitumen,
around 50 lakh tonne of that is manufactured in
India, and 25 lakh tonne is imported. Indian Oil is
setting up one more plant of bioethanol in Assam.
Ethanol can be produced from bamboo, and
farmers will become energy providers and will not
remain food providers, he added.
Sharing Agrovision’s initiatives, Ravindra
Boratkar, President of Agrovision Foundation,
Organising Secretary of Agrovision and Publisher
and Managing Editor of AgroSpectrum magazine
said, “For the last 13 years exhibitions have been
organised to educate and empower the farmers.
Various workshops have been conducted during
13T H A G R O
PVOILSIICOYN NEEXW
PSO 35
Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister Road
Transport and Highways felicitating
successful FPOs at the workshop ‘Farmer
Producer Organisations (FPOs) in Vidarbha’
in presence of other dignitaries.
are Banana, Guava, Pomegranate, Sapota,
Custard Apple, Strawberry, Orange, Sweet lime,
Okra, Chilly (Green and Red), and floriculture
crops. The state government collaborates with
the Asian Development Bank for MAGNET.
The Rs 1,000-crore project, which is aimed
mainly at fruit and vegetable producers, aims
to improve processing and minimise the losses
in the perishables sector. Successful FPOs were
honoured at the event by Gadkari.
the four days of the Expo. Farmers were educated
on modern technology in farming, vertical farming,
organic farming, poultry, and sericulture.”
The inaugural function was graced by
dignitaries including Dr C D Mayee, Chairman,
Advisory Board Agrovision, Dr Sharad Gadakh,
Vice Chancellor, Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi
Vidyapeeth; Devendra Parekh, President, Vidarbha
Economic Development Council;Chandrashekhar
Bawankule, Member of Maharashtra Legislative
Council ; Dr Ashutosh Paturkar Vice Chancellor,
Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences
University, Nagpur and Ramesh Mankar,
Organising Secretary, Agrovision; Krupal Tumani,
Member of Parliament; Samir Meghe, MLA;
Shantanu Pendsey, Chief General Manager, State
Bank of India; Santanu Gupta, Executive Director,
36 1
Y3OTUHRAVGI R
EOWVSI S I O N E X P O
Vidarbha Offers Opportunities in Agro-processing Industry
Vidarbha has different types of agricultural
yields, but there aren't any processing
industries to complement it. Lately, some
new varieties of food products are seen in the
market that are made out of agriculture produce
in Vidarbha. With this trend in the market, the
opportunity to produce and distribute such
products in Vidarbha has increased.
Speaking at a session on ‘Opportunities
in the agro-processing industry’ held at 13th
Agrovision, Devendra Parekh, President of
Vidarbha Economic Development Council
(VED), urged local entrepreneurs to come
forward to meet the demand for spices and
delicacies from Vidarbha. On this occasion,
Tinu Titus, Global Product Manager, Bühler
Group, Bangalore, gave information about the
products of his company and the importance of
localisations.
Dinesh Garg, Managing Director, Leelaram
Enterprises, said “Dried fruits are currently in
particular demand, with NRIs living abroad
consuming it more. Overall, there is a lot
of scope in Vidarbha in this field.” Dr D M
Panchbhai coordinated the session.
Indian Oil Corporation Ltd and Girish Gandhi,
Convener, Agrovision.
Apart from conferences on dairy, fisheries
and Bamboo production, special guidance
programmes, Agrovision has conducted a
series of 31 workshops on various topics such
as hydroponics, aeroponics, carbon credits, bee
keeping, organic farming, turmeric and mushroom
cultivation, sericulture, opportunities in poultry,
biomass supply chain and horticulture and flower
farming for farmers.
Sudhir Mungantiwar, Minister of Forests
of Maharashtra, inaugurated a conference on
‘Business opportunities from Bamboo production’
and interacted with bamboo producers.
While speaking at the valedictory session
of Agrovision on November 28, Nitin Gadkari
recapped about the workshops, conferences and
special guidance programmes held during the
four-day long Agrovision event. Chandrashekhar
Bawankule, Member of Maharashtra Legislative
Council and other dignitaries were present for the
session. In summation, Gadkari said, “Agrovision
AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
Dinesh Garg, Managing Director,
Leelaram Enterprises speaking at the
conference on ‘Opportunities in the agro-
processing industry’.
Shyam Gattani, President Custard Apple
Growers Training and Research Association
informed the audience about opportunities in
custard apple processing. Vinod Raut, Associate
Professor at Dr PDKV Akola, Prakhar Kumar,
Senior Director of Agriculture, Uttar Pradesh
Government and other dignitaries were present
on the occasion.
has provided updated information about best
agriculture practices, use of latest agri technologies
for better farm management, technologies and
guidance for horticulture, sugarcane farming,
expert guidance from experts of agri industry and
agriculture research institutes for utilisation of
bamboo to for increasing farmers' income, from
experts of agri industry and agriculture research
institutes in the last four days. Farmers should
take best possible advantage of this knowledge and
increase their income. We will organise special
programmes of successful farmers in Marathwada
and Vidarbha to inspire the farmers in the coming
year as well.”
13th edition of Agrovision has received great
support from its sponsors which includes SBI,
UPL, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, JCB, ITC,
Axis Bank, Rasi Seeds, Gharda Chemicals, Praj
Industries, Ankur Seeds, Crystal Cropcare,
NABARD and Canara Bank.
Dipti Barve
(inputs from Shraddha Warde)
dipti.barve@mmactiv.com
AGROSPECTRUM |JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
13T H A G R O
PVOILSIICOYN NEEXW
PSO 37

India's Blue Economy Must Hit

Rs 60 lakh Cr: Nitin Gadkari
"T
he blue economy is the future and
India’s blue economy should reach
up to Rs 60 lakh crore", said Nitin
Gadkari, Union Minister Road Transport and
Highways and Chief Patron of Agrovision, at
a conference on 'Development of fisheries in
Vidarbha region’.
Gadkari emphasised the policy regarding
ethanol and methanol-fuelled and electric fishing
boats. India should develop fishing boats that
can operate on methanol, ethanol and electricity. Atul Patane, Secretary of the Fisheries
The use of these boats can help in reducing Department of Maharashtra, speaking at the
expenses and pollution. Like food-producing conference on 'Development of fisheries in
companies, fish producing companies must be Vidarbha region’.
established in Vidarbha. The fishing economy
of Vidarbha should grow wealthy and increase University said, "Like the Marine Water Fishing
up to Rs 50,000 crore, Gadkari said. He also Act, the government must enact a Freshwater
gave instructions to the fisheries department to Fishing Act. In the absence of the latter
develop a state-of-the-art aquarium in Nagpur. Act, many farmers are farming banned fish,
Atul Patane, Secretary of the Fisheries causing irreparable harm to the environment.
Department of Maharashtra, said, "Fish tank Maharashtra should also have processing and
management and commercial aquarium courses cold storage units for fisheries.
should be offered in Maharashtra which has Sunil Mendhe, Member of Parliament;
a huge job potential. If the Government of Ravindra Boratkar, President of Agro Vision
Maharashtra creates basic infrastructure for fish Foundation, and Organising Secretary of
farming in Vidarbha, it will grow at a large scale". Agrovision and Publisher of AgroSpectrum; Dr
Dr Ashish Paturkar, Vice-Chancellor, C D Mayee, Chairman, Advisory committee and
Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences other delegates were present at this conference.

“Bamboo crop can be a cash crop in Maharashtra”

Sudhir Munguntiwar, Forest Minister of Maharashtra releasing a booklet about ‘Commercial

utilisation of bamboo’ at the conference on ‘Business opportunities from Bamboo production’
along with dignitaries on November 26.

“Bamboo farmers will become richer than
sugarcane farmers, when bamboo will be used in
different products. Bamboo crop can be a cash crop
in Maharashtra”, said Sudhir Munguntiwar, Forest
Minister of Maharashtra in a session on ‘Business
opportunities from Bamboo production’ organised
on the second day of 13th Agrovision. Munguntiwar
said,'' There is a proposal for diesel production from
bamboo in the pipeline. If we become successful
in using bamboo as a wood, there will be less tree
38 1
Y3OTUHRAVGI R
EOWVSI S I O N E X P O AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
cutting. There is a need to set up bamboo labs in
Maharashtra to develop multipurpose products
at low cost from bamboo. The Government of
Maharashtra has set up a Bamboo Research
and Training Centre in Chandrapur. This year
Bamboo Centre has made rakhis from bamboo
and those rakhis were sent to London worth Rs
10,000. The State Government also plans to plant
bamboo trees alongside Nalha under the Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Act (MNREGA) scheme. The Ministry of Forest
Department has planted more than 4000 bamboo
trees in the state.
“Bamboo economy can be developed in India
like China; China has Rs 50 lakh crore of the
bamboo economy. Bamboo can be cultivated on
wasteland”, said Nitin Gadkari. "In one acre of
“Take benefits of MAFSU and Mother
Dairy to increase milk production”
W
hile addressing a conference on ‘Dairy
development in Vidarbha region’,
Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister Road
Transport and Highways and Chief Patron of
Agrovision, appealed to the dairy farmers to take
benefit of various schemes of Maharashtra Animal
and Fishery Sciences University (MAFSU), and
Mother Dairy to increase milk production to 20
litres per cow in next five years. On this occasion,
Gadkari launched Mother Dairy’s Samruddhi feed
supplement and doorstep artificial semen services.
Gadkari said, “Milk sold by farmers has got higher
prices due to the advent of Mother Dairy. Entry of
Mother Dairy created competition in the market
and many private agencies which earlier used
to offer low prices for farmers’ milk had to pay
competitive rates.”
While speaking about creating high yielding
calves, Gadkari said that high yielding calves can
be created by using embryo methods. These high
yielding cows can be definitely helpful in increasing
the income of dairy farmers in Maharashtra.
V Shridhar, General Manager, National Dairy
Development Board (NDDB), informed dairy
farmers about activities jointly implemented by
NDDB and Mother Dairy. Dr Sachin Shankapal
from NDDB gave a presentation on health and
milk management of milching animals.
Dr Ravindra Thakare, Director of Vidarbha and
land 200 tonne of bamboo can be produced in
two years of cultivation. Now ethanol production
from bamboo is also possible. We should increase
bamboo plantations in the state which can create
more jobs in the agriculture sector", he added.
Prof. Charu Chandra Korde from IIT Mumbai,
Ashis Gharai, Chief Program Officer and Head,
Science and Technology Resource Centre STRC
Gondwana University, Gadchiroli, Architect
Lalit Davate gave presentations on different uses
of bamboo. Pasha Patel, Farmers leader; Dr
Sharad Gadakh, Vice Chancellor of Dr Panjabrao
Deshmukh Agriculture University; Ravindra
Boratkar, Organising Secretary of Agrovision and
Publisher of AgroSpectrum magazine, Dr C D
Mayee, Chairman, Advisory committee Agrovision
and other delegates were present.
Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road
Transport and Highways inaugurating
the conference on 'Dairy Development in
Vidarbha region' along with dignitaries at
13th Agrovision.
Marathwada Dairy Development, predicted that
farmers will use 8,000 metric tonne of authentic
animal feed in the upcoming year.
The experts guided the dairy farmers about
dairy management and best practices to increase
milk production. Around five thousand farmers
from Vidarbha and Marathwada region were
present at this conference. The conference saw
participation of experts from the dairy industry
and academia including Dr Ashish Paturkar,
Vice-Chancellor, Maharashtra Animal and Fishery
Sciences University (MAFSU), Dr Sharad Gadakh,
Vice Chancellor, Panjabrao Deshmukh Agricultural
University, Akola and Ghanshyam Gupta, Deputy
General Manager Bank of Baroda.
AGROSPECTRUM |JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
Why Vertical Farming is a
Crucial Alt Agri Tech
T
he two-day 3rd annual Global Vertical
Farming Show (GVF 2022) organised by
TAB Group with participation of global
leaders in Urban Agriculture, Controlled
Environment Agriculture (CEA), Vertical
Farming, Protected Cultivation, Hydroponics, etc.
concluded on November 30 in New Delhi. During
the two days event the industry leaders met with
government officials, influential business people,
and other experts and discussed the state of the
industry and shared their latest innovations.
The first day's events culminated in a lively
panel discussion on the topic of the evolution
of India's Agri-Food Systems and the rise of
urban and vertical farming. It made abundantly
evident how a shift in modern agriculture might
quickly provide a food transition that is not only
sustainable but also produces enough food to
feed the world.
During the event, the Association for
Vertical Farming (AVF) provided its perspective
on CEA that has the ability to promote
environmentally friendly practices, support
regional agriculture, and safeguard food supply
chains from interruptions. According to the
AVF, incorporation of urban agriculture and
vertical farming by the government is a welcome
development.
The association also emphasised on the
concept of ‘Perfect Plant Profitability’. It outlines
that the perfection of the growing crop takes
more than a simple rack and a conditional
building to provide the best for the crop. The
combination of intelligent automation of the
growing process, from sowing to harvesting,
reduces labour to only a fraction of the needs of
traditional farming.
The association further stated that manpower
is one of the highest costs for vertical farms.
But full automation is often expensive. Based
on decades of experience in horticultural
automation, the vertical farmer offers automation
options that reduce labour wherever the impact is
greatest and finds a balance between humans and
machines. Automation options that make work
3 R D A N NPUOALLI CGYV F
N E2W
0 2S2 39
easy, are available from seeding to harvesting and
everything else.
“CEA has the potential to help drive
sustainable practices, local produce and protect
food supply chains from disruptions. Good to see
the government is making its way
into urban agriculture and the
vertical farming industry,” said
Dharmendra Rai, Country
Director, Association for
Vertical Farming India.
Echoing similar sentiments,
Gaurav Sharma, Global
Agribusiness Research Lead,
APAC Chemicals Research
Lead, Accenture, Growth
& Strategy stated, “CEA is
increasingly being seen as a way
to help meet growing food demand,
use fewer natural resources, reduce waste, drive
sustainable practices and protect food supply
chains from disruptions. While CEA has huge
growth potential, operational costs and carbon
emissions have been a challenge for the industry,
limiting the feasibility of crops that can be grown
in CEA.”
Elaborating on opportunities provided by
vertical farming, Dr M J Khan,
Chairman, Indian Chamber of
Food and Agriculture said, “It
has solutions to all the challenges
of producing food, from climate
change to nutrition and food
quality to cost competitiveness,
supply chain and entrepreneurship
opportunities.”
Sanket Mehta, Co-
Founder, Nutrifresh Farms
added, “With the size of the global
agriculture market expected to
grow to $12,541.15 billion in 2022,
there is huge scope and demand to make it a
profitable industry. So with these figures, it
clearly shows that there is a need for a new age
of agriculture system which not only fulfills the
40 3
YROD
URA NVNI EUW
ALS G V F 2022 AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
Vertical Farming Trends in India
India, the world's second-largest
producer of wheat and rice, relies heavily
on agriculture for both food and income.
A growing population needs new methods
of food production, and various published
reports claim that the region's constant
expansion and innovation in vertical farming
is what's driving this trend. In addition, the
vertical farming industry in India is expanding
rapidly, with new startups and businesses
entering the market every year. As a result,
many companies operating in this domain
have decided to expand their operations to
India, a market with the potential to attract
demand but also acts as a catalyst for enhancing
the environment.”
The event aimed to establish an unrivalled
environment in which vertical farming and
innovative technology businesses might flourish,
thereby improving the industry's economic
outlook. Businesses from all over the world
are welcome to investigate and learn about the
potential of urban farming.
When it comes to implementing urban
farming and CEA research and development,
India is right up there with the rest of the world.
Alternative agricultural techniques, such as
vertical farming, are gaining popularity, and
this time, the country is aiming at the vertical
farming industry of India because of the region's
vulnerability to soil erosion, desertification,
and extreme weather conditions like floods and
droughts, which compromise productivity.
Key policymakers such as Samuel Praveen
Kumar, Joint Secretary - Extension, Agriculture
Infrastructure Fund, Investments & Price
Support, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers'
Welfare; S K Singh, Joint Director, National
Horticulture Board (NHB), Government of
India (GOI); Dr Prabhat Kumar, Horticulture
Commissioner, Department of Agriculture
and Farmers' Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture,
GOI; and others spoke at the GVF 2022's high-
profile conference, which ran in tandem with the
exhibition.
Dr Naveen Patle, Additional Commissioner,
Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare,
international corporations keen on discovering
untapped investment opportunities.
Kerala has launched Vertical Garden
Scheme under Kerala State Horticulture
Mission (SHM) in which the beneficiary can
receive a 75 per cent subsidy from the state
government on total cost of vertical garden
establishment.
Delhi is expected to implement an Urban
Farming Policy that draws from a variety of
successful models and approaches. Urban
Farming is part of the Delhi government's plan
to increase the city's green space and generate
new employment opportunities.
Ministry of Agriculture; S Chellaiah, Director,
Horticulture, National Disaster Management
Center; Annapoorna Shankar, Senior Investment
Specialist & Sector Lead - Agriculture, Invest
India also spoke at the event.
Dr Naved Sabir, Principal Scientist, Centre for
Protected Cultivation Technology (CPCT), Indian
Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) and Dr
Murtaza Hasan, Principal Scientist, CPCT, IARI
and many others, too spoke on topics related to
the development and expansion of the vertical
farming sector in the country.
The sessions covered topics such as the
ever-increasing global population, food
insecurity, food waste, climate change, and the
demand for natural resources, as well as policy
changes and subsidies for horticulture in India.
Representatives from the supporting businesses
and organisations showcased their products
and services for vertical farming and urban
agriculture in India.
International exhibitors namely Qualiplast,
InHydro, Kokosflora, Nutrifresh, Jain Irrigation,
UrbanPONICS, Accenture, Grant Thornton,
Simply Fresh, Futr.AG, Hindustan Agri,
Brio Hydroponics, Urbinati, Multivac, KDS
Coir Farms, Lumen Electric, and many more
participated in the show.
In his concluding remarks Tahir A Bari, CEO
& MD of TAB group, announced that the 4th
Global Vertical Farming Show would be held in
Dubai in September 2023.
Nitin Konde
AGROSPECTRUM |JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
CropLife India appoints Durgesh C Sharma
as New Secretary General
CropLife India, the
leading association
of domestic and
multinational
R&D driven crop
science companies
has announced the
appointment of Durgesh
C Sharma as the new
Secretary General of the association. Sharma
will oversee the organisation’s strategy,
outreach to various stakeholders and be an
interface for public policy intervention. He
has over 26 years of experience in the areas
like public policy and social sector advisory;
Soil Scientist Ashok Kumar
Patra receives Glinka
World Soil Prize 2022
The former director of
the Indian Council of
Agriculture Research-
Indian Institute of Soil
Science (ICAR-IISS),
Bhopal, Ashok Kumar Patra
received the Glinka World
Soil Prize 2022 for his 33-
year dedicated career in Soil Science Research and
Education. The Glinka World Soil Prize is named after
Konstantin Glinka, an eminent Russian soil scientist
known for his work on the geographical distribution
of soils. The prize honours distinguished individuals
or organisations that promote sustainable soil
management and the protection of soil resources,
which have a direct impact on people’s well-being.
This year’s seventh Glinka Prize is awarded to Ashok
Kumar Patra, described as ‘an outstanding soil
scientist and a strong advocate of sustainable soil
management in India and worldwide’. Patra has
made significant contributions to the improvement
of food and nutritional security through integrated
nutrient management and has addressed the
emerging challenges of soil resource, sustainable
management and biodiversity while uplifting the
research standards of the institute (ICAR-IISS) to
the global level.
P
PEOO
LPI CLYE N
NEEW
WSS 41
managing large scale multi stakeholder
participatory programmes; innovative Public
Private Partnership initiatives and judicial
procedures and interventions. His expertise
is focused around Agribusiness and Food. In
his last assignment, Sharma was the Director
General with an industry association. He has
been instrumental in various interventions with
various Ministries of Government of India,
including Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry
of Chemicals and Fertilisers. He has consistently
demonstrated professionalism, integrity and a
commitment to doing what is best for Indian
agriculture and is well respected by stakeholders
across India and other countries.
CNH Industrial India
appoints Narinder Mittal as
Country Manager & MD
Narinder Mittal has been
appointed as the Country
Manager & Managing
Director (MD) of CNH
Industrial (India) Private
Limited and will lead
its Indian and SAARC’s
Agriculture business.
Mittal succeeds Raunak
Varma who has been
with CNH Industrial for over two decades and
has successfully led the Indian market for the
last five years. He joins the global Construction
Business Unit, and will work directly with
Stefano Pampalone, President Construction
CNH Industrial, focusing on Special Projects. An
alumnus of Columbia Business School, New York
and an Engineering graduate from NIT Calicut,
Mittal has a vast experience in roles of increasing
importance, most recently as Vice President of
Industrial Operations, APAC. He had joined the
company in 2016 as Executive Director of India
Manufacturing Operations and was promoted to
Vice President of AMEA (Asia, Middle East and
Africa) with responsibility for Manufacturing
Operations in China, India, Russia, Turkey, ANZ
and Uzbekistan in 2020.
42 A
YCOA
UDREVMI E
I AWNSE W S AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com

ICRISAT, ADB develop ICAR-NRRI

hi-res spatial maps to assess
climate-related shocks
The International Crops
Research Institute for
the Semi-Arid Tropics
(ICRISAT) scientists
in collaboration with
the Asian Development
Bank (ADB) have
developed high-
resolution spatial maps that enable cropland
mapping for insurance claims and agriculture
policy decision-making on targeting Regenerative
Agriculture (RA). Agricultural insurance is
becoming one of the fastest-growing markets
globally. For farmers to cope with crop loss,
stabilising farm incomes through insurance
payouts can help reduce poverty. Spatial mapping
is a quicker and efficient tool for guiding agriculture
policy makers to minimise climate risks. Insurance
companies and government agencies require high-
quality satellite imagery to monitor and map
floods/droughts and other climatic conditions
to make the claims process more accurate and
efficient. In addition to crop insurance, spatial
maps can also be used as potential tools to target
regenerative agriculture. Crop type mapping
can also better guide where and in what systems
regenerative agriculture can be deployed.
promotes agri drone
tech in Cuttack
ICAR-National Rice Research Institute (NRRI),
Cuttack held a series of demonstrations on drone
technology in different villages of Cuttack district
covering 108 acres of rice crop area in nine villages
belonging to four blocks of Cuttack district,
Odisha. More than 1000 farmers participated in
demonstration programmes and farmers were
briefed on usefulness and mechanism operation
of drone technology especially in crops like rice
considering its wetland nature and number of
pesticides being applied. The Department of
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of
Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government
of India has sanctioned central assistance to
ICAR for demonstrating drone technology for
implementation of component number 1 under
Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation
(SMAM). Under this mission, it has been directed
to conduct large scale demonstrations to promote
use of drone technology in agriculture.

ICAR-NBFGR sets up hatchery for marine

ornamental fishes in Navi Mumbai
The ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR), Lucknow has established a hatchery
facility for marine ornamental fishes at Airoli, Thane, Navi Mumbai in collaboration with the
Mangrove Foundation, Government of Maharashtra. Ten different
species of clown fishes from Indian waters were stocked, brood stock
has been developed and captive propagation achieved for seven species,
adopting indigenous Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS). The
production of three species, Amphiprion percula, A. ocellaris and A.
frenatus were scaled up and continuous supply of juveniles / seeds to
the beneficiaries for further rearing and marketing was undertaken. 320
people from five coastal districts of Maharashtra underwent training
on various aspects of ‘Clownfish Aquaculture’, 93 beneficiaries from
12 coastal villages of two districts (Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri) adopted
the technology and 13 cluster mode clownfish rearing units are under
operational and getting consistent income. A seed distribution event was also arranged at the Coastal
Marine Biodiversity Centre of the Mangrove Foundation, Airoli.
AGROSPECTRUM |JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
A CP
AODL
EIM
CIYA N
NEEW
WSS 43

ICAR-CIBA successfully
breeds Goldlined
Seabream Fish in captivity
The ICAR – Central Institute of Brackishwater
Aquaculture (CIBA), Chennai has initiated the
broodstock development and breeding of R. sarba
in captivity at finfish hatchery in its Muttukadu
Experimental Station. About 45 brood fishes in
the size ranging from 350g to 1800g have been
maintained in the Recirculation Aquaculture
System and small volume cages for two years since
December, 2020. One of the features of the species
is its easy adaptability to formulated feed, from
rearing to captive maturation and this indicates its
domestication potential. The Silver or Goldlined
seabream fish (Rhabdosargus sarba) belongs to
the sparidae family and is widely distributed in the
Indo-West Pacific region. It is one of the widely
preferred food fishes in India due to its white
tender meat and fetches a premium price at Rs
400-500 per kg in the domestic market. Being a
euryhaline species, R. sarba has a better potential
for farming both in the ponds and cages.
West Bengal sets up Fish
Waste Processing unit at
Kakdwip Research Centre
Bankim Chandra Hazra, Minister of Sundarban
Affairs, Government of West Bengal inaugurated
the Kiosk and Fish Waste Processing unit at
Kakdwip Research Centre (KRC) of ICAR-Central
Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA),
Chennai. Kuldeep K Lal, Director, CIBA briefed
about the purpose of the Kiosk. He said that aqua-
farmers of Sundarban will get information on
the technologies developed by ICAR-CIBA and
other ICAR institutes for their betterment and
local villagers may also get fresh farm produce of
KRC with reasonable cost. Debasis De, Officer-
in-Charge, KRC-CIBA elaborated on the purpose
of establishing a Fish-waste processing unit and
highlighted that it will not only help to convert the
fish-waste to value added products i.e., Plankton
Plus and Horti Plus for generating income of
farmers of Sundarban but also will help to keep
the environment of fish market clean.

GAF8 Conference focuses on gender issues

in aquaculture and fisheries sector
The three]-day 8th Global Conference on ‘Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries (GAF8)’, jointly
organised by ICAR – Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), Kochi; Gender in Aquaculture
and Fisheries Section of the Asian Fisheries Society and the Society
of Fisheries Technologists (India) (SOFTI) was officially inaugurated
by the Governor of Kerala Arif Mohammed Khan, on November 16 in
Kochi In his inaugural address, lamenting the poor socio-economic
status of the fisher women with respect to gender inequality and
inequity, he said that in spite of the large-scale contributions of
women in the several areas in the fishing industry, their services for
the sectoral development have not been duly acknowledged. So, he
urged the delegates to find out potential solutions to resolve these issues through fruitful deliberations
on this global platform. Internationally acclaimed luminaries like Dr Meryl J. Williams, Former DG,
World Fish Centre (WFC), Malaysia and Co-Chair GAF8 & Past Chair GAFS of Asian Fisheries Society
(AFS); Jennifer Gee, Gender Team Leader, FAO, United Nations, Rome along with Dr George Ninan,
Director, ICAR-CIFT, Cochin also spoke at the conference that concluded on November 18.
44 T
YEOC
UHRNVOI E
LOWG
SY N E W S
ICRISAT develops
MRIDA app to sensitise
farmers on soil carbon
sequestration
International Crops Research Institute for the
Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has developed a
mobile gaming app ‘MRIDA’ that helps smallholder
farmers strategise climate-smart agricultural
management practices to enhance soil carbon,
which in turn enhances yield and builds resilience.
Managing Resources for Integrated Development
of Agriculture (MRIDA) was developed as part of
a research project funded by the German Agency
for International Cooperation (GIZ) to conduct a
detailed and rigorous assessment of agricultural
management practices for their potential to
sequester carbon. The app is currently based
on a modelling study conducted in five districts
of Maharashtra (Jalna, Dhule, Ahmednagar,
Amravati and Yavatmal) and eight districts of
Odisha (Angul, Bolangir, Deogarh, Dhenkenal,
Kalahandi, Kendujhar, Nuapada and Sundergarh).
The app will enable scientists to collect data to
understand the decision triggers among farmers.
The game app will sensitise farmers on four key
elements – fertiliser, crop selection, biochar
application and irrigation.
NASA invests in UbiQD to boost crop yield in
space and terrestrial applications
UbiQD, Inc, a new Mexico-based advanced
materials company was recently awarded a
new small business contract by the United
States National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA), for
optimisation and scale up of extruded
UbiGro greenhouse films for boosting
crop yield in both space and terrestrial
applications. The new NASA contract
leverages matching funds that were
provided by private investors. Additionally,
the United States Patent and Trademark Office
(USPTO) has granted the company a key
patent on its greenhouse technology. UbiGro
Cover utilises a novel quantum dot (QD)
AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
ICAR-CCRI transfers
‘Containerised Nursery’ tech
to Shivar Nursery, Nagpur
ICAR – Central Citrus Research Institute
(CCRI), Nagpur has licensed and transferred its
technology of ‘Containerised Nursery Propagation
Technique to Produce Disease-Free Citrus Planting
Material’ to Shivar Nursery, Hatla, taluka Katol,
district Nagpur by signing a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU). Dr Dilip Ghosh, Director,
ICAR-CCRI, Nagpur and Prashant Wankhede,
Managing Director, Shivar Nursery signed the MoU
on the behalf of their respective organisations. This
partnership is aimed to facilitate a close cooperation
between both the parties and would be a milestone
in the area of production of disease-free quality
planting material citrus in India. The technology
has been standardised by the institute and is
gaining popularity across Maharashtra and in other
states as well. ICAR-CCRI is promoting the nursery
production through PPP mode and till date has
licensed this technology with nine private nurseries
across the country, considering the demand of
various commercial citrus cultivars in India.
polymer system developed by UbiQD that led
to multiple orders of magnitude improved
fluorescence sunlight durability. Historically,
nanomaterials have struggled to
survive the high temperatures needed
for twin-screw compounding and
blown film extrusion. These QD
films maintain high light-conversion
efficiency exceeding 90 per cent over
thousands of hours of accelerated
aging. Plant trials are underway, and the
benefits are expected to be as good or better
than those seen with UbiGro Inner. The work
builds on previous NASA funding and may
also benefit other applications, including solar.
AGROSPECTRUM |JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
Syngenta, Plantix
launch AI farming tools
for farmers across Asia
Syngenta and image recognition specialist,
Plantix, have launched an artificial intelligence
(AI)-enabled digital farming tool which is set to
provide access to at least half a million smallholder
farmers across the Asia Pacific. The partnership
gives Asia’s smallholder farmers access to a global
database of over 50 crops and 500 diseases, which
will be available through Syngenta’s Cropwise
Grower app for farmers. The app uses the power of
data to protect crop yields with on-demand advice
on agricultural best-practices crop protection
solutions. With a rollout covering five countries
and 750,000 hectares of farmland, the farming
app will widen access to smart farming features
for half a million farmers producing staple cash
crops. Using AI, Cropwise Grower will allow
farmers to take a photo of their crop problem,
and in real-time, diagnose crop pests and diseases
with 93 per cent accuracy. The image is analysed
by the Plantix algorithms to identify the issue and
provide a recommendation.
ICRISAT, PJTSAU jointly develop new
groundnut varieties in Telangana
To boost valuable groundnut production across
Telangana, the International Crops Research
Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)
and Professor Jayashankar Telangana
State Agricultural University (PJTSAU)
have joined forces to conduct 80
demonstration trials across the
state. The initiative funded by the
Government of Telangana aims to
expand groundnut production which
is presently only cultivated on 0.3
million hectares of land in Telangana. There
are plans to engage with seed corporations,
farmer seed entrepreneurs and Farmer Producer
T E C H NPOOLLOI C
GYY N
NEEW
WSS 45
Novella unveils new
tech to expand plant
life cycles while solving
supply chain disruptions
Nutri-tech startup Novella Ltd, is opening a new
chapter in climate-resilient environments through
nutrient cultivation. The company leveraged
proprietary technology to grow nutritious
botanical ingredients while leaving the whole plant
out of the equation. This novel platform in the
plant world will help boost global accessibility to
high-value nutraceuticals. Addressing the growing
demand for botanical micronutrients, the new
technology overcomes supply chain disruptions,
circumvents climate change, and expands plant
life cycles. The company revealed that it is not
necessary to discard up to 99 per cent of a plant
and incur tonnes of agricultural waste just to
derive specific nutrients. It has the technology
where it can narrow the harvest of an entire field
for its plant essence in a single bioreactor.
Organisations (FPOs) to ensure access to quality
Girnar 4 and 5 seeds. PJTSAU, with support
from ICRISAT, is conducting location-specific
research, identification of genotypes, and
multi-location trials of varieties developed
by ICRISAT to deliver suitable varieties to
Telangana and improve groundnut seed
systems in the state. Seed production of
India’s first high oleic acid groundnut
varieties ‘Girnar 4’ developed by ICRISAT
in partnership with the ICAR– Directorate
of Groundnut Research (ICAR-DGR), was
undertaken on four acres of land at Regional
Agricultural Research Station, (RARS)-Palem.
46 A
YGOR
U IR I N
V IPEUWTSN E W S
Delhi High Court greenlights GSP Crop
Science’s Chlorantraniliprole launch
Ahmedabad-based GSP Crop Science,
one of India’s first agrochemical
company to manufacture and
sell Chlorantraniliprole (CTPR),
an insecticide product to protect
sugarcane, rice, soyabean, pulses and
vegetables, received a go-ahead from
Delhi High Court for manufacturing and marketing
CTPR in India. The Delhi High Court, dismissed
FMC’s application for interim injunction in CS
(Comm) 662/2022 (FMC Corporation vs GSP
Crop Science) thereby clearing the way for GSP’s
Yara India, Sea6
Energy to retail
biostimulant ‘AG
Boost’ in India
Yara India, part of the Oslo-based,
Norwegian multinational Yara International
– the world’s leading crop nutrition
company, has signed an agreement with
Bengaluru-based startup Sea6 Energy, to
market and distribute
its biostimulant ‘AG
Boost’ in India. Sea6
Energy has expertise
in biotech research
and ocean farming and
the collaboration is
another step towards
the company’s vision of growing a nature-
positive food future. As per the agreement,
Yara India will market ‘AG Boost’ across the
country through the distribution network
of its crop nutrition business, which has
over 3500 dealers and 980 YARA Crop
Nutrition Centers (YCNCs) across 18 states.
Sea6 Energy is also exporting its products to
many countries in the USA, Europe and the
APAC region. ‘AG Boost’ is a technologically
advanced and patented biostimulant that
aims to bolster agricultural productivity
and improves fertiliser use efficiency
and nutrient uptake, resulting in better
productivity for the farmers.
AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
launch of its CTPR product. The court
held IN’004 (suit patent) prima facie
invalid on grounds of prior claiming
and proceeded to impose a cost of Rs
2,00,000 on FMC for their attempts at
ever-greening their monopoly and for
the many material misrepresentations
and suppressions by them before the Court and
the Patent Office. With this fresh direction, GSP
Crop will now manufacture and sell CTPR under
Make in India initiative to benefit the farmers and
customers at large.
Mahindra sets up
first non-tractor farm
machinery plant in
Pithampur
Mahindra & Mahindra Farm Equipment Sector
(FES), a part of the Mahindra Group, recently
inaugurated its first dedicated farm machinery
plant (non-tractor) in Pithampur, Madhya
Pradesh. Mahindra’s new farm machinery plant
is strategically situated in the industrial city of
Pithampur with access to a diverse supplier base,
enabling the company to manufacture durable,
high-quality, affordable and accessible ‘Made in
India, for India’ farm machinery, marketed in
both the Mahindra and Swaraj brands. The plant
will also manufacture products for export to global
markets in Asia, Africa, Europe and Americas.
With its well-planned lay-out, the new plant is
capable of rolling-out a series of new products
designed at Mahindra’s global technology Centres
of Excellence in Finland, Japan and Turkey.
The new plant is spread over 23 acres and has a
capacity to manufacture 1,200 combine harvesters
and 3,300 rice transplanters per year.
AGROSPECTRUM |JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
AIL, DFPCL join hands for offtake and supply of
nitric acid for 20 years
Aarti Industries Ltd (AIL) and
Deepak Fertilisers & Petrochemicals
Corporation Ltd (DFPCL) have
signed a binding term sheet for a 20-
year period for offtake and supply
of nitric acid. The parties plan
to execute the formal agreement
before the close of this calendar year. The supply
arrangement comes into effect from April 1, 2023.
DFPCL is the largest manufacturer of nitric acid
in South East Asia and AIL is one of the largest
nitric acid consumers in India. This arrangement
is a landmark and first of its kind long term
Best Agrolife holds
mega distributors
meet in Thailand
India’s leading agrochemical company,
Best Agrolife Limited (BAL) held a Mega
Distributors’ Meet and launched two new
revolutionary CTPR-based formulations –
Citigen and Vistara in Pattaya, Bangkok.
BAL is the first Indian agrochemical
company to manufacture CTPR technical
indigenously while contributing to the
Government of India’s Make in India
mission and showcasing the country’s
capabilities to the international agricultural
scenario. The meet was exclusively held
for the distributors from Maharashtra and
more than 170 distributors attended this
event. Citigen (Chlorantraniliprole 18.5%
W/W SC) is a broad-spectrum insecticide
with exceptional insecticide efficacy,
longer rain fastness, and low mammalian
toxicity. Vistara (Chlorantraniliprole 0.4%
GR) prevents the build-up of shoot borer
and stem borer populations in paddy and
sugarcane and protects growers from
incurring losses due to low crop yield and
thereby maximising output.
A G RPI O
I NLP
I CUYT N
NEEW
WSS 47
association between two Indian
chemical majors to augment each
other’s business needs and mutual
interests. The deal provides specific
volume commitments with supply or
pay, take or pay obligations by either
party thereby providing adequate
assurance, financial security and protecting either
party’s commercial interests. It also helps AIL
have a greater assurance in sourcing the key RM
from DPFCL, who is an existing and the largest
integrated nitric acid producer in India with
multiple production sites.
Arishina teams up with
Rain Forest Alliance
to eliminate pesticide
contamination of spices
Kerala-based Arishina Life Sciences-
manufacturers of spices and botanical extracts
has resorted to certifying its supply chain with
the ‘Rain Forest Alliance’ to promote sustainable
agricultural practices and fight pesticide
contamination of herbs and spices. With this
certification, the company has been successful in
bringing down the level of pesticide contaminants
consistently to minimal values across their
batches of turmeric and chilly for over a year.
Arishina’s practices under Rain Forest Alliance
include Promoting safe practices in cultivation &
PPE usage, Promoting reforestation and related
practices, Pest control management through
approved chemical application, Border crop and
intercrop practices, Organising health cultivation
practice awareness programmes, Conducting
health camps and medical support, Wildlife
protection and create value addition to the farm by
introducing add-on crops like chilly as a rotating
crop and onion as an intercrop.
48 S
YUOP
UPRLY
VIE
CWHA
SI N
SLCM
bags FICCI
Sustainable
Agriculture
Award 2022
New Delhi-based Sohan Lal
Commodity Management
(SLCM), India’s leading
comprehensive service provider
in the global post-harvest space
for agricultural commodities,
has received the prestigious
Sustainable Agriculture
Awards’ 2022 from FICCI,
India’s oldest and largest
industry association catering
to diverse business domains.
This is the second edition of
the awards and SLCM has
retained this prominent award
for the second consecutive year
under the ‘Innovative Product/
Technology/ Services Promoting
Sustainable Agriculture’
category. The award was
received by Sandeep Sabharwal,
CEO, SLCM from Narendra
Singh Tomar, Union Minister of
Agriculture & Farmers Welfare,
Government of India in the
presence of dignitaries from the
entire agriculture value chain
and distinguished members of
FICCI Agriculture Committee
present on the occasion. The
prestigious award was conferred
on SLCM for its contribution
towards innovation under
large enterprise through its
proprietary ‘AgriReach’ process
management system.
AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
Arya.ag posts 4 fold jump in
profits to Rs 14.38 Cr in H1FY23
Arya.ag, India’s fastest-growing integrated grain commerce
platform, has announced a four-fold jump in profits H1FY23
revenues. The company reported a profit of Rs 14.38 crore, an
increase over its last year’s base Rs 3.86 crore. These profits
have been driven by a six-fold increase in gross revenues in the
same period. The platform
has an asset under
management (AUM)
of over Rs 15000 crore
making it India’s largest
grain commerce platform.
Arya.ag holds the unique
distinction of being the
only profitable agritech in
the country, in a scenario
where startups have seen significant burn and reported large
losses. Arya.ag has been able to develop a resilient and scalable
model built on profitability. Noteworthy developments for Arya.
ag during the period under consideration include – Acquiring
stake in computer-vision startup, Assert AI; Acquisition of
agriculture data science company, Prakshep and the launch
of Insta-loan services that enable the farming community to
avail loans instantly against their stored commodity at Arya.
ag’s intelligent warehouses through tech-led digital linkages.
Tomar inaugurates 30 Integrated
Pack Houses in Haryana
Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Agriculture and Farmers
Welfare Minister inaugurated 30 Integrated Pack Houses
across the state at Aterna village in Sonipat, Haryana. At the
event organised by the Horticulture Department of the Haryana
Government, Tomar praised the schemes being run for the
farmers in the state. In Haryana, 30 pack houses are being
built across the state through Farmers Producer Organisations
(FPOs). The Haryana government has planned about 500 pack
houses. Setting up of 100 pack houses will change the picture
of Haryana, while 500 pack houses will bring revolution in the
field of horticulture in the state.
AGROSPECTRUM |JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
SPUOPLPI C
LYY C
NHEW
A IS
N 49

Centre covers 58 airports under

Krishi Udan Scheme 2.0
Krishi Udan Scheme 2.0, initially announced on October 27, 2021,
covers around 25 airports, primarily focuses on transporting
perishable food products from the North-Eastern, Hilly and
Tribal region besides 28 airports in other regions/areas. After
evaluation of Krishi Udan 2.0, five more airports have been
IG International,
included, covering a total of 58 Fyllo partner
airports. Initially 53 airports were
covered in the pilot project for
to produce
six months. Thereafter, during quality fruits
the review, five more airports
were added, increasing the total with Precision
covered airports to 58 namely;
Adampur, Agartala, Agatti, Agra,
Farming tech
Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bareli, IG International, one of India’s
Bhuj, Bhuntar, Chandigarh, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Dibrugarh, leading fresh fruit importers,
Dimapur, Gaggal, Goa, Gorakhpur, Hindon, Imphal, Indore, has recently announced
Jaisalmer, Jammu, Jamnagar, Jodhpur, Jorhat, Kanpur, Kolkata, that they have collaborated
Leh, Lengpui, Lilabari, Nashik, Pakyong, Pantnagar, Pathankot, with Fyllo, an AI & ML, IoT
Patna, Pithoragarh, Port-Blair, Prayagraj, Pune, Raipur, Rajkot, driven SAAS based Precision
Ranchi, Rupsi, Shillong, Shimla, Silchar, Srinagar, Tezpur, Tezu, Agriculture Company that is
Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirappalli, Varanasi, Visakhapatnam, harnessing the potential of
Belagavi, Bhopal, Darbhanga, Jabalpur and Jharsuguda. Krishi technology to make horticulture
Udan scheme was envisioned to provide air transportation and profitable and sustainable.
logistics support for perishable agri-produce as per the need. The association would enable
working in multiple fruit crops
like grapes, pomegranates,
WayCool showcases robust apples, kiwi, blueberry, cherries,
supply chain at Asia Fruit avocado, and dragon fruits etc.
The association also envisages
Logistica 2022 in Bangkok expanding its operations
Charting India on the global grandstand, Chennai-based WayCool across the globe by bringing in
Foods, India’s leading food and agri-tech platform, showcased its synergies and leveraging the
offerings at the Asia Food Logistica 2022, in Bangkok. Inspired strengths and presence of IG
by the banyan tree, Indian carvings and true-colour, the themed International’s operations across
pavilion personified Indian culture and the globe. The alliance would
value system that WayCool has imbibed. necessitate Fyllo facilitating
With the most comprehensive tech stack the integration of all corporate
in food, WayCool showcased its robust farms of IG International across
supply chain, armed by its bouquet of the country with the latest
brands – L’exotique, Dezi Fresh, Censa technology called Nero, which
and SV Agri. Asia Fruit Logistica 2022, is a pioneering soil analysis and
is Asia’s number one international trade show for fresh fruits and irrigation management device.
vegetables. It comprises the cumulative fresh produce industry This would lead IG International
value chain along with service support companies, as well as the to move towards a data-driven
latest, innovative products and ideas. The platform also presents and real-time approach with
a unique opportunity to develop new business, build quality the help of Fyllo in their efforts
networks and gain a plethora of information about the current to cultivate supreme batches of
market while emphasising on shared origins, values, and technical fruits in the future.
solutions of diverse brands.
50 L
YEOTU’ S
R TA
V I EL W
KSAGRI AGROSPECTRUM | JANUARY 2023 | www.agrospectrumindia.com
Judicious Leveraging of
Funds & Agri Tech
T
he Union Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman, in her Budget 2022-23
presentation, has increased the budget
allocation for the Ministry of Agriculture
and Farmers’ Welfare to Rs 1,32,514 crore, a 4.5 per
cent increase over the revised estimates of 2021-22.
Allocation to the ministry accounts for 3.4 per cent
of the government’s budget. Over 55 per cent of the
allocation to the ministry in 2022-23 was for the
PM-KISAN scheme (Rs 68,000 crore).  All other
programmes of the ministry, including interest
subsidy and crop insurance, have been allocated
Rs 64,514 crore in 2022-23.  In 2021-22, the
expenditure of the ministry was estimated to be Rs
1,26,808 crore as per the revised estimate, which is
4 per cent lower than the budget estimate.
The Department of Agricultural Research
and Education has been allocated Rs 8,514 crore
in 2022-23, the same amount as per the revised
estimate for 2021-22. The department has made
Rs 7,554 crore expenditure related to Agricultural
Research and Education in 2020-21. Allocation
to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research
(ICAR) accounts for 69 per cent of the Department’s
allocation in 2022-23.  There was considerable drop
in the funds allocations from the ministry related to
Crop sciences (Rs 719 crore in 2022-23 as against
Rs 840 crore in 2021-22), Agricultural education
(Rs 455 crore in 2022-23 as against Rs 533 crore in
2021-22), and Animal and Fisheries sciences (Rs
343 crore in 2022-23 as against Rs 400 crore in
2021-22), ie by 14 per cent, 18 per cent and 14 per
cent respectively. However, an increase in budget
allocation was seen in the Central agricultural
universities category with 6 per cent rise to Rs 599
crore for 2022-23 as against Rs 563 crore for 2021-
22.
Despite fluctuation in the budget allocation
for agriculture research activities, during the last
nine years (2014-2022), a total of 2122 varieties
have been released, including that of food crops,
oil seeds, pulses, commercial crops, horticultural
crops, potential crops and fodder crops. It has not
only stabilised the production but also increased
the production of food grains in India, apart from
deployment of other production and protection
technologies.
The Centre has taken up various initiatives using
Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence
(AI) in agriculture. Some of the applications of AI
and IoT in agriculture are in the areas of Precision
Farming, Agricultural Drones and Hopping systems,
Livestock Monitoring, Monitor Climate Conditions,
Smart Greenhouses, AI and IoT based Computer
imaging etc. 
According to the NITI Ayog research on AI,
agriculture must expand at a rate of 4 per cent or
higher right now to maintain an annual growth rate
of 8–10 per cent. Digitisation is crucial for achieving
this level of success. The NITI Aayog predicted in a
report that by 2025 that AI in agriculture would be
worth $2.6 billion and rise at a pace of 22.5 per cent
Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR).
AI currently helps farmers increase yield by
assisting them in choosing better crops, hybrid
seeds, and resource-efficient farming techniques.
It is also utilised to improve farming productivity
and accuracy to assist farmers in creating seasonal
forecasting models.
Encouraging the adoption of technology in
agriculture, the government has so far released Rs
66.83 crore to 1102 startups operating in agriculture
and allied sectors like Agro-processing, Food
Technology & Value Addition, AI, IoT, Information
& Communication Technology (ICT), BlockChain
Technology (BCT), precision farming and Digital
Agriculture, etc.
It may be noted that the expenditure of the
ministry has been lower than the budget allocations
in almost all years during the period 2012-22.  The
ministry spent 19 per cent less than its budget
allocation in 2020-21.  The Standing Committee
on Agriculture (2020-21) noted in March 2021
that large amounts of funds surrendered, adversely
affected the implementation of the schemes
under the department and the flow of expenditure
should be resolved with state governments. Better
utilisation of funds allocated in the Budget will help
India achieve the ambitious goal of doubling farm
income and further increase participation of the
younger generation in agri entrepreneurship.
Narayan Kulkarni,
Editor
narayan.kulkarni@mmactiv.com
 BioSpectrumJ BS
premier source of Pharma, healthcare & bio jobs

Solutions to elevate your organization's

recruitment goals in a changing industry

BioSpectrum Jobs recruitment solutions are designed to help your organization connect
with top scientific talent around the world on a variety of print and digital platforms. Our
social media and digital advertising solutions allow you to attract, engage, and retain
your ideal candidate with ease.

BioSpectrum coverage, including how businesses and institutions are stepping up to the
plate to tackle the global pandemic, offers prime locations to showcase your company's
employment opportunities, values, and more. Recruiters are turning to our employer
branding solutions more than ever, to keep their organizations recognizable during a
time when open positions are increasingly competitive.

Branding Solutions : Looking for talent?

Custom recruitment campaigns to Finding it is easier

tell your organization's brand story
Enhanced line ads that allow your
organization better brand visibility
Online job posting upgrades to
receive up to 3x as many
applications
than ever.
Purchase job postings and reduce your
average time to fill by reaching only the
most educated, experienced, and active
science professionals.

Examples of our work and case

studies

Know More www.biospectrumjobs.com

Contact : ankit.kankar@mmaccv.com