Bhubaneswar: “If an innovation is not scaled early, it risks becoming obsolete,” said Subhranshu Mishra, Additional Secretary of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, Government of Odisha, during his address at an agriculture technology workshop held in Bhubaneswar on Friday.
The State-Level Multi-Stakeholder Workshop on Promoting Agri-Tech in Odisha, hosted in collaboration with Social Alpha, served as a platform for broader discussion on how the Odisha government plans to integrate scalable and climate-resilient technologies into mainstream agriculture.
Speaking to a packed gathering of government engineers, agri-tech innovators, NGOs, academics, progressive farmers, and FPO representatives, Mishra emphasized the need for inclusive and accessible technology that directly addresses the challenges of small and marginal farmers.
“There are too many big players in the field,” he noted. “Millions of farmers cannot afford expensive technology. We must focus on small innovations that alleviate their burdens and make agriculture profitable,” he said.
Mishra revealed that the state is working to create mechanisms for identifying, certifying, and promoting farmer-friendly technologies developed by startups and local innovators.
“Today’s workshop is an intermixing of ideas, a space to exchange views on new products and explore how to scale up successful models across Odisha. If an innovation is not scaled early, it risks becoming obsolete. We must support our startups and student innovators by recognizing and recommending their technologies for mass-scale deployment,” he added.
Mishra also touched upon the evolution of agriculture itself, from primitive seed cultivation to today’s precision farming. He spoke passionately about emerging practices like climate-controlled farming and precision input management, citing the example of saffron cultivation in Odisha as a testament to the potential of advanced agri-tech.
Referring to the Mukhyamantri Krushi Udyog Yojana (MKUY) and other custom hiring initiatives, he reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting equipment access through subsidies and technical vetting. “We’ve observed a high demand for combined harvesters, but we must also focus on certifying diverse, efficient machines that can be adopted at scale,” he said.
Addressing the risks posed by extreme weather events, Mishra shared how Odisha’s disaster preparedness now includes rapid deployment of harvesting machinery based on climate predictions, a technology-enabled shift that helps prevent post-harvest losses during cyclones. “This shows how agri-tech can help us survive and thrive, even under the toughest conditions,” he remarked.
In closing, he encouraged institutions, engineers, and entrepreneurs to view the workshop not as an endpoint but as the beginning of a long-term, collaborative movement. “This should be the first step to bring every relevant tech into every corner of Odisha’s agriculture,” he concluded.
The workshop served as a rallying call for a more integrated, innovative, and inclusive approach to agricultural development in the state, one where technology is not a luxury but a necessity tailored for every farmer.
Over the past two years, Social Alpha has piloted around 15 agri-tech startups across various districts in Odisha in collaboration with FPOs and NGOs. These projects have led to measurable outcomes for farmers.
The workshop aimed to showcase four such successful startups that have demonstrated clear on-ground impact. The objective was to facilitate a dialogue among stakeholders on the potential of integrating proven agri-tech solutions into government programs to scale their reach and benefit more farmers across the state.
