Agri-startups highlight student innovation at Tamil Nadu university

R. Selvam, Executive Director of the Council for Leather Exports, spoke at the 45th annual convocation of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University on March 25, 2025. He highlighted the growth of agri-startups, with nearly 2,800 recognized by Startup India. This indicates the innovative potential of today’s students. During the convocation, Chancellor and Governor R.N. Ravi awarded degrees to 4,434 candidates, including 48 Ph.D., 225 postgraduate, and 1,263 undergraduate students. Governor Ravi presented the degrees in the presence of Mr. Selvam and Vice-Chancellor V. Geethalakshmi. Mr. Selvam noted that initiatives like e-NAM (National Agriculture Market) support around two crore farmers and over 2.5 lakh traders. Tamil Nadu is leading the Agristack initiative, which aims to digitally enhance farming through computerized records and mapping. He also warned of the challenges ahead, as global food demand is expected to rise by 70% by 2050 to support a population of 10 billion. Vice-Chancellor Geethalakshmi reported that Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has established six Agri-Business Incubation Centres. These have helped enroll over 300 incubatees and more than 650 startups, including 71 led by students.