From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jul 23: The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), the country’s premier bio-sciences technology and innovation hub, has announced the first nation-wide call for Agriculture Grand Challenges under K-tech Centre of Excellence for Agri-innovation jointly supported by the State Agriculture Department and the Department of Electronics, IT, BT and S and T on Friday.
Launching the State Government supported programme, Deputy Chief Minister and Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwatha Narayana, who is also the minister of IT/BT and S& T, said the Grand Challenge programme along with C-CAMP and the State Government will promote introduction of economically viable, problem-focused, deep-science and deep-technology driven entrepreneurship in the agrisector.
This Grand Challenge aims to identify promising innovations to address major problem areas of Indian agriculture. For each winning Start-Up, funding of up to Rs 25 lakh and incubation, mentorship and hand-holding etc., will be provided by C-CAMP, Dr Narayana explained.
MoU for Indo-Israel Innovation Bridge
This occasion also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for ‘Indo-Israel Innovation Bridge’, which has the objective of bringing together the Start-Up eco-systems of both countries in Life Sciences and Agritech.
Dr Zonathan Zadka, Consul General of Israel to South India, said, "The potential of the initiative is enormous and has already generated tangible cooperation between Start-Ups of two countries. This will enable to consolidate existing islands of excellence spread across the two nations to create a collaborative environment for cutting-edge Research and Development.”
On the occasion, C-CAMP assisted indigenously developed portable COVID-19 vaccine cold chain equipment was officially handed over to the state government.
3 Problem statements under Agri Grand Challenge-2021 are:
(1) A quick, accurate, and affordable PoC (Proof of Concept) method for testing a) macro/micronutrient density in soil and/or plant tissue and b) soil microbial diversity.
(2) A technology to enhance the shelf life of produce and minimization of post-harvest losses through chemical/biological/IR methods.
(3) A technology for detection and treatment of white stem borer infestation in Coffee crop.
Prof Satyajit Mayor, Director NCBS, Prof Apurva Sarin, Director InStem, Meena Nagaraj, Director, Department of IT/BT and S&T and others were present.