Genome-editing, AI-based beekeeping prime attractions at UAS’ agro startup conclave

Bengaluru: The University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bengaluru, hosted the second edition of its day-long ‘Agriculture Future Forward: Startup Conclave’ on Tuesday, aiming to bring farmers, agricultural innovators, and entrepreneurs under one platform. The inaugural edition of the conclave was held in 2023.

The event featured 45 stalls, including 10 startups from across India, agri-innovation clusters, and five incubation centres to promote innovative "agripreneur" ideas. Over 600 participants, including agricultural scientists and students, attended the conclave.

Highlights

Among the key attraction was Gene2Go Pvt Ltd, a genome-editing deep-tech research company, and BeePrecise, an AI-enabled beekeeping innovation.

BhuYatra, a startup specialising in agricultural waste management machinery, also garnered considerable attraction.

Students from UAS Bengaluru demonstrated hydroporous vertical soil-less farming techniques, while millet and organic farming-based processed food stalls also drew attention.

Inaugurating the event, N Cheluvarayaswamy, Karnataka's Minister of Agriculture, spoke on the importance of fostering secondary agricultural practices through innovation while ensuring environmental sustainability.

UAS Vice-Chancellor SV Suresha explained the institution’s efforts to make agricultural technology more affordable. “Our ongoing research at GKVK aims to cut greenhouse costs by 50 per cent. When startups focus on reducing farm-tech expenses, it directly benefits farmers,” he said.

Exhibits

Visitors explored organic pesticides, fertilisers, advanced agricultural tools, and agriculture spray drones.

The conclave also featured two panel discussions: “Bridging Technology Gaps in Agriculture: Driving Innovation through Industry-Academia Startup Collaboration” and “Entrepreneurship Opportunities in Agriculture”.

Experts from the industry and academia provided valuable insights to agri-entrepreneurs, focusing on the role of innovation in addressing future agricultural challenges.