Horticulture can help India with many of its challenges

Today, over 600 growers from across India gathered in Bengaluru for the Technology Vision 2030 conference, seeking insights on protected cultivation, precision farming, and data-driven agriculture. Now in its third edition, the event is designed to support Indian growers, the broader horticulture industry, and society at large. In her opening address, Ranjana Roy highlighted the urgent challenges growers face: navigating climate uncertainties, shrinking farmland, and the imperative to "grow more with less."

The theme resonates deeply with Rajeeb Roy, owner of Agriplast and a driving force behind the conference. A firm believer in the potential of horticulture and protected cultivation, he helped establish Technology Vision to give growers direct access to knowledge and practical tools. The conference will be followed by HortiConnect India 2025, the industry tradeshow launching tomorrow.

Rajeeb brought the inaugural session to life with an interactive demonstration: he asked attendees to hold up the lowest currency denomination note they had and tear it apart. Predictably, no one did so. And then he said, just the way they love their money, so should they be mindful of investments made in horticulture and greenhouses. He shared a 5M formula to success - having the right mindset, measurement tools, growing methods, mentorship and momentum. "It's a myth that Indian growers cannot match global yields", he concluded, promising that later sessions would showcase case studies proving otherwise.

Among the conference talks are Julien Fitte, who spoke about greenhouse development in India, where most structures remain low-tech. Prem Kumar Vislawath (Marut Drones) presented on drone applications in farming, including spraying, seeding, transplanting, monitoring, and pollination. Eric van der Made (Aranet) and Raghu Kambhampati (Priva) discussed the use of IoT, AI, and digital twins in farming. IoT tools monitor climate and plant parameters, while digital greenhouse models can support automation in irrigation, climate, and crop management, reducing human error and improving planning.

Further on the agenda are Brajendra Singh, former Deputy Managing Director of the National Horticulture Board, Vimal Chawda (VNR Seeds) Sachin Kulkarni (Haifa India) and a panel on Farm to Fork: The Next Era of Clean Food and Processing, moderated by Abhinav Roy, including contributions from Rohit Sareen (DeHaat), Varun Raheja (Raheja Solar Food Processing), Deepak Pareek (AgriTech Strategist), and Manav Suri (Suri Agrofresh). Alasker Napso (Ginegar) will tell more about the developments in next-generation greenhouse films, and the day will conclude with BT Gore (Farm DSS) and Amit Kumar (Eeki), before the participants will join for a network dinner.

Tomorrow, we'll provide you with more insights on the Indian market