Gujarat University MBA in Agripreneurship and Value Chain Management Launched, Inks SoI with NITI Aayog; Read Details Here

Gujarat University MBA in Agripreneurship and Value Chain Management has been launched on Tuesday, September 7, 2021. The university has officially signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) with NITI Aayog, to promote cooperation in agriculture and its allied sectors. 

Under this collaboration with Gujarat University, the course will be India's first MBA programme in Agripreneurship and Value Chain Management to be offered by the Indian Institute of Sustainability (IIS). 

Dr Rajiv Kumar, the Vice-chairman of NITI Aayog launched the programme and various dignitaries including Gujarat University Vice-Chancellor Dr Himanshu Pandya and Pro-Vice-Chancellor Dr Jagadish Bhavsar, and GUSEC CEO Rahul Bhagchandani graced the event. 

Signing of the LoI between Gujrat University & @NITIAayog opens up a multitude of opportunities for the youth of India-and with the launch of India's first MBA Prog. in Agripreneurship & Value Chain Mgmt., we should expect a generation of entrepreneurs in the agriculture sector. pic.twitter.com/BAZkzNw1xB

— Rajiv Kumar (@RajivKumar1) September 7, 2021

Dr. Rajiv Kumar also took to Twitter to express his thoughts, which reads, “This renewed knowledge-sharing ecosystem will help foster a variety of capacity-building programmes on farm development, agripreneurship, natural farming, climate change, etc. & give thrust to India’s efforts of achieving the SDGs.”

Gujarat University MBA in Agripreneurship and Value Chain Management: Launch Event Highlights

The official statement released by PIB states, MBA programme in Agripreneurship and Value Chain Management is a course that has been uniquely designed that will expose the students on a global level to understand the agriculture ecosystem. 

The SoI mainly focuses on the technical collaboration between the two institutions to strengthen knowledge- sharing and policy development in India. The aim is to encourage and promote cooperation in the agriculture field and allied sectors. Thus, the IIS, Gujarat University MBA in Agripreneurship and value chain management will empower the agribusiness leaders, agriculture entrepreneurs, and value chain experts with the necessary skills, knowledge, exposure and attitude.

Speaking about the objective behind the joint collaboration, Dr Rajiv Kumar, the Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog said that the real threat of climate change necessitates the development of mitigation strategies, where agriculture and associated value chain play a crucial role. At the same time, the government will extend all possible support to such strategies. 

Further, he said that without the private sector developing and embracing climate-smart solutions, targets are unlikely to be met. So, there's a requirement to develop new business models and solutions across the economy. Therefore, welcoming Gujarat University and the Indian Institute of Sustainability (IIS), Kumar said that he looks forward to the mutual collaboration in joint studies, research and study programmes; policy design, analysis and advocacy; and implementation of the SDGs. 

With the support of NITI Aayog, IIS has also proposed to establish a Center of Agripreneurship and Natural Farming. When asked about the proposal, he replied that NITI Aayog will extend all the possible technical expertise and advice including collaborations with Agripreneurship and exposure to policy making to IIS. 

Gujarat Education Minister Bhupendra Singh Chudasama said that Gujarat has been at the forefront of education and agriculture. Globalization, policy reforms, and consumer awareness have brought about structural changes in Indian agriculture, for these reasons, there's a significant demand for agriculture entrepreneurs and value-chain management professionals. 

He added that IIS’ MBA course will create enormous opportunities for students and nurture an entrepreneurial spirit to serve the agri-food industry and rural development. Thus, welcoming the NITI Aayog partnership will open new frontiers in Indian agriculture. 

Meanwhile, Gujarat University Admission 2021 is offered in various UG, PG, PG Diploma and Research level programs across 16 specializations. Admission for 2021-22 academic year is ongoing, interested candidates need to visit gujaratuniversity.ac.in for more information.