On a recent occasion, the Centre for Himalayan Farmers Regional Agribusiness Incubation (CHF R-ABI) and Central Agricultural University (CAU) organized a Startups’ Meet in Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh. The event awarded Rs 2.75 crore in grants to 25 agribusiness incubatees. Prof. Lobsang Wangchu and Dr. Anil Kumar, PI-CEO of CHF R-ABI, chaired the meeting, which hosted Arunachal Pradesh’s Fisheries Minister Gabriel D. Wangsu as chief guest, along with Member of Parliament Tapir Gao as the guest of honour. In attendance were also MLAs Ninnong Ering and Tapi Darang, as well as additional officials. The agenda included technical sessions focused on post-harvest management, floriculture, and food engineering, with representatives from the State Bank of India participating. Since its inception in 2018-19, CHF R-ABI has trained 650 candidates over ten batches. This initiative is part of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana–Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied Sector Rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR), which nurtures startups from pre-seed to seed stages in various sectors, including organic farming, herbal products, floriculture, probiotics, home decor, incense sticks, natural drinks, and saffron, among other value-added agricultural endeavors.
