Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 07 March 2025
A three-day State Level Seminar on ‘Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Island Youth and Women in Spices, Arecanut, and Medicinal Plants Sector’ concluded successfully on March 7, 2025. Organized by ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute (CIARI), Sri Vijaya Puram, in collaboration with the Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development, Kozhikode, Kerala, and ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project on Plantation Crops, Kasaragod, Kerala, the seminar aimed at fostering agripreneurship in the islands.
The event was inaugurated by Ms. Pallavi Sarkar, IAS, Secretary (Agriculture), Andaman and Nicobar Administration, in the presence of Dr. Eaknath B. Chakurkar, Director, ICAR-CIARI. In her address, Ms. Sarkar lauded CIARI’s initiative in promoting entrepreneurship-driven programs to boost agri-based businesses in the region. She emphasized the importance of aggregation of produce, given the scattered nature of agricultural commodities across the islands, and highlighted the need for effective packaging, branding, and advertisement to ensure competitiveness in national and international markets.
Dr. Chakurkar reaffirmed CIARI’s commitment to providing technical guidance to local stakeholders to develop agripreneurship in the region. He underscored the necessity of inter-sectoral coordination to create a conducive environment for startups. As part of the event, Mrs. R. Karthika Devi, a young entrepreneur who acquired the license for Dweep CinnRub technology from ICAR-CIARI, was felicitated for her contributions to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the islands.
The seminar featured technical sessions led by experts from reputed institutes across India. Dr. T.E. Sheeja from ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Kozhikode, presented insights on entrepreneurship opportunities in the spices sector, while Dr. R.S. Matche from CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, elaborated on advanced packaging techniques for tropical spices. Other sessions included discussions on value addition of medicinal and aromatic plants by Dr. Smitha G.R. from ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, and the potential for arecanut waste utilization for entrepreneurship by Dr. Nagaraja N.R. from ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, RS, Vittal, Karnataka. Dr. Pooja Bohra, Co-organizing Secretary, provided an island-centric perspective on agripreneurship opportunities.
The event also included interactive open sessions, where existing entrepreneurs sought solutions to their business challenges, and aspiring entrepreneurs explored novel business ideas. Practical demonstrations were conducted by Dr. Ajit Arun Waman, Organizing Secretary, focusing on scientific harvesting, post-harvest processing, value addition of spices, and mechanization for drudgery reduction and quality enhancement. Participants also visited field sites showcasing opportunities in spices and plantation crop-based agroecotourism.
The seminar witnessed participation from 71 individuals across South Andaman, North Andaman, Middle Andaman, Car Nicobar, Shaheed Dweep, Baratang, and Little Andaman. Representatives from the Department of Agriculture and Department of Rural Development showed keen interest in exploring new business avenues for wider dissemination among the general public. As a token of appreciation, participants received scientifically processed island spices and planting materials of various spices and medicinal fruits.