Earth Summit Gandhinagar Edition Concludes with a Strong Call for Technology-Led Rural Transformation

The two-day Gandhinagar edition of the Earth Summit 2025–26, jointly organised by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), concluded today at the Mahatma Mandir Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Held under the theme ‘Empowering Rural Innovation for Global Change’, the Summit brought together innovators, FPOs, agri-startups, women entrepreneurs, rural cooperative banks, community institutions, policymakers, and industry leaders. The Gandhinagar edition placed a strong spotlight on the critical role of cooperatives in driving rural growth and promoting community-led development.

Cooperatives Central to India’s Growth Story: NABARD Chairman

In a fireside chat on building sustainable rural economies, Mr. Shaji K. V., Chairman, NABARD, highlighted the challenges and opportunities in strengthening the cooperative sector.

“Cooperatives are central to achieving sustainable and equitable growth in a country like India, where every region is at a different stage of development. India now has more than 8.5 lakh cooperative societies with close to 30 crore members—one in every four Indians. Yet their value is underestimated, and their potential is still being explored,” he said.

He emphasised the need to modernise governance frameworks and deepen inclusion to unlock the sector’s full potential.

AI, Robotics & Data Driving India’s Transition to Resilient Agriculture

Speaking during a panel on how emerging technologies are enabling India’s shift from smart farming to resilient agriculture, Mr. Goverdhan Singh Rawat, Deputy Managing Director, NABARD, underscored the importance of building a robust digital data backbone.

He said a major opportunity for advancing Agri 5.0 lies in creating structured, scalable datasets covering farms, farmers, and farming systems.

He pointed out that the Government’s Agri-Stack and Digital Agriculture Mission are key steps in this direction, enabling standardised data and technology-driven solutions.

Rawat stressed that as technology adoption accelerates, it is crucial to ensure tools remain affordable, accessible, and user-friendly, especially for small and marginal farmers.

Unified Digital Platform Key to Empowering FPOs

Addressing a session on empowering Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Dr. Ajay Kumar Sood, Deputy Managing Director, NABARD, highlighted the need for a unified digital ecosystem connecting farmers, banks, and government agencies.

He called for developing an app on the lines of Sahakar Sarathi and suggested that an ‘FPO Saathi’ type digital platform could transform nearly 300 existing data points into a dynamic, real-time resource for decision-making and capacity building.

Rural Innovation Expo Showcases India’s Tech-Driven Rural Future

A major attraction at the Summit was the Rural Innovation Expo, which showcased technology-led entrepreneurship and innovation.

The Expo hosted 90 booths featuring FPOs, cooperatives, agritech innovators, and women-led and tribal enterprises. Exhibitors demonstrated how digital platforms, advanced market linkages, and modern agri-tools are driving efficiency and economic opportunity in rural communities.

The Expo reflected the vision articulated by Amit Shah, Union Home Minister & Minister of Cooperation, who emphasised in his inaugural address that the development of India’s villages is central to the nation’s progress.

A Unified National Effort for Rural Transformation

The Earth Summit 2025–26 is supported by key national institutions, including the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, and the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.

This cross-ministerial backing underscores a coordinated national commitment to empowering rural development through technology, innovation, and policy alignment.