Biochar Centre of Excellence launched to empower rural entrepreneurs

Hyderabad, May 5 (IANS) Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari inaugurated a Biochar Centre of Excellence for promoting rural entrepreneurship at Kanha Shanti Vanam, the headquarters of Heartfulness Institute near here on Monday.

The Biochar Centre of Excellence, an initiative by Heartfulness Institute and PayPal, was inaugurated in the presence of Kamesh Patel (Daaji), president, founder and guide of Heartfulness Institute, along with Nath Parameshwaran, Senior Director at PayPal.

The centre has been established to provide skill development and capacity building for rural entrepreneurs in villages for biochar. The initiative aims to encourage women and youth entrepreneurs to set up biochar units, produce biochar, and distribute it to farmers as part of a rural business model.

The Centre of Excellence will also offer an end-to-end experience of how biochar is produced, processed, and applied to the soil, enabling participants to visually study and understand its impact on crops, soil, and forests.

Gadkari noted that small businesses, rural entrepreneurs and farmers form the backbone of India’s economy.

“This unique initiative brings entrepreneurs and farmers together to equip them with modern agricultural technologies and know-how on farming. We want our farmer community to have superior yield, better income, make agriculture dependable, and provide economic opportunities for small rural entrepreneurs in the villages,” he said.

He hoped that rural entrepreneurs and farmers would benefit from this initiative.

“We must be wise in how we produce crops -- not only by adopting modern techniques but also by being sensitive to soil health and nutrition. A Centre of Excellence like this will train rural entrepreneurs, farmers, and agriculturists in sustainable farming, helping them adopt biochar as an effective carbon-sequestering agent for better plant survival rates and afforestation. Our vision is to establish a biochar unit in every village in the country for the benefit of all,” said Kamlesh Patel.

Nath Parameshwaran from PayPal stated that helping small businesses and entrepreneurs thrive is a key priority for PayPal globally and in India. The Centre of Excellence for Rural Entrepreneurship aims to provide economic and upskilling opportunities for rural entrepreneurs, boost farmer incomes, and protect the environment with the use of biochar, he said.

--IANS

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