Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan Visits ICAR–NIVEDI, Bengaluru

29 August 2025, Bengaluru

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, visited the ICAR–National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics, Bengaluru. On the occasion, he planted saplings on the institute campus along with other dignitaries, marking the importance of sustainable practices.

During the visit, the Minister reviewed the Disease Informatics Laboratory and its advanced systems for disease forecasting, predictive modelling, artificial intelligence, and machine learning applications. He commended the institute’s initiative of sending SMS-based livestock disease advisories directly to farmers in Karnataka and assured full support for extending the service to other states. He urged the scientific community to provide greater farm-related services through periodic broadcasts using IoT, SMS, and other digital technologies.

Shri Chouhan also inspected the institute’s state-of-the-art laboratories, including the WOAH (World Organisation for Animal Health) Reference Laboratories for Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) and Leptospirosis. Interacting with scientists and scholars, he described them as the “Modern Day Maharishis” for their invaluable contributions to addressing the challenges of the farming community. He also reviewed the institute’s activities and engaged with farmers, livestock entrepreneurs, start-ups, and other stakeholders.

Welcoming the Minister, Dr. B. R. Gulati, Director, ICAR–NIVEDI, highlighted the institute’s mandate, achievements, and contributions to national animal health initiatives and disease control programmes covering PPR, Brucellosis, Classical Swine Fever, Foot-and-Mouth Disease, and Lumpy Skin Disease. He also emphasized ICAR-NIVEDI’s work on the economic impact of endemic livestock diseases and progress in One Health initiatives in collaboration with ICMR, DBT, and international agencies.

The Minister also addressed a livestock farmers’ workshop, interacting with over 100 progressive farmers who have successfully adopted NIVEDI technologies and training for livestock entrepreneurship and value-added dairy production. On this occasion, milk cans, feed mixtures, and other inputs were distributed to farmers. He encouraged them to practice integrated farming combining agriculture, animal husbandry, and fisheries for doubling farmers’ income. Emphasizing the importance of Swadeshi products, he called for greater self-reliance in agriculture and reduced dependence on foreign goods.

Reiterating that “Kisan is Annadata, and serving him is like a Divine Pooja”, Shri Chouhan aligned his message with the Prime Minister’s vision of building a stronger India and achieving the world’s top economy status. He assured farmers of the Government’s commitment to safeguarding their interests at all costs without yielding to external pressures. He further encouraged students and research scholars to dedicate their careers to agriculture and selfless service to farmers.

The Minister also stressed the need for strategic planning in science and technology to advance Indian agriculture with precise weather prediction, enhanced accuracy of information systems, and innovations for livestock health management.

The programme was attended by Shri V. Somanna, Union Minister of State, Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Jal Shakti; Shri S. R. Vishwanath, MLA; Dr. Raghavendra Bhatta, Deputy Director General (Animal Sciences), ICAR; and Directors of ICAR institutes in the Bengaluru region, along with scientists, scholars, and stakeholders.

At the exhibition stalls, ICAR-NIVEDI showcased its flagship initiatives such as NADRES,NaaViC, and indigenously developed immuno-diagnostics under Make in India for diseases like Brucellosis, LSD, Leptospirosis, IBR, and parasitic infections. Several start-ups incubated under NaaViC Agri-Business Incubator, including Agrihawk Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Magnimous InfoTech Pvt. Ltd., Kempmann Bioorganics LLP, Barve Technologies LLP, Atsuya Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Nanosentrix Pvt. Ltd., Weather Cast Solutions Pvt. Ltd., AgriBotic Systems Pvt. Ltd., and Neer Shakti Systems Pvt. Ltd., demonstrated their innovations. NaaViC has supported over 75 start-ups with more than ₹7 crore in grant-in-aid under the RKVY–RAFTAAR scheme of MoAFW. Industry partners such as BioVet Pvt. Ltd. and KMF also showcased their products, while ICAR–IIHR displayed horticultural technologies.

The visit not only highlighted the significant national and international contributions of ICAR–NIVEDI but also gave a fresh impetus to the vision of inclusive agriculture and livestock development through meaningful engagement with farmers, scientists, start-ups, and entrepreneurs.

(Source: ICAR–National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics, Bengaluru)