Qualified agripreneurs receive grants under RKVY-RAFTAAR and NIDHI-PRAYAS schemes at TNAU
- by CC Web Desk
- Mar 14,2025
Agribusiness Incubation Society Technology Business Incubator (ABIS-TBI) functioning in TNAU, Coimbatore is a platform for supporting agripreneurs, farmers, student entrepreneurs and other stake holders.
This center hosted the grant disbursement function to the qualified, above mentioned candidates of RKVY-RAFTAAR-R-ABI and NIDHI-PRAYAS was held at ABIS-TBI, TNAU, Coimbatore on Friday.
What is RKVY-RAFTAAR?
It is short for Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna - Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied Sector Rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR) Agripreneurship. It is a scheme of the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare aimed at strengthening infrastructure in agriculture and allied sector in order to promote agripreneurship and agribusiness by providing financial support and nurturing the incubation ecosystem.
What is NIDHI-PRAYAS?
The NIDHI-PRAYAS program is implemented by the Dept. of Science and Technology, Govt. of India. This program aims at providing prototype funding to convert idea(s) into prototype(s) to young and aspiring innovators.
Prof.V.Geethalakshmi, Vice-Chancellor, TNAU and President (ABIS) presided over the grants distribution ceremony. The VC in her presidential speech emphasized the need for retaining the youth in agriculture and to support agri based startups to innovate and implement new technologies for sustainable and profitable agribusiness. 
A grant amount of Rs.81.60 lakhs from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, RKVY Division, New Delhi for 10 SAIP Cohort IV Grantees were disbursed as second installment.
Five start-ups were selected for the GoI-DST supported NIDHI PRAYAS grant of Rs. 10.00 lakhs each. The first installment Grant of Rs.6 lakhs was disbursed to the selected NIDHI-PRAYASEES.
The disbursed grant will be used by the grantees for the development of products and upscaling of their startups in agri and allied ventures.
R.Thamizh Vendan, Registrar, TNAU and Vice President (ABIS), E.Somasundaram, Director, ABD, A.V.Gnansambandam, ED & CEO, ABIS, TBI and ABIS EC members were present.
