SRINAGAR, JULY 18: Institute of Business and Policy Research (IBPR), SKUAST-Kashmir under the aegis of the HADP project 04 ‘Strengthening Agriculture Marketing in UT of J&K’, successfully organised a transformative three-day training program titled “Catalysing Agri Transformation: Leadership, Branding, and Market Power”, held from 16th to 18th July, 2025.
Designed as a strategic knowledge intervention, the program convened a diverse and dynamic cohort comprising officers of development departments, FPO leaders, agri-startups, and institutional stakeholders, with the shared objective of accelerating agricultural transformation in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
The sessions were enriched by the presence of international trainers and domain experts, who engaged in deep-dive deliberations and solution-oriented discussions with participants across the three days.
Inaugurating the event, Prof. Haroon R. Naik, Director Research, SKUAST-K, delivered a visionary keynote, emphasizing the urgent imperative for a shift from traditional production models to market-responsive and innovation-driven agriculture.
“Agriculture today cannot thrive on production alone. Our farmers and agri-entrepreneurs must be equipped with the tools of branding, digital integration, and strategic thinking to unlock the full market potential of their produce. Initiatives like this are not just timely, they are transformative,” Prof. Naik remarked.
Prof. Farhet A. Shaheen, Course Director, elaborated on the structure, objectives, and broader vision of the training program. He described the initiative as a first-of-its-kind convergence of leadership development, branding acumen, and market strategy, aimed at bridging critical gaps in conventional agri-capacity building.
“True transformation begins with a transformed mindset, leaders who can think strategically, act entrepreneurially, and communicate their product stories with clarity and confidence in competitive markets,” Prof. Shaheen stated. He highlighted the program’s emphasis on practical learning, case-based sessions, hands on toolkits for market navigation that empowered participants to craft business models, design product identities, and explore real-world commercialization pathways.
Programs like this are not standalone events, they are strategic investments in building a resilient, market-ready, and innovation-driven agricultural ecosystem, he remarked.
Prof. S. H. Baba, Head, Institute of Business and Policy Research (IBPR), spoke about the critical intersection of knowledge, leadership, and market empowerment in redefining the future of agriculture in the region.
“The future of Indian agriculture lies not just in increasing yields, but in expanding value, visibility, and voice for our grassroots producers. Through this training, we sought to catalyze a mindset shift, from cultivation to commercialization, from production to positioning, and from isolation to integrated market engagement,” he asserted.Prof. Baba applauded the high level of engagement from participants and reiterated IBPR’s commitment to converting academic insights into actionable field-level change.
Dr. Abid Sultan, Coordinator of the training program, described the event as a pivotal step in reshaping the agricultural narrative of Jammu & Kashmir, a shift from viewing farmers as mere cultivators to recognizing them as leaders, brand creators, and market strategists.
“In regions like J&K, agri-economies will no longer be defined solely by what we grow, but by how we lead, how we tell our stories, and how we claim our rightful place in the market economy, he asserted.
