VMPL

Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], July 5: The Soluble Fertiliser Industry Association (SFIA) successfully concluded its flagship event, SOMS 2025, held at the Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre (MMC) in Gandhinagar. Themed "Agri Entrepreneur", the event brought together key stakeholders from across the agriculture ecosystem, including agritech innovators, senior policymakers, academic institutions, and rural media professionals. With a strong emphasis on promoting agricultural innovation, rural enterprise, and responsible journalism, the event served as a vital platform for collaboration and knowledge-sharing aimed at strengthening India's agricultural future.

The event was formally inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Raghavjibhai Hansrajbhai Patel, Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Cow Breeding and Fisheries, Government of Gujarat. In his welcome address, he praised the platform for recognising agri-entrepreneurs and rural journalists and extended his best wishes to all awardees. "Agriculture in India has undergone rapid transformation, with agri-entrepreneurs doing excellent work for farmers. New technology is revolutionising agriculture, and soon India will become a leader in fertilisers," he said.

The presence of distinguished guests and domain leaders at the inauguration further added weight to the deliberations. From policy experts and research leaders to industry pioneers, the gathering reflected a shared commitment to transforming rural livelihoods through forward-looking agricultural initiatives. Rajib Chakraborty, President of SFIA, addressed the audience with an insightful speech emphasising SFIA's continued efforts to encourage young minds, support scalable innovations, and bridge the gap between research and real-world application in the agriculture and fertiliser sector.

"To strengthen Indian manufacturing and agricultural sustainability, the government must prioritise digitisation, ensure a level playing field and parity for Indian manufacturers against Chinese competitors, and promote export-oriented policies by enhancing market access through supportive regulations. Uniform implementation of FCO laws across states, robust infrastructure support for agri-inputs, and promotion of scientifically proven, non-residual SOMS fertilisers--already trusted by 5 crore farmers--will enable large-scale import substitution within 1-1.5 years, fostering sustainable farming and economic growth," he said.



A key highlight of SOMS 2025 was the Thesis Showdown session, designed to spotlight breakthrough research from students of leading agricultural universities. The session focused on projects with commercial viability and practical implications for Indian farmers. Presentations included a study on the synthesis and evaluation of biogenic nano potassic fertiliser by the Agricultural College and Research Institute, TNAU, Madurai; a proposal on intelligent sprayer for precision spraying in high-density orchards by Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir; and a project titled advanced oxidation process for ammonia recovery and reuse as a soluble fertiliser by Laxminarayan Innovation Technological University. The jury for the Thesis Showdown included Pranjib Chakrabarty; Kaushik Banerji, Director, NRC Grapes; P. K. Dey, Director, ICAR-ATARI, Kolkata; B. D. Jade from Jain Irrigation Systems; and K. R. K. Reddy, President of BIPA.

Their expert evaluation and feedback offered the young researchers guidance for refining their innovations and exploring pathways for future development and deployment.

Rahul Mirchandani, President, Indian Micro-fertilisers Manufacturers Association (IMMA); Vijay Thakur, President, OAMA and MN Vaydhaynadhan, President, TAPMA were also present. During the panel discussion on "The Essential Commodities Act - Fertiliser Control Order - Ease of Doing Business", Rahul Mirchandani, President of the Indian Micro-Fertilisers Manufacturers Association (IMMA), raised the demand for implementing a "One Nation, One Licence" policy for fertilisers. He emphasised that such reforms are essential to simplify regulations and support enterprise, innovation, and growth in the fertiliser sector.

Recognising the role of storytelling in influencing rural change, SOMS 2025 also hosted the Agri Journalism Awards to honour journalists who have demonstrated excellence in reporting on agriculture, rural development, and policy. The awardees were Ms Puja Das (Print/Digital - English), Mr Mukund Tayaba Pingale (Print/Digital - Marathi), Mr Himanshu Mishra (Print/Digital - Hindi), Mr Sunil Sushila Sharma (Broadcast/YouTube - Hindi), Ms Anisha Jain (Broadcast/YouTube - English), Mr Dhananjay Shriram Sanap (Broadcast/YouTube - Marathi), and Top National Agri-Business Magazine Excellence Award Winner. Runners-up included Mr Sandeep Das (Print/Digital - English), Mr Manoj Kumar Singh (Print/Digital - Hindi), Mr Gopal Jagannath Hage (Print/Digital - Marathi), and Ms Fiza Kazmi (Broadcast/YouTube - Hindi).

The jury for the awards included R. N. Padaria, Joint Director Extension at ICAR; Kalyan Kumar Sinha, former Editor, Lokmat Samachar; and Suhas Buddhe, Vice President of VIA Nagpur.

The event concluded with a vibrant exchange of ideas, collaboration opportunities, and shared resolve to make rural India more self-reliant through innovation and enterprise. SOMS 2025 left participants with a renewed commitment to building an ecosystem that supports young agri entrepreneurs, enables sustainable technologies, and celebrates informed journalism that gives voice to the agricultural backbone of the nation.

www.sfia.co.in

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