20 January 2026, New Delhi
The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, held a virtual interaction with the participants of Viksit Bharat Young Leaders 2026 today. The meeting was organised as a follow-up to the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue held at Bharat Mandapam on 12 January 2026.
Shri Chouhan said that the youth are not merely students, but that this is a significant opportunity to harness their talent for the transformation of Indian agriculture. Emphasising the role of ideas and innovations, he said that these can contribute to food security, nutritional security, enhancement of farmers’ income, and making agriculture more farmer-friendly.
He urged the youth to present new and practical ideas on reducing imports of pulses and oilseeds, low-cost food processing technologies, agricultural mechanisation, and effective use of digital infrastructure for direct transfer of fertiliser subsidies. He encouraged the youth to connect through a common national platform and develop innovative models for small and marginal farmers.
He also informed that the suggestions received during the interaction would be thematically categorised and deliberated upon at institutional and national levels. The youth were requested to submit their ideas in written form, which would be evaluated based on national significance, relevance, scalability, and feasibility. Impactful ideas would be provided further support and recognition.
Earlier, Dr. M. L. Jat, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR), welcomed the Union Minister and the young participants stating that youth would be the innovators, entrepreneurs, and key contributors to policymaking in the future. Through this virtual interaction, young agricultural leaders would get a new opportunity to share and implement innovative ideas at the national level, he added.
Dr. J. K. Jena, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Education), ICAR, along with other officials from the Education Division of ICAR, were also present during the interaction.
During the virtual interaction, young leaders from Telangana, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and other states shared their ideas and suggestions with the Union Agriculture Minister. Keeping national priorities in view, the participants presented practical solutions related to agricultural innovation, livelihood enhancement, and sustainable agricultural development.
Young leaders and ICAR officials actively participated in the interaction session. The participants offered practical and solution-oriented suggestions focused on national priorities. These included the development of a “One Nation–One Organic Digital Platform” (with digital traceability and market integration), promotion of e-marketing and village-level markets, large-scale use of bio-inputs and microorganisms to improve soil health, and an integrated advisory system linking soil health, crop planning, weather information, and data-driven advisories.
This dialogue proved to be a significant step towards achieving the goal of developed agriculture and a developed India through active participation of the youth.
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