ICAR-NMRI, Hyderabad Signs MoU with SBIRD, Hyderabad to Strengthen Academic and Institutional Collaboration

5 November 2026, Hyderabad

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between ICAR–National Meat Research Institute, Hyderabad, and the State Bank Institute for Rural Development (SBIRD), Hyderabad today with the objective of fostering sustainable and mutually beneficial institutional collaboration. The partnership aims to promote academic and professional engagement through joint training programmes, consultancy services, knowledge exchange, and sharing of research expertise in the areas of agriculture, allied sectors and banking, with a particular focus on strengthening rural livelihoods and entrepreneurship.

Dr S. B. Barbuddhe, Director, ICAR-NMRI, underscored the significant contribution of the livestock and meat sectors to national food and nutritional security, besides their potential for income generation, employment creation and rural economic development. He highlighted the Institute's initiatives towards strengthening and modernising the organised meat sector through research, technology development, capacity building and stakeholder engagement. He also elaborated on NMRI's efforts to nurture innovation and entrepreneurship through its Agri-Business Incubator (ABI).

Dr Barbuddhe expressed his appreciation to SBIRD for this collaborative initiative and emphasised that the partnership would create valuable opportunities for leveraging the complementary expertise, institutional resources and professional networks of both organisations, thereby contributing to inclusive rural development and a vibrant agri-allied enterprise ecosystem.

Shri Varahabhatla Nageswara Sarma, General Manager and Director, SBIRD, highlighted the pivotal role of agriculture and allied sectors in India's economic growth, employment generation and rural development. He elaborated on SBIRD's initiatives in skill development, capacity building and promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship, emphasising the need for sustainable, economically viable and technology-driven agricultural enterprises.

(Source: ICAR–National Meat Research Institute, Hyderabad)