Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, held a virtual dialogue today with participants of Viksit Bharat Agriculture Young Leaders 2026. The session was part of the ‘Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue’ held on 12 January 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, aimed at connecting youth with national-level agricultural innovation initiatives.
On this occasion, Dr. M. L. Jat, Secretary of DARE and Director General of ICAR, welcomed the Union Minister and the young participants. He emphasized that today’s youth are future innovators, entrepreneurs, and policy-makers, and this virtual dialogue provides them with a national platform to share ideas and implement them on the ground.
Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the youth are not merely students but crucial partners in transforming Indian agriculture. He highlighted the role of ideas and innovations in enhancing food security, nutritional security, increasing farmers’ income, and making agriculture more farmer-centric.
The Union Minister encouraged youth to provide practical and innovative suggestions on reducing pulses and oilseeds imports, low-cost food processing technologies, farm mechanization, and effective use of digital infrastructure for direct benefit transfer (DBT) of fertilizer subsidies. He also motivated them to develop innovative models for small and marginal farmers by connecting through a national shared platform.
Shri Chouhan stated that all suggestions received during the dialogue will be categorized by theme and reviewed at institutional and national levels. Youth were also encouraged to submit their ideas in writing, which will be evaluated based on national relevance, applicability, scalability, and practicality. The most impactful and useful ideas will receive recognition and further support.
Practical Solutions Presented by Young Leaders from Various States:
During the virtual dialogue, young leaders from Telangana, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and other states shared their suggestions with the Union Minister. Participants presented practical solutions focused on agricultural innovation, livelihood promotion, and sustainable agricultural development, aligned with national priorities.
Key Emerging Innovation Suggestions:
Active participation from youth leaders and ICAR officials resulted in several innovative suggestions, including:
FAQs:
Q1. What is Viksit Bharat Agriculture Young Leaders 2026?
It is a national initiative to engage youth in agricultural innovation, policy input, and sustainable farming solutions.
Q2. Who chaired the virtual dialogue?
Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Q3. What was the main objective of the dialogue?
To collect innovative, practical, and scalable agricultural ideas from youth across India.
Q4. How will youth suggestions be evaluated?
Ideas will be assessed at institutional and national levels based on relevance, scalability, and practicality.
Q5. How do digital platforms like Khetivyapar support this vision?
Platforms like Khetivyapar help connect farmers, markets, and digital services, supporting transparent trade and innovation-driven agriculture.
