NEW DELHI: Technip Energies flagship CSR program in India, ‘SEED OF HOPE’ has won the best CSR Project award once again for its unparalleled project planning, execution, and the positive impact it created on its immediate surroundings. Technip Energies, one of the world’s leading engineering and technology companies for energy transition, has won the ‘Indo-French Business Award’ in the ‘Best CSR Project of the Year’ category at the sixth edition of the prestigious Indo-French Business Awards & Grand Prix VIE 2024.

The French Ambassador to India, H.E. Mr. Thierry Mathou, presented the award to Davendra Kumar, MD India. The event took place in April and was attended by nearly 150 participants from the Indo-French business community, including CEOs, business leaders, CXOs, and diplomats from the French Embassy in India / Ambassade de France en Inde. Divided into ten categories of business excellence, the Indo-French Business Award, patronized by the French Ambassador to India, is a coveted recognition bestowed only upon best-in-class brands setting new benchmarks in the respective categories.

Davendra Kumar, Managing Director, Technip Energies India, said, “Winning the Indo-French Business Award for our ‘Seed of Hope’ program fills us with joy; it’s a testament to our commitment to making a positive impact in our community and of our team’s hard work. ‘Seed of Hope’ can serve as a global model for effective CSR, delivering significant benefits for people and the environment.”

Seed of Hope is the flagship CSR program of Technip Energies India aligned with the group ESG roadmap, “Together by T.EN”. The program aims to accelerate inclusive growth in the local communities of operations. ‘Seed of Hope’ has had a positive impact on more than 125,000 lives across India since 2015 through various initiatives: 

• Supported 58,000 disaster-affected individuals 
• Helped more than 19,000 girls receive STEM education  
• Helped more than 9,000 children attend school  
• Helped more than 950 young people take part in vocational training  
• Trained 500 women in employment opportunities  
• Installed 150 smokeless stoves, 80 solar streetlights, and 100 biogas units in local communities 
• Planted more than 40,000 saplings and recycled 130,000 kg of waste 

Aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals, the ‘Seed of Hope’ excels with its innovative approach and impactful outcomes. The ‘Seed of Hope program has received many coveted awards and recognition, including the CSR Award conferred by the President of India, ‘Best Innovative Practices on SDGs’ in the Private Sector category conferred by UN Global Compact Network India (GCNI), Special Jury Recognition Award for ‘Empowering Rural Population’ in Large Enterprise Category conferred by Indian Chamber of Commerce. The program also received the IFCCI CSR Conclave & Awards in November last year.

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The ISC 2024 was inaugurated today 29th February 2024, the chief guest was Dr. C D Mayee, former Chairman, of the Agricultural Scientist Recruitment Board and a renowned scientist in the field of Agriculture. The Guest of Honour was Dr A K Singh, Vice Chancellor of CSA University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Shree  Ajeet Mulay, Convener of National Organizing Committee of ISC 2024 welcomed all the guests, other dignitaries, and delegates He also gave a brief background of the deliberation which will take place during the two-day event. Dr B B Pattanaik, General Secretary of NSAI briefly informed the audience on the various activities undertaken by NSAI to support the Indian seed industry.

Dr M Prabhakar Rao, President NSAI made a detailed presentation on the present status and prospects of the Indian Seed industry starting from the green revolution to the present period of Amritkal. He lauded the role of the seed industry in the development of Indian Agriculture and the Indian Economy. He indicated that with India setting itself to boost its economy to 7 trillion USD by 2030 and 10 trillion USD by 2034, the seed industry also has the potential to grow to 7 billion USD if we can focus and aim for 1 billion USD export. He also gave a perspective view of the future developments and emerging technologies that would need to be integrated with seed research and development to harness their full potential. Dr Rao also presented a matrix to set the priority of the seed sector for the new era.

Guest of Honour, Dr AK Singh mentioned that Indian Agriculture has gone through tremendous transformation exhibiting outstanding growth in several crops, particularly, the horticultural crops. Still, there was huge potential to be tapped for boosting the production to a level where we ensure our domestic food and nutritional security and also tap the growing export market. Dr Singh was of the view that good quality seeds alone were capable of pioneering this transformation and hoped that the deliberations during the ISC would set a direction for this initiative. 

Chief Guest Dr C D Mayee appreciated the visionary presentation by President NSAI and hoped that under his leadership the Seed industry was going to achieve new heights in the days to come. Dr. Mayee emphasized the use of new technology to be used in the area where we are facing constraints, particularly, concerning the increasing labor problems in agriculture which could be tackled by the mechanization and adaptation of new technology tools. Extensive use of digital technologies in agriculture has to be explored to address the difficult areas of agricultural development. Dr. Mayee suggested that we must target the new genetic tools and technologies for improvements in the production/productivity of crops where we have shortages, particularly, the oilseeds like mustard, soybean, and groundnut and also several pulses.

Shri Vaibhav R Kashikar, Treasurer NSAI summarized the 12-year journey of ISC which has made a significant contribution towards giving shape to the Indian Seed Industry, and presented the vote of thanks to all distinguished guests, sponsors delegated and all others associated with the organization with event.

The ISC 2024 which will continue on 29th February and 1st March 2024 has been organized into six Technical Sessions that address emerging topics having an impact on the Indian Seed industry to be discussed in detail by the best subject matter experts invited from national/international institutions, about seeds.  Exhibition stalls have also been set up to showcase the latest technology and products by the seed companies and trading tables to provide a platform for business negotiations and promotion of seed trade.

The two-day event would enable comprehensive deliberations and discussions on scientific, technological, regulatory, and business developments which are going to be the core attraction of ISC 2024.

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PUNE: The National Seed Association of India (NSAI) has announced the 12th edition of Indian Seed ‘Indian Seed Congress 2024’ to focus on seeds for sustainable agriculture. The two-day event will be held on February 29 and March 1 at Westin, Koregaon Park, Pune.

The event will bring together veterans, experts, and stakeholders from India to discuss the important theme of the seed industry “Seeds for Sustainable Agriculture”.

The event aims to stimulate discussions, exchange ideas, and showcase state-of-the-art, focusing on the critical role of seeds in sustainable agriculture.

The event will feature seed-related keynote addresses, panel discussions, technical sessions, and networking opportunities designed to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration among participants, to learn about advances in seed technology, seed regulatory frameworks, market trends, and agricultural sustainability practices.

The Indian Seed Congress will also showcase the latest technologies and products from the agri start-up industry to benefit farmers in improving their crop yields and productivity.

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WASHINGTON: Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced it will launch a road tour to Midwest states connecting entrepreneurs working on advanced technology to the country’s largest source of early-stage funding – America’s Seed Fund. America’s Seed Fund, comprised of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, supports next-generation research & development (R&D), providing over $4 billion each year in non-dilutive funding from 11 participating federal agencies. America’s Seed Fund Road Tour plays an essential role in increasing engagement with innovation ecosystems across the country and building out inclusive networks to support the creation of small businesses focusing on high-impact research. 

“The Biden Administration’s Investing in America agenda is about investing in innovators across the nation, including the American heartland,” said SBA Administrator Guzman. “America’s Seed Fund Road Tour ensures that America’s Seed Fund is accessible to businesses in all parts of the country, promoting the development and commercialization of cutting-edge technologies that drive our innovation economy and global competitiveness.” Each Road Tour stop is hosted by SBA’s Federal And State Technology (FAST) Partners, who serve as navigators connecting entrepreneurs to America’s Seed Fund opportunities in their regions. At each stop, entrepreneurs and small business owners can meet one-on-one with federal agency representatives and attend programming to support their America’s Seed Fund journey.

America’s Seed Fund Road Tour: Midwest, July 17-21

Monday, July 17 | Oklahoma City, OK Venue: OKC Convention Center
Hosted by OK Catalyst, University of Oklahoma
Tuesday, July 18 | Wichita, KS Venue: Wichita State University, Woolsey Hall
Hosted by Wichita State University
Wednesday, July 19 | Kansas City, MO Venue: Bloch School at the University of Missouri – Kansas City
Hosted by Missouri Small Business Development Center, University of Missouri
Thursday, July 20 | Lincoln, NE Venue: Howard L. Hawks Hall
Hosted by Nebraska Business Development Center, University of Nebraska at Omaha
Friday, July 21 | Des Moines, IA Venue: FFA Enrichment Center, Des Moines Area Community
Hosted by the Iowa Small Business Development Center, Iowa State University of Science and Technology

For detailed information on the America’s Seed Fund Road Tour route and registration to attend in person, visit www.americasseedfund.us/road-tour.

For more information about America’s Seed Fund (SBIR/STTR) programs, please visit www.sbir.gov.

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