Dr. G.R. Chintala, Chairman, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), visited Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) in Anand as part of his visit to Gujarat.

He was welcomed by Dilip Rath, Chairman, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and IRMA, and Prof. Hitesh V Bhatt, Director, IRMA.

The ensuing discussion included exploration of potential areas of collaboration between NDDB, IRMA and NABARD. Rath discussed several path-breaking projects currently being undertaken by NDDB across the country where NABARD can be a key collaborator and can help scale them up.

Also keenly discussed were areas where NDDB and IRMA can collaborate with NABARD for knowledge-sharing and research, including sustainable and renewable energy through solar electricity generation and the usage of biofuel and biogas, water and creation of backward and forward linkages for Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) to augment the efforts towards doubling farmers’ income, as also social entrepreneurship.

Dr Chintala readily accepted that there should be increased collaboration and knowledge sharing between BIRD (Banker’s Institute for Rural Development) and IRMA, and added that NABARD would like to send officers to IRMA for customized MDPs in future.

Officials from NDDB, NABARD and faculty members from IRMA were also present on the occasion.