PM Modi Calls On Startups To Address Challenges In India’s Dairy, Animal Husbandry Sector

Startup India and the Department of Animal Husbandry have partnered to launch Animal Husbandry Startup Grand Challenge. The challenge was launched today by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a national animal disease control programme held at Mathura.

Addressing the gathering, PM Modi called for applicants for the challenge and said various startups can be launched on the themes of the challenge. “The solution for India’s problem will come from Indian soil itself that is my trust,” he said.

The applications are open for six problem statements that are affecting the dairy and animal husbandry sector, this includes:

• Single use plastic alternatives: using environment-friendly alternatives for replacing single-use polythene in dairy sector
• Eliminating milk adulteration: tackling milk adulteration
• Breed improvement and animal nutrition: use of innovative technologies for quick genetic gain among indian breeds of cattle and buffalos. new varieties of green fodder and enriched animal feed
• Value added products: introduce value added dairy products viz. cheese, smoothies, flavored milk, custard, yoghurt and other ethnic indian products using innovative techniques for smaller domestic as well as export markets
• Ecommerce solutions: encouraging innovations to provide modern digital infrastructure and advisory services across the country
• Product traceability: using technologies to track the journey of dairy products from farm to fork

The applications are open to all DPIIT-registered startups across industries. Interested startups can apply till October 13 here.

The challenge comes at a time when PM Modi hinted towards a mass movement for eradicating plastic, along the lines of Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, and is expected to announce strict measures on October 2 to curb plastic use.

The government’s call to ban single-use plastic is expected to include a ban on the use of plastic bags, cups, plates, small bottles, straws and certain types of sachets. This is further expected to clip 5% to 10% from India’s annual consumption of about 14 Mn tonnes of plastic.

Reports have suggested that the government will also ask ecommerce companies to cut down on plastic packaging that makes up nearly 40% of India’s annual plastic consumption. The authorities are also reportedly thinking of ways to make ecommerce companies recycle the waste that they generate.

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