HYDERABAD: Over a thousand farmer producer organisations (FPOs), agri-businesses, financiers, policymakers and technology innovators gathered at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) on Wednesday for the FPO Conclave 2025, hosted by Samunnati with NABARD.
The day-long event combined policy dialogue with exposure to new technologies. A video message from Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and a keynote address by NITI Aayog member Prof Ramesh Chand set the stage.
On the exhibition floor, startups drew attention. Thanos Technologies showcased its Syena-H10i agriculture drone, capable of spraying an acre per tank with auto-navigation. Priced at Rs 6-7 lakh, it has been adopted by 200-300 Telangana farmers. Gujarat-based Upjao Agro Tech displayed an AI grain analyser delivering quality reports in 30-45 seconds. HelioT.AI presented its IoT weather station drive—“one village, one weather station”—for hyper-local forecasts to aid crop advisories and insurance.
A major policy spotlight was on farmer pensions. PFRDA Executive Director Mamata Rohit stressed that just as FPOs unlocked markets and finance, the National Pension System (NPS) could offer farmers dignity and independence after active years. “By 2050, one-fifth of India will be elderly.
Without savings, many may be forced to work in old age. Women, who outlive men, are especially vulnerable,” she warned. PFRDA has widened entry norms — enrolment up to 70 years, deferred withdrawals to 75, systematic withdrawal plans — and is working on customised models for farmers, she noted.