ITV

Tag: Ashish Dobhal

  • UPL honours India’s unsung heroes this Independence Day with a special film ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’

    UPL honours India’s unsung heroes this Independence Day with a special film ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’

    MUMBAI: This Independence Day, UPL spotlights two of the nation’s strongest pillars –the farmer and the soldier – with the launch of ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’, an evocative short film released in eight languages.

    The film draws a compelling parallel between two unsung heroes – one guarding our borders, the other safeguarding our food supply. It underscores their shared commitment to nation-building and the equal respect they deserve.

    ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’ forms a powerful chapter in UPL’s year-long storytelling initiative, ‘Atoot Vishwas Ki Kahaniya’ – a monthly video series that celebrates the unwavering trust and deep-rooted relationships within India’s farming communities. Hosted on the dedicated YouTube channel Mitti Ke Rishtey – A UPL Initiative, the series brings to life authentic and heartfelt stories of farmers who embody resilience, community spirit, and an enduring bond with SAAF, one of India’s most trusted fungicides. Through these narratives, UPL pays tribute to the everyday heroes who nurture farmlands and safeguard livelihoods, reinforcing the values that keep our nation growing strong.

    Atoot Vishwas Ki Kahaniya

    Commenting on the initiative, UPL SAS CEO Ashish Dobhal said, “At UPL, farmers are at the core of our mission. They are not just stakeholders – they are our partners in progress. This Independence Day, through ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan,’ we extend our gratitude to another pillar of our nation – the soldier. Both protect India in their own profound ways, and this film is our tribute to their shared spirit of service and sacrifice.”

    Since its launch, SAAF has been more than just a crop protection solution – it has been a symbol of trust in the fields. By helping farmers combat fungal diseases in crops and safeguard their harvests, SAAF® has played a vital role in securing rural livelihoods. ‘Atoot Vishwas Ki Kahaniya’ captures these connections, spotlighting not only farmers but also retail partners who have helped make SAAF a household name across India’s heartland.

    The campaign, which began in April 2025 and runs through March 2026, will feature 12 short films in total. Five films have already been released, each capturing real-life farmer experiences and exploring powerful themes of trust, family bonds, and journeys of success. With ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’ now live, six more films will follow – continuing UPL’s celebration of India’s agricultural spirit and reaffirming its commitment to empowering farming communities. 

  • nurture.farm kickstarts its Sustainable Rice Program for Rabi’23

    nurture.farm kickstarts its Sustainable Rice Program for Rabi’23

    Mumbai: nurture.farm, India’s leading Agtech startup has rolled out its Sustainable Rice Program for the Rabi’23 season. Hundreds of farmers have pledged & joined the program to lead the change by transforming the way they cultivate rice. The program aims to make the rice value chain sustainable by implementing techniques that streamline cultivation practices, leveraging artificial intelligence & water conserving technologies to help farmers cultivate more from less, creating traceable data sets, improving soil health, and boosting farm productivity to deliver sustainable outcomes for the farmer, the buyer, and the environment.

    The implementation of the program is being monitored with the help of agri-industry experts & researchers from Regional Agriculture Research Station, Marateru under the leadership & guidance of Dr M Bharatalakshmi, Associate Director at the Institute. In addition to the institute partnership, leading ag-industry leaders like Mr Ashish Dobhal, CEO UPL SAS, are lending their support, guidance, and committing their resources to help make the program a success.

    UPL SAS CEO Ashish Dobhal said, “India is the largest producer and consumer of rice, accounting for 21 per cent of the world’s total rice production. The rice cultivation alone contributes to 1.5% of total GHG emissions. Furthermore, rice cultivation requires a lot of water; flooded fields lead to the anaerobic decomposition of soil organic matter, which leads to methane emissions and impacts the soil quality, often leading to the leaching of nutrients and soil erosion resulting in reduced farm productivity. Thus making the transition to sustainable cultivation practices a necessity.

    The Sustainable Rice Program is a testament to the core mission of building a resilient and sustainable agriculture ecosystem for a brighter, inclusive and more abundant tomorrow. The program is unique and ambitious as it promises to deliver end-to-end implementation, helping improve yield quality, soil health, acreage, optimize input usage and water consumption, shorten crop cycles, boost farm productivity, and reduce the cost of cultivation while ensuring profitability and measurable sustainable impact on GHGs.”

    nurture.farm head of sustainability Harshal Sonawane said,  “We are proud to launch the initiative as it is an opportunity to make history & contribute to the larger narrative of sustainable agriculture, helping usher in a new era of growth in harmony with nature. The program differentiates itself from other sustainable rice programs owing to its unique sustainability framework & the number of verifiable interventions we plan to deploy.

    Farmers are on boarded to the program via physical & digital touch points on the nurture.farm app. We ensure that participating farmers are extensively trained on good agricultural practices and sustainable rice cultivation techniques and consistently monitor the implementation of the practices at the ground level. Furthermore, participating farmers will receive competitive financial incentives, learn about yield optimization techniques, gain insights on soil health and receive timely advisory & support from our fleet on ground to ensure profitable & sustainable cultivation of rice.

    The sustainability impact on the ecosystem, be it water savings, implications for preservation of biodiversity, carbon sequestration, etc, will be measurable, verifiable & traceable. These data sets can be compared pre & post-implementation to test the efficacy of the program. The program will help mitigate up to 50% of methane emissions, reduce water usage in rice cultivation by 30%, reduce input costs for farmers by INR 500 /acre and improve yield by up to 10%.”

    With a focus on driving change at the grassroots level, nurture.farm’s Sustainable Rice Program aims to educate and train smallholder farmers, improve their access to technology and know-how, and help them cultivate profitably without compromising yield, soil health and the environment. The pilot is being implemented in AP & Telangana to the tune of 10,000 acres, with more than 5,000 farmers already signed up for the program, and it is set to scale to more than 1 million acres by 2030. The program is designed to make the entire rice value chain sustainable, ensuring fair value for farmers on a large scale.