The first ladies and spouses of G20 member countries Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's wife, Yoko Kishida, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's wife Akshata Murty and World Bank President Ajay Banga's wife Ritu Banga on Saturday visited the 1,200-acre PUSA-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) campus and experienced the agricultural prowess of India first-hand, in a one-of-a kind exhibition organised by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
They were received by Kyoko Jaishankar, the wife of India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
The event featured a range of captivating components, such as a millet-focused live cooking session led by celebrity chefs KunalKapur, Anahita Dhondy, and Ajay Chopra, as well as the display of cutting-edge agricultural technology from prominent Indian startups, interaction with Indian women agri-champions, ‘Agri-Street’.
They were welcomed by a grand "millets-rangoli" at the exhibition that showcased the curated millets from 18-odd countries, and the burgeoning startup ecosystem and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in India.
The beautiful artworks were prepared using millet grains and local Indian motifs. The first rangoli captured the theme of “Harmony of Harvest” unveiling India's deep-rooted agricultural traditions.
Curated with indigenous toys symbolizing women's diverse agricultural contributions, millets, and rustic terracotta pots, this captivating Rangoli became a major highlight of the event.
The second rangoli piece echoed India's cultural philosophy — "The World is One Family", emphasising global unity.
India as a prominent agriculture nation, plays a crucial role in global food security. The second rangoli, thus, celebrated India's global commitment towards unity and sustenance.