Assam Skill University begins journey in digital agri-entrepreneurship
A new chapter in digital agri-entrepreneurship and skill development began at Assam Skill University (ASU) with the commencement of the 30-Day Certificate Course in Digital Agri-Entrepreneurship (CCDAE) on 28 September 2026. The programme is being jointly conducted by Assam Skill University and Farmutd Ecosystem Private Limited.
The online inaugural session marked the formal beginning of the programme, bringing together 40 trainees from 20 Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) across Assam. The trainees have been sponsored by the ARIAS Society, Government of Assam, with the entire training cost supported by ARIAS.
The programme seeks to create a structured learning platform for participants to develop skills in digital agriculture and entrepreneurship and explore emerging opportunities in the evolving digital agri-ecosystem.The inaugural programme was attended by distinguished representatives from Assam Skill University, Farmutd Ecosystem Private Limited, ARIAS Society, and the Department of Agriculture, Government of Assam. Aruna Rajoria, IAS, Commissioner and Secretary, Department of Agriculture and APC, graced the occasion along with senior officials and representatives from the participating organisations.
From Assam Skill University, Hanif Noorani, ACS, Registrar; Professor Manoj Deka, Dean of Academics; Professor Vikas Singh Bhadoria, Director, Industry Engagement; Professor Utpal Barman, IT Department; and Mousumi Sen, OSD, Training and Industry Collaboration, were present during the inaugural programme.
The session also featured insights from Cmde. Sumantra Hazarika (Retd.), Co-founder and COO, Farmutd Ecosystem Private. Limited, on the role of Farmutd in the programme, and Dr. Abdul Razzaq Ahmed, DDA and Nodal Officer, AIF, on the relevance of the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) Scheme for the participating trainees.
Representatives from the Department of Agriculture and ARIAS Society included Dr Uday Praveen, IAS, Director of Agriculture; Shri Nripen Das, Director, Horticulture and Food Processing; and Baljeet Singh, Market Analyst, ARIAS Society.
Over the 30-day programme, the trainees will receive exposure to precision agriculture, AI/ML-powered crop advisory, soil intelligence, remote sensing, satellite-based crop monitoring (NDVI), soil health intelligence calibrated for Assam’s acidic soil, and weather-based pest prediction.
The programme will also provide hands-on training on the FarmOptima platform.
The programme aims to equip each Agripreneur to serve 100+ farmers through data-driven advisory, input supply, storage and market linkages. Each trainee will also prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) to access the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) and work towards establishing an Agripreneur Kendra with precision agriculture technology, input shops, storage, farm machinery and packaging units.
The commencement of CCDAE marks a new beginning towards strengthening digital agriculture, entrepreneurship and technology-enabled agricultural services in Assam, with the programme bringing together skill development, technology and opportunities for Farmer Producer Companies.
