In a remarkable effort to address issues of women’s empowerment and gender discrimination in rural areas, the Cultural and Communication Club of KIIT School of Rural Management (KSRM) organized ‘Pratibimb,’ a vibrant street theatre festival, on 14th October 2023. The event saw active participation from 63 enthusiastic KSRM students pursuing MBA in Agri-Business Management and MBA in Rural Management.

The festival employed a rich tapestry of artistic elements, including puppets, masks, and traditional dance forms representing diverse Indian states. These captivating elements were effectively used to underscore the immense potential of “Nukkad Natak” or street theatre as a powerful tool for rural marketing communication. Professor Nishith Parida, Director, KSRM and Dr. Damodar Jena, Dean along with the faculty and staff of the institute were present. 

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KIIT School of Rural Management (KSRM) hosted the 4^th National Agribusiness Conclave with the theme: Feeding the Future: Innovations and Trends in Indian Agriculture and Food Sector on 16^th September 2023.

The aim of the Conclave was to bring together scholars, students, and industrial leaders/practitioners, to address issues, developments, and trends in the Indian Agriculture & Food Sector. The event featured two panel discussions with the themes: (1) Future Trends and Transformative Innovations in the Agri Input Sector and (2) Technology Interventions in Supply Chain Management in the Agri and Food Sector.

The conclave was inaugurated by Prof. Sasmita Samanta, Vice Chancellor of KIIT Deemed University. In her inaugural address, she reminded the audience about the UN SDG goals, focusing on food security. She highlighted the need of the hour, which is the application of AI, IoT, and digital technology in agriculture. In this context, she cited the example of a KIIT alumnus who has made significant strides in this domain by working in collaboration with the Government of Odisha.

The event commenced with a welcome address by Prof. Nishith Parida, Director of KIIT School of Rural Management. He shared the remarkable journey of KIIT Deemed to be University under the visionary leadership of founder Prof. Achyuta Samanta. Prof. Parida also noted that KSRM, with its flagship programs in Rural Management, Agri-business Management, and Diploma in Community Development, has expanded its footprint in research, consultancy, capacity building, and Ph.D. programs.

Mr. Anilkumar SG, Founder & CEO of Samunnati, set the context of the conclave by emphasizing that it was the right time for three reasons: (1) Agriculture being in the spotlight or forefront, (2) Having an enabling environment through business incubators, and (3) The flow of private capital into agri-innovation.

The program also announced the winners of the national quiz ‘AGRIWHIZ’ and two winners who were physically present at the venue were awarded their certificates by the Vice Chancellor. She congratulated the winners as well as the participants.

Prof. Damodar Jena, Dean of KSRM, proposed the vote of thanks and emphasized the value of the panel discussions for students and summarized the key points made by the distinguished guests.

The first panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Vinayak Raman Sharma, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Savannah Seeds. The panel members included Mr. Sanjay Bisht, Regional Director (Asia) at Enza Zaden; Dr. Pradeep Kumar Kulkarni, National Head of Product Development at ADAMA; Mr. GVS Naidu, Commercial Lead (East) at Bayer Crop Science; and Mr. Durgesh Chandra, Secretary General of CropLife India. The panel deliberated on future trends in agribusiness, including digitization, precision farming, different government initiatives, the role of regulators and policymakers, advisory services, digital visualization, drones, Chemigation, e-commerce, biotechnology, GM crops, etc.

The second panel discussion was moderated by Mr. Anilkumar SG, Founder & CEO, Samunnati and had the following dignitaries as panel members Mr. Jiten Rao, Vice President (Supply Chain), DeHaat; Mr. Swapan Sinha, Head (Marketing), NDDB; Mr. Dushyant K Tyagi, CEO, Farmgate Technologies; and Mr. Rajen Padhi, Commercial Director, B-One Business House.

Prof. Nirmal Mandal of KSRM, the convener of the conclave proposed the vote of thanks. Later, the students met with the panel members for their queries and informal interaction.

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KIIT School of Rural Management (KSRM) hosted the 4^th National Rural Management Konclave on 2^nd September, 2023. The objective of the Konclave was to bring together development professionals, corporate partners, academicians, and students of the School onto a common platform to discuss various upcoming issues, with a special focus on “Women Empowerment and Sustainable Development”. The event featured two panel discussions: (1) Women Empowerment and Sustainable Development and (2) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Rural Development.

Speaking at the inaugural session, Mr. Prashant Hota, President & Group Head of CSR & Corporate Communication at Jindal Steel and Power emphasized the need for GDP growth to be complemented by measures such as happiness indices and inclusiveness.

Prof. Sasmita Samanta, Vice Chancellor of KIIT Deemed to be University, highlighted the University’s mission to bring knowledge from campus to the people and address their problems with solutions. She underlined the synchronized and inclusive growth of KIIT and KISS universities, with a combined student population of 70,000.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Prof. Nishith Parida, Director of KIIT School of Rural Management shared the remarkable journey of KSRM and KIIT Deemed to be University. Prof. Damodar Jena, Dean of KSRM delivered the word of thanks. The dignitaries congratulated the winners and participants of “QUIZ WHIZ”, a national quiz competition.

The first panel discussion focused on Women Empowerment and Sustainable Development and was moderated by Dr. Sujeet Rajan from TATA Trust. The panel stressed the transformative nature of empowerment, which takes time. They advocated for a design that combines human-centered and systemic thinking for programs aiming to enhance women’s empowerment. The panelists of the 1^st group were Mr. Indrajit Chaudhuri, CEO & Country Director of PCI, India, Mr. Mathew Joseph, Country Director of American India Foundation, Mr. Saroj Mahapatra, Executive Director of PRADAN, and Mr. Suvendu Rout, Vice President of ACCESS Development Services.

The second panel discussion centered around CSR and Rural Development and was moderated by Mr. Prashant Hota. The panelists of the discussion were Dr. Lopamudra Priyadarshini, AVP, Head – Community, Relations and Sustainability of Hindalco Industries Ltd, Dr. Vikas Yadvendu, Group Head-CSR of ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India, Mr. Ambika Prasad Mohanty, Team Leader of Reliance Foundation, and Mr. Dhrubanarayan Mukherjee, General Manager-CSR of Vedanta. They emphasized the need for a holistic approach, including skill development, income generation, and project replicability, and concluded that CSR projects could complement government development efforts for greater impact.

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KIIT School of Rural Management (KSRM) organized a guest talk on “Effective Sales Promotion Strategy in the Agri-Input Sector” on 28th July 2023. The talk was delivered by Mr. Bibudatta Mishra, Regional Sales Manager (Field Crop), and Mr. Abhijit Samal, Area Sales Manager (Field Crop), Odisha at Pan Seeds Pvt. Ltd.

During the talk, Mr. Samal discussed the 4 P’s of sales strategy, sales initiatives, and branding strategy. He emphasized the importance of creating a brand that aligns with the company’s values. Additionally, he provided a glimpse of some successful promotional activities undertaken by Pan Seeds. On the other hand, Mr. Mishra delved into the topic of “Sales Effectiveness Training Program.” He took the participants through the different steps of group selling skills, explaining the selection and delivery of various types of pitches to dealers and retailers. Mr. Mishra also highlighted different promotional activities, including pre-sales activities, pilot programs, and demonstrations.

Mr. Bibudatta Mishra has more than two decades of experience in the agri-input sector. He had previously worked with Pioneer Seeds and also has experience in the sugar industry. On the other hand, Mr. Abhijit Samal pursued his MBA in Agribusiness Management from Utkal University and has been associated with Pan Seeds for close to five years.

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KIIT School of Rural Management (KSRM) organized the inaugural program for the 2023-25 batch of the MBA (Rural Management) and MBA (Agribusiness Management) courses on July 13, 2023. The inaugural programme was graced by Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS; Prof. Samita Samanta, Vice Chancellor, KIIT Deemed to be University; Prof. Saranjit Singh, Pro Vice Chancellor; and Prof. Jnyana Ranjan Mohanty, Registrar.

Welcoming the new batch, Dr. Achyuta Samanta explained the genesis of KSRM to them. He also appreciated the program designs, especially the internship component in each semester. The Founder also shared that both RM and ABM programs could contribute to bringing about change in society. He suggested that KSRM should connect more with KISS and the Kandhamal district to showcase them as live case studies.

Prof. Samita Samanta said that the students are at the right place at the right time since there is a lot of potential in the rural and agribusiness sector and growth in the sector is crucial for the overall development. She also asked the students that as matured individuals, they should treat this university as a nurturing ground for ideas. These ideas become powerful with commitment and action from the students’ side, she added.

Prof. Saranjit Singh urged the students to be the changemakers, move beyond placements and be an employment generator rather than an employment seeker. He asked the students to make use of the multidisciplinary ecosystem opportunity available at KIIT. Prof. Jnyana Ranjan Mohanty highlighted the importance of KIIT group of institutions and the Founder’s vision of empowering underprivileged sections of the society to achieve development.

Earlier, Prof. Nishith Parida, Director, KSRM welcomed all the esteemed guests to the event. The vote of thanks was delivered by Prof. Damodar Jena.

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KIIT School of Rural Management in association with the EDI, Ahmedabad and World trade Centre, Bhubaneswar hosted a Boot Camp (ground expert session) with a vision of aligning students focus to sustainable development in line with Sustainability Development Agenda of the G-20, initiated by India as the president of the group.

This Hackathon Challenge is being conducted across India to get 10000 qualified entries from various universities and B Schools. The boot camp was graced by Ms. Abha Mishra, Odisha State Head of UNDP; Mr Ashwini Rath CEO, Batoi Systems (P) Limited; Ms Nimeshika Natarajan, Assistant Director, WTC; Mr Durga Prasad Gouda, COO, AIC-Nalanda Institute of Technology; Dr Subrat Biswal, Regional Head EDI and Prof. Nishith Parida, Director KSRM.

The speakers deliberated upon the issue of ssustainability and its growing relevance for the world at large. Eighty innovative proposals on the theme were received for the next qualifying round where a regional winner would be decided. All these regional winners would participate in the national round which would be held in Ahmedabad. The successful proposals would be business rolled subsequently.

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KSRM organized a guest talk on “Building Climate Resilience of Odisha’s Coastal Communities”on 3^rd March 2023.

The speaker for the talk was Mr. Dillip Mahapatra, Socio-Economic and Livelihoods Associate at United Nations Development Program (UNDP). In his talk, Mr. Mahapatra shared about cyclones, especially those which had hit the coasts of Odisha, damages caused and the strategies adopted by the government during the calamities. He elucidated about the Enhancing Climate Resilience of India’s Coastal Communities (ECRICC) project, developing resilience in the coastal communities especially some of the most vulnerable populations using an ecosystem centered and community-based approach.

Mr. Mahapatra elaborated on mangroves, their significance in the context of climate change and biodiversity preservation. He also shared about the importance of sea grass and salt marshes. and about the various policy measures and agreements on climate change, especially in the Indian context.

Mr. Dillip Mahapatra holds a  postgraduate degree in Economics with specialization in Agricultural Economics and has extensive experience of more than 2 decades working for the FCDO (DFID), World Bank and Green Climate Fund (GCF), supported large scale externally aided projects in Odisha and other states working with the Government, International NGOs/ CSOs, Technical Support Partners and Community Institutions. He has domain expertise on implementation and management of rural development projects focusing on climate change; climate resilient livelihoods; climate resilient infrastructure; restoration of coastal ecosystem; rural livelihoods; value chain promotion and natural resource management through watershed plus approach.

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KSRM organized an Inspirational Talk for MBA (Rural Management), MBA (Agri-business Management) and Post Graduate Diploma in Community Development (PGDCD) students.

Mr. Brahmanand S Siingh, CEO and Founder of Mobius Films and Mobius Biopics Pvt. Ltd., delivered the talk by interacting with students from the school and asking them why they were there and what their purpose was. He went on to emphasize the significance of discovering one’s life’s larger purpose. He stated that one should not be limited by the trivialities of life. With the help of numerous stories, he instilled the importance of having a purpose-based mindset over a money-based mindset or a career-based mindset. He also discussed the significance of organisational and societal perceptions of having a high intelligent quotient (IQ). However, in this day and age, it should be backed up by the Social Quotient (SQ), Adversity Quotient, and Emotional Quotient (EQ). The speaker went on to discuss how important it is to look at things from a different perspective and how to improve one’s ability to see things differently. Working in this faculty allows one to perceive things differently and work more efficiently, he added.

His talk was filled with stories and examples from his life, making it very inspiring. He concluded his speech by reminding all of the students that whatever they give was the only thing that would remain with them.

Mr. Brahmanand S Siingh, is a multi-award-winning, well-known filmmaker, as well as a widely published author, speaker, and life coach. He has received two National Film Awards and the REX-KarmaVeer-Chakra Gold Award 2019, a United Nations-sponsored honour, for transforming lives through social impact projects and creating ideas of hope.

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KIIT School of Rural Management (KSRM) organized a talk on “Understanding Rights of Children in Indian Context: Policy, Provisions and Opportunities for Young Professional” on 27^th January, 2023.

The speaker Mr. Laxminarayan Nanda, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF explained the child rights framework and his work around the protection of rights of a child. He briefed about the acts and policies that have been functioning for child protection rights like United Nations Convention on Rights of the Child (UNCRC),  Justice Juvenile Act ( JJA) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POSCO). He shared about the Bharosa centre model of Telangana. He also spoke about the opportunities for the students as development professionals in the domain of child rights.

Mr. Nanda has more than 25 years of experience in the development sector having worked with agencies like UNDP, Room to Read and Save the Children UK. Mr. Nanda did his post graduation in MBA in Rural Management from XIMB, executive programme in Public Policy and Management from Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata and is pursuing PhD in Juvenile Justice from National Law University, Odisha.

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KSRM organized a talk on ‘Perspectives In Development’ on 17^th November 2022 for the students of MBA (Rural Management) and PGDCD. Mr. Sambit Tripathy, CMD, Livelihood Alternatives was the speaker for the talk.

Mr. Tripathy spoke  about rural India, various schemes launched and its objectives. He elaborated  about the 5Cs i.e. collaboration, connectivity, collectivization, capacity building, convergence approach of development, its implementation in rural India and the  bottlenecks. He then shared about the work of Livelihood Alternatives, which is an enterprise with a social orientation that endeavors to bring about positive changes in the lives of households, rural artisans, agri and allied entrepreneurs. He also spoke about the  3S approach i.e. sizeable, scalable and sustainable that the organization follows towards achieving its  mission.

Mr. Sambit Tripathy is an  ex Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer who served in the Government of India for 22 years. He worked in different ministries including the Department of Income tax, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. He has an MA and M. Phil in Sociology from JNU and is a LLB graduate from Delhi University.

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