CSIR-NIIST, BAIF Sign MoU for Sustainable Technologies, Rural Development

• CSIR-NIIST and BAIF signed an MoU to collaborate on sustainable technologies and rural development

• The partnership will focus on agrivoltaics, research, innovation, validation and capacity building

• The two organisations will work on solutions in sustainable agriculture, renewable energy and circular bioeconomy

The CSIR-NIIST and BAIF Development Research Foundation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on sustainable technologies and climate-resilient rural development.

The MoU was exchanged on Monday between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR-NIIST) Director C Anandharamakrishnan and BAIF President and Managing Trustee Bharat Kakade at BAIF's Central Research Station in Uruli Kanchan, Pune.

The partnership will focus on research, innovation, technology validation and capacity building, with special emphasis on agrivoltaics, which combines solar power generation with agricultural production, according to a statement on Tuesday.

CSIR-NIIST has been developing agrivoltaic technologies to improve solar energy generation and farm productivity, while BAIF has carried out field-scale studies on such systems and their impact on agriculture and sustainability.

The two organisations will work together on validation, demonstration and deployment of agrivoltaic technologies across different agro-climatic regions of the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Anandharamakrishnan said the collaboration would help accelerate the adoption of sustainable technologies for climate-resilient agriculture, renewable energy and improved rural livelihoods.

During the visit, officials from both organisations also explored cooperation in areas such as vegan leather technology, wastewater treatment, biomass utilisation, agricultural waste management, AI-enabled drone applications, biodegradable plastics and eco-friendly packaging solutions.

Founded in 1967 by Dr Manibhai Desai, BAIF is a leading rural development organisation working in sustainable agriculture, livestock development, natural resource management and livelihood enhancement.

The partnership is expected to support the development of scalable solutions in sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, water management and circular bioeconomy, contributing to India's climate and rural development goals, the statement added.