• 10 Oil & Gas sector PSUs make a corpus of Rs. 320 crore to support start-up initiatives
• Manav Rachna has developed a novel and eco-friendly solution against fungal pathogens that is known to destroy 60% of tomato cultivation
• Team from MRIU is the only all women group to make it through the rigorous evaluation and the only University in Haryana

A joint ‘Start-up Sangam’ program by 10 Oil & Gas sector PSUs to fund innovative start-ups from across the country took off yesterday in the presence of Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of India; Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog; KD Tripathi, Secretary (Petroleum); Abhishek Ramesh, Secretary, DIPP; and other senior officials of the Petroleum Ministry. The 10 PSUs under the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas have created a corpus of Rs. 320 crore for a period of 3 years to support start-up initiatives in the Oil & Gas sector.

M/S TrichoAgronica Pvt. Ltd., a Company incubated at the Manav Rachna International University (MRIU) campus, at Faridabad, has been awarded a grant of Rs. 1.72 Cr for its novel, innovative and eco-friendly solution against fungal pathogens in Tomato cultivation. The team from Manav Rachna comprising of Dr. Sarita Sachdeva, Professor & Dean Research, MRIU; Dr. Abhilasha Shourie, Professor & Head, Department of Biotechnology; Dr. Nidhi Didwania, Assistant Professor, Biotechnology and Ms. Deepti Sadana, Research Scholar, Biotechnology, is the only women team to make it through the rigorous selection process.

Keeping in view an eco-friendly approach and farmer’s aspirations, the team is engaged in production of a bio-formulation ‘Bio elixir’ which is a bio fungicide as well as a bio fertilizer. The product is 100% organic and is available in powder form. This is a highly unique and innovative product that increases plant biomass and is the remedy for bull’s eye pathogen that affects almost 60% of the tomato crop across the country. “Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) has shown tremendous confidence in the product and attempts would now be ushered to gel it with IOCL agro oil which will increase the shelf life and efficacy of the product. We have already demonstrated a 25-35% increase in tomato cultivation in Faridabad and are very confident of scaling up this project across the country. Over the next three years, our team will work towards translation of this innovative research to commercials”, informs Dr. Sarita Sachdeva.

It is noteworthy that the team from Manav Rachna is the only team from a Private University to make it to this list of 40 start ups which have academic affiliation with IIMs, IITs and an International University. A detailed MoU was exchanged at the occasion between Indian Oil Corporation’s R&D Centre, Faridabad and Manav Rachna International University in the presence of Shri. Dharmendra Pradhan and Shri Amitabh Kant.