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Government, UNDP & Gates Foundation hold CSR conclave to boost farmer prosperity under DDKY
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Thursday, 19 February, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, convened a high-level CSR Conclave in New Delhi focused on “Leveraging PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (DDKY) for Farmer Prosperity”. The event brought together senior government officials, financial institutions, corporate CSR leaders, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and development partners to explore strategic collaborations to scale up the initiative.
The conclave was attended by representatives from major corporates including Unilever, Reliance Foundation, ITC Ltd, Axis Bank, TCS and JK Cement, among others. The discussions centred on strengthening public-private partnerships that can amplify impact through coordinated action in the agriculture and allied sectors.
Launched on October 11, 2025, by the Prime Minister for six years covering 100 districts, the DDKY scheme is designed to enhance agricultural productivity, promote crop diversification and sustainable practices, expand post-harvest storage at the panchayat and block levels, improve irrigation facilities, and facilitate access to both short- and long-term credit. The programme is implemented through the convergence of 36 existing schemes across 11 departments, along with state initiatives and private sector support.
In his inaugural address, Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary of the Department, emphasised the importance of broad private sector engagement beyond traditional CSR funding. He urged corporate partners to contribute manpower support by deploying Young Professionals, strengthen FPO linkages, enhance farmer education and promote climate-resilient agricultural practices to ensure measurable, scalable outcomes.
Speaking at the event, the UNDP Resident Representative highlighted that aligning CSR investments with national priorities like DDKY can strengthen public systems and create sustainable impacts for smallholder farmers. The Gates Foundation-led remarks underscored the value of catalytic partnerships in building resilient agricultural livelihoods.
The conclave also featured technical sessions on financing models, climate-smart agriculture, and CSR-FPO collaboration strategies. Corporates expressed interest in supporting young professional placements as well as start-up engagements across the 100 DDKY districts.
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