IIT Madras Joins Hands With We The Leaders Foundation For Youth Farming Conclave 2025

Chennai: The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) has joined hands with We The Leaders Foundation to organise Youth Farming Conclave 2025 on Saturday at IIT-M Research Park in collaboration with several organisations.

The conclave marks a major step forward in youth-led agricultural transformation in Tamil Nadu. The event was held at IIT-M Research Park to demonstrate how modern technology, sustainable practices, and traditional farming knowledge can come together. The one-day conclave brought together young farmers, students, agri-innovators, and institutional leaders to collectively reimagine agriculture as a space for innovation, regeneration and youth-led enterprise.

"Naandi Foundation has managed to convert one million farmers to organic farming. Most of our work is in Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. We might want to start in Tamil Nadu also. In the last 25 years, the entire focus of the foundation has been to make people ask three questions: has the farmer, who made this food that has come to my plate, made profits, or is he loss-making? Is this food good for me? By the time this food has come to my plate, how much has it damaged this planet?" Chief Guest Manoj Kumar, CEO of Naandi Foundation, said.

"How do we ensure that everyone always eats quality food? We have tests to ensure that every food is safe, and we should make it the norm. If we want the planet to be regenerated, like the cells in our body, that is the correct way to grow food. We have successfully implemented this in Araku Valley. The only way we can do all of this is if the country decides to go back to its roots," he added.

Speaking on the 'Internship for Farmers' initiative launched at the conclave, K Annamalai, a former IPS and the chief mentor of 'We The Leaders Foundation', said, "The initiative will provide an exposure to those interested in agriculture. Eight organic farmers have come forward to open their doors to youngsters interested in learning about agriculture. The objective is to plant the seed of farming in the minds of youngsters while they are pursuing studies. The benefits of such initiatives will be felt in the generations to come."

Lauding Professor V Kamakoti, director of IIT-M, for pursuing organic farming, Annamalai added, "The 'Internship for Farmers' will connect those interested in farming with the organic farmers."

"Today, we are growing economically with a prosperous middle class that actively searches for organic products. The success of organic farming can be gauged from the fact that coffee from Araku Valley can be found as far as France. They provide for end-to-end farming. This conclave will also see addresses by farmers whose family members faced cancer, following which they switched over to organic farming. Naandi Foundation has developed a cosmic calendar that will help farmers know nature's behaviour," he said further.

David Hogg, chief agriculture advisor of Naandi Foundation, elaborated on the importance of nature farming. The event witnessed the launch of the Youth Farming Internship Program — a pioneering initiative aimed at bridging rural wisdom with urban curiosity through immersive farm-based learning. It will begin with eight identified 'Lead Farmers' across the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu, who have voluntarily offered their farms as living classrooms for youth.

"We have started a 'Regenerative Agriculture Stack Architecture' (RASA) at IIT Madras. We explored concepts like automated farming, electrifying tractors and lightweight agricultural devices, among others. Natural farming must be encouraged, and particularly, the youngsters must take it up," Prof. Kamakoti said.

Audience at the conclave. (ETV Bharat)

Recalling his experiences as an organic farmer, he added, "In my first year of farming, there were few rains and in my village of Vishnupuram near Kumbakonam, we installed solar-powered pumps for the first time in the region. We got good yields after a few years, and the expenditure on fertilisers reduced considerably. The organically-grown fields also withstood heavy rains, which took a heavy toll on other fields that were dependent on chemical fertilisers. Today, we have different climatic variations and hence, the crops need resilience and tolerance against floods and drought, respectively."

The Youth Farming Internship Program features include a seven-day full-time internship providing an immersive experience in natural farming, rural innovations, and regenerative practices and a two-day weekend farming experience for youth seeking a refreshing and purposeful rural engagement.

This model will soon be scaled across other districts of Tamil Nadu, creating a decentralised network of learning farms, driven by community mentors. A MoU was signed between Amul–Richplus Organic Farming Initiative and We The Leaders Foundation to promote organic and regenerative farming practices in Tamil Nadu, empowering farmers and enhancing market linkages. A panel discussion on 'The Future of Agriculture: How Can Youth Explore, Engage & Empower?' was also held during the occasion. Further, young lead farmers shared field experiences and gave exposure to successful natural and regenerative farming models.

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