Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurates Biochar Centre of Excellence to empower rural entrepreneurs

New Delhi: The Biochar Centre of Excellence promoting Rural Entrepreneurship, an initiative by Heartfulness Institute andPayPal was inaugurated by Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport and Highways in the gracious presence of Kamesh Patel (Daaji) — President Founder & Guide of Heartfulness Institute along with Shri Nath Parameshwaran, Senior Director at PayPal.  

The Centre has been established to provide skill development, and capacity building for rural entrepreneurs in villages for biochar. The initiative aims to encourage women and youth entrepreneurs to set up biochar units, produce biochar, and distribute it to farmers as part of a rural business model. The Centre of Excellence will also offer an end-to-end experience of how biochar is produced, processed, and applied to the soil, enabling participants to visually study and understand its impact on crops, soil, and forests.

Speaking at the inaugural, Nitin Gadkari said, “Small businesses, rural entrepreneurs and farmers form the backbone of India’s economy. This unique initiative brings entrepreneurs and farmers together to equip them with modern agricultural technologies and know-how on farming. We want our farmer community to have superior yield, better income, make agriculture dependable and provide economic opportunities for small rural entrepreneurs in the villages. With the Biochar Centre of Excellence and promoting Rural Entrepreneurship at Heartfulness, we are sure to make India more self-reliant in agriculture. This is a wonderful initiative, and we hope that rural entrepreneurs and farmers will benefit from this initiative.”

“We must be wise in how we produce crops – not only by adopting modern techniques but also by being sensitive to soil health and nutrition. A Centre of Excellence like this will train rural entrepreneurs, farmers, and agriculturists in sustainable farming, helping them adopt biochar as an effective carbon-sequestering agent for better plant survival rates and afforestation. Our vision is to establish a biochar unit in every village in the country for the benefit of all,” added Kamlesh Patel (Daaji) – Founder & Global Guide of Heartfulness Institute.

Nath Parameshwaran from PayPal said, “Helping small businesses and entrepreneurs thrive is a key priority for PayPal globally and in India. We are delighted to partner with Heartfulness Institute in this unique initiative, which aligns with the Skill India vision of Hon. Prime Minister Modiji. The Centre of Excellence for Rural Entrepreneurship aims to provide economic and upskilling opportunities for rural entrepreneurs, boost farmer incomes, and protect the environment with use of bio-char.”