Sat Mar 22 11:43:05 UTC 2025: ## Small Ideas, Big Innovations: Women’s Day Hackathon Highlights Rise of Tech in Agriculture
**Thanjavur, March 22, 2025** – A Women’s Day Hackathon in Thanjavur highlighted the power of small ideas to drive significant innovation, particularly in the agricultural sector. R. Thendral, vice-president of the Tamil Nadu Centre of Excellence for Advanced Manufacturing (TANCAM), addressed attendees at the TNWISE 2025 event, emphasizing that even seemingly minor everyday observations can lead to groundbreaking inventions. She stressed the importance of networking these ideas to refine prototypes and successfully launch them into the market.
Thendral also noted a significant increase in the adoption of IoT and drone technology among women agriculturalists in Tamil Nadu, rising from 18% in 2018-19 to 30% currently. This demonstrates a growing embrace of technological advancements within the agricultural community.
K. Sushil Kumar, consultant at the Tiruchirappalli Engineering and Technology Cluster (TREAT), praised the Periyar Maniammai Institute of Science and Technology (PMIST) for its forward-thinking establishment of an incubator for “instant idiyappam” production 15 years ago, showcasing a long-term commitment to innovation. The event, organized by TANCAM in association with Dassault Systèmes, took place at PMIST in Vallam, near Thanjavur.
First Piper 