Tue Mar 25 15:26:11 UTC 2025: ## Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Convocation Highlights Rise of Agri-Startups

**COIMBATORE, March 25, 2025** – The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) held its 45th annual convocation today, conferring degrees on over 4,400 students. Governor R.N. Ravi, serving as Chancellor, presided over the ceremony, awarding degrees to 48 Ph.D., 225 postgraduate, and 1,263 undergraduate candidates. A further 2,898 received their degrees in absentia.

The event highlighted the burgeoning field of agri-startups. R. Selvam, Executive Director of the Council for Leather Exports, Chennai, addressed the graduating class, noting the nearly 2,800 agri-startups recognized by Startup India. He emphasized the innovation potential of the current generation of students and the empowering role of e-NAM (National Agriculture Market) in connecting farmers and traders. Selvam also pointed out Tamil Nadu’s leading role in the Agristack initiative, digitizing land records and crop surveys to cover 80% of land parcels during Rabi 2024. He warned of the monumental challenge of meeting a projected 70% surge in global food demand by 2050.

TNAU Vice-Chancellor V. Geethalakshmi reported that the university’s six Agri-Business Incubation Centres have supported over 333 incubatees and more than 650 startups, including 71 student-led ventures.

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