CHENNAI: In a major push to strengthen Tamil Nadu's agriculture and food processing ecosystem, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-Madras) has entered into a strategic partnership with the State government to foster innovation, sustainability, and inclusive rural development.

The collaboration was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on Tuesday between IIT-Madras and the Tamil Nadu Agri Business and Food Processing Export Corporation (TNAPEx), the apex body promoting agri-export and food processing in the State.

The agreement was signed at the State Secretariat in the presence of Atul Anand, Additional Chief Secretary, MSME department.

Welcoming IIT Madras' expertise, Atul Anand underlined the State's vision to enhance farmer incomes, minimise post-harvest losses, and transform rural supply chains through innovation and public-academic collaboration.

IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti said the Institute would deploy its multi-disciplinary strengths to drive sustainable solutions and market-oriented interventions in the agri-business ecosystem.

"Our focus will be on research, training, and technology-driven strategies to improve operational efficiency, product value, and global competitiveness, " he noted.

The MoU outlines joint initiatives such as upskilling rural youth in agribusiness, streamlining supply chains, expanding market access, strengthening packaging and branding, and evaluating government schemes for impact.

TNAPEx Managing Director and CEO K Alagusundaram highlighted the strategic intent to connect rural micro-enterprises to global markets by leveraging academic knowledge and technical capacity.

Key IIT Madras faculty, including Professors Manu Santhanam, Saji Mathew, Arshinder Kaur, G Arun Kumar, and Vaibhav Chawla, will spearhead the initiatives alongside TNAPEx.

Senior officials from NIFTEM-T, TNJFU, and TANUVAS also attended the signing ceremony.