11 October 2025, New Delhi: The 5th edition of the Samunnati FPO Conclave 2025, co-hosted by Samunnati and NABARD, was held last month in Hyderabad. Anchored on the theme “Partnerships for Sustainability Towards a Future-Ready FPO Ecosystem,” the two-day event brought together over 2,500 delegates, including 1,000+ FPO leaders, 300 ecosystem enablers, 100 enterprises and startups, policymakers, financiers, and agri-tech experts.
Celebrating the FPO Movement’s Evolution
What began as a vision to create a shared platform for FPOs has now evolved into a powerful ecosystem driving rural enterprise. This year’s conclave highlighted the transformation of FPOs from policy-driven collectives to dynamic, market-ready enterprises capable of delivering sustainability, innovation, and inclusive growth.
The event featured the launch of the “State of the Sector Report – FPOs 2025 (SOFPO 2025)” by NAFPO, mapping over 44,000 registered Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) across India. The report introduced the Ease of Doing Business for FPOs (EODBF) Index, providing state-level insights into enabling environments for institutional growth.
Another milestone was the release of the Closure Report – “Building an Enabling Ecosystem for Indian FPOs”, marking the culmination of a multi-year initiative by Samunnati and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). The report showcased how access to finance, technology, markets, and advisory services can help FPOs evolve into resilient, investor-ready enterprises.
Launch of FPO ScaleX: Towards ‘Unicorn FPOs’
A key highlight of the conclave was the launch of “FPO ScaleX”, a bold new program designed to nurture 300 FPOs into ₹100-crore entities—dubbed “Unicorn FPOs.” The initiative aims to anchor these organisations as models of scale, sustainability, and market leadership within the agricultural ecosystem.
Leaders Set the Vision for Future-Ready Agriculture
The inaugural plenary, attended by over 1,800 delegates, set the tone for collaboration and innovation. Mr. Anil Kumar SG, Founder & CEO of Samunnati, mentioned the power of multi-stakeholder partnerships and ecosystem enablement to unlock the trillion-dollar potential of Indian agriculture.
In a special video message, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening FPOs as engines of rural prosperity.
Mr. Pravesh Sharma, Chairman, Samunnati Foundation, introduced the theme, while Prof. Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog, outlined India’s long-term agricultural vision centered on climate resilience, collective growth, and market integration.
Industry leaders including Mr. Vilas Shinde (Sahyadri Farms), Mr. Subroto Geed (Corteva Agriscience), and Mr. N. Muthukumar (Olam Group) shared insights on value-chain integration, climate-smart agriculture, and science-driven farmer innovation.
UKI: Digitising India’s Agricultural Ecosystem
A major technological highlight was the introduction of the Unified Krishi Interface (UKI) — a first-of-its-kind digital platform offering farmers seamless access to agri-inputs, services, and advisory tools.
Piloted in Nashik, the initiative aims to eliminate platform fragmentation by enabling interoperability across service providers through the Beckn protocol.
The partnership between Samunnati, Aarti Industries, and UKI was announced by Mr. Mirik Gogri and Mr. Anurag Dixit, marking a new era in collaborative, open digital agriculture that promotes transparency, inclusion, and efficiency across India’s agri-value chains.
Showcasing Leadership from the Ground
The conclave also spotlighted inspiring grassroots leadership through the “Insights from the Field” session. Mr. Puneet Singh Thind, Founder & Director, Northern Farmer Mega FPO, and Mr. Sanjeev, Director, MISHTII Farmer Producer Company, shared their experiences in building resilient, market-driven FPOs that have strengthened income stability, governance, and local empowerment.
Their stories demonstrated how collective enterprise and efficient value chain management are transforming farmer livelihoods across India.
A Platform for Transformation
From the NABARD Pavilion that showcased FPO-led innovations to the exhibition floor buzzing with startups and agribusinesses, the conclave reflected India’s agricultural transformation in motion.
In his closing remarks, Mr. N. Srinivasan, Chairman, Samunnati, said, “The Samunnati FPO Conclave is more than an annual event—it’s a commitment to keep farmers at the center, connect value chains with markets and finance, and ensure innovation and inclusivity go hand in hand.”
As this milestone edition concluded, it sent a clear message — the growth of FPOs is central to India’s agricultural future. The partnerships forged at the Samunnati FPO Conclave 2025 are expected to shape a more sustainable, inclusive, and market-linked farming ecosystem in the years ahead.
