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The Veterinary and Livestock Innovation and Incubation Foundation (VLIIF), a Section 8 company of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana hosted a distinguished visit of Father of Super Rice Padma Shri Dr. Gurdev Singh Khush and Prof. Sukhpal Singh, Chairman, Punjab State Farmers & Farm Workers Commission, Punjab along with other eminent scientists and policy leaders.
Welcoming the dignitaries, Dr. Jatinder Paul Singh Gill, Vice-Chancellor, shared the vision of VLIIF in fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and scalable solutions across veterinary, dairy, and allied sectors. He highlighted Varsitys proactive role in creating an enabling ecosystem for startups and innovators. Dr. Gill emphasized the universitys strong commitment to bridging research, industry, and entrepreneurship to address real-world challenges and deliver impactful, sustainable solutions for the livestock sector.
Dr. Khush lauded Vet Varsity for establishing a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem that effectively nurtures startups in the livestock sector. He appreciated the universitys emphasis on innovation-driven and research-backed solutions aligned with industry needs. He highlighted that such initiatives play a crucial role in generating rural employment, empowering youth, and strengthening the agri-livestock economy, while also encouraging sustainable development and enhancing farmers livelihoods across the country.
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Prof. Sukhpal Singh appreciated Varsity and VLIIF for promoting innovation-driven solutions in the livestock sector. He emphasized the importance of strengthening farmer-centric startups, improving value chains, and ensuring sustainable income for farmers, highlighting the need for strong linkages between research, policy, and grassroots implementation.
Dr. R. S. Sethi, Director, VLIIF, informed that the Inclusive Technology Business Incubator (iTBI) – NIDHI Dairy Innovation and Incubation Centre at Varsity supported by DST, Government of India, has emerged as a pioneering platform for dairy innovation. Hosting over 20 startups, it offers seed support, prototyping, mentoring, and market linkages. He added that VLIIF also provides ignition grants up to Rs. 10 lakh to promote early-stage, research-driven ventures.
VLIIF incubatees, including Dr. Kulvinder Singh Gill (APA Work Pvt. Ltd.) and Dr. Pankaj Navani (Frontrunners Farms India Pvt. Ltd.), showcased their startup and expressed satisfaction with the supportive ecosystem and collaborative environment at VLIIF. Ms. Iqbalpreet Kaur Sidhu, CEO, VLIIF, highlighted the foundations progress, emphasizing structured incubation, mentorship, research support, and industry linkages, along with a strong focus on AI, precision livestock farming, and sustainable dairy innovations.
The visit also witnessed participation from distinguished experts including Dr. Vikram Singh Gill, eminent plant breeder from the USA and Dr. Johar Singh Saini, Senior Plant Breeder, PAU; Dr. Balrup Singh, Practicing Veterinarian, Canada.
