Dr. Gowri Sankara Rao is an experienced Agricultural Researcher, Academician, and Entrepreneur with a demonstrated history of working in the agricultural research management, industry and academics. He is skilled in Business Planning, Agronomy, Organizational Development, Seed Production, Contract Farming and Agricultural Research. He is a strong education professional with a Ph.D. degree with specialization in Seed Science and Technology from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi and a Master’s degree in Genetics and Plant Breeding from Acharya N.G Ranga University, Hyderabad. He is currently leading the MBU School of Agriculture as a Dean.

MBU - Mohan Babu University

You have held key positions at various prestigious institutions throughout your career. What is that one thing that made you excited and walks with MBU in the journey?

In my 23 years of my career, I have worked at various verticals in various institutions before joining the journey with the School of Agriculture, Mohan Babu University (MBU) viz., central government (ICAR), Public- Private Partnership Initiative (IFSSA), private seed industry (Venntura Crop Sciences Pvt. Ltd.), my entrepreneurship (Sabasta Crop Technology Pvt. Ltd.), overseas assignment in the Sultanate of Oman (Dhofar Cattlefeed Co. SAOG), Private research & business corporates (Srinivasa Farms & AgriRain Industries) and a private deemed to be university (NMIMS). The one thing that excited me to walk along with MBU is Chairman’s vision to make a difference in education for agriculture, and the mission of creating avenues and opportunities for students to learn modern and traditional skills & knowledge of Agricultural Sciences in an integrated and multi-disciplinary approach.

What motivated you to pursue a career in the Agricultural domain and become dean for MBU School of Agriculture?

Like any other kid from an urban background, my first wish was to become a Medical Doctor. Eventually, after not getting admission into MBBS, subsequently, I joined B.Sc. (Ag.). But, I was reluctant and unprepared for agricultural sciences in the first 2 semesters. After meeting one of our seniors Dr. G.V. Ramanjaneyulu, my perception got completely changed and I started traveling in rural areas during holidays/vacations to understand the pain and gain of being a farmer. The rampant occurrence of farmer suicides instigated me to understand the ground realities and major concerns of farmers and rural communities. The aforementioned observations compelled me to pursue my research acumen in Crop Improvement and Seed Science. Incidentally, I joined master’s and doctoral degrees in Seed Science and Technology. I have pursued my research “Effect of biochemical and physiological processes during seed maturation on the seed quality in Sunflower” for my masters; and “Use of biochemical and molecular markers for identification of the genetic identity of cotton hybrids, and use of markers for genetic purity testing”. Incidentally, the one thing that motivated me to pursue a career in the Agricultural domain and become dean for MBU School of Agriculture is the same as above I shall motivate the students who join Agricultural courses as a chance and not as a choice. I would like to excite them with information about the scope and opportunities in the agricultural domain. I would also like to motivate them by inculcating the development of skills and new technologies relevant to making them more employable and becoming entrepreneurs/ leaders.

Being an entrepreneur on your own, How do you support and mentor students in their entrepreneurial pursuits with the fusion of agriculture into it?

Being an entrepreneur and being a failed entrepreneur, I know where I went wrong and why I went wrong. Entrepreneurship is a very dynamic endeavor that changes with perspectives and opportunities. But, to be a successful entrepreneur, one should keep oneself abreast with changing paradigms, new perspectives, and varying opportunities in terms of pertinent research, innovative technologies, sources of credit/investment, business models, etc are very important. I wish to inculcate a sense of responsibility, accountability, leadership and ownership among the students by exposing them to various success stories and making them listen and interact with successful business leaders. I would also like to add a few important things to the routine curriculum about the preparation of project proposals, helping them to make a program plan, operationalizing a plan, budgeting and analysis, etc.

How do you stay current with the latest trends and developments in the field of Agriculture and incorporate them into the curriculum and programs offered by MBU?

I have been a life member of many research communities, I subscribe to newsletters from both national and international institutions like ICAR, CGIAR, WOTR, etc. which keep me informed about the latest trends and technologies in the field of agriculture and allied occupations. Due to the compulsion of adherence ICAR Dean’s Committee syllabus, usually educational institutions get only 20-25% freedom for incorporating routine syllabi. Hence, I keep more focus on skill-based training for the students who have been picked as the “identified group” based on passion and career mapping procedures. These identified groups will be continuously and comprehensively trained and updated at identified institutions.

How well is MBU focusing on maintaining industry relationships with companies to leverage them for live projects, training, and placements for the students?

We have started identifying and communicating with various industries. We classified industries and employers based on their scope and activities as agri-inputs (Pesticides, fertilizers, seeds, etc.), irrigation industry, food processing industry, FPOs, Organic farming communities, etc. We wish to seek information about their activities, positions, and job description of those positions. Information on various employable jobs and their job requirements helps us to orient and train our students suitable for said positions in various industry ecosystems.

Check MBU Courses & Fees

Can you share examples of successful collaborations or partnerships between the School of Agriculture and external organizations, such as industry, government, or research institutes?

Since the School of Agriculture is a new initiative of MBU, we are still in the process of identifying suitable stakeholders. However, we have been visiting and having conversations with various agriput industries, SAUs, KVKs, FPOs, market yards, cold storage units, agritourism units, etc.

What do you believe are the emerging trends or challenges in the field of agriculture education and what are your thoughts on the scope for Agricultural programs in the future?

In my opinion, the most emerging trends or challenges in the field of agricultural education are emerging domains of data analytics, big data management, IoTs, Organic farming, regenerative agriculture, integrated farming systems, etc. There will be a huge scope for the knowledge and training in terms of big data management for simulation and prediction studies whether it is for weather or market intelligence will be a new area with more jobs. Hence, agricultural education programs and curriculum shall have more focus on aforesaid topics and students shall be trained with skills of the aforesaid.

How would you promote experiential learning and practical application of knowledge within the School of Agriculture?

Given an opportunity, I wish to initiate and strengthen various skill-based activities and occupations in business mode like small to medium agribusiness units wherein students are encouraged right from the preparation of bankable project proposals to implementation of business plans, earn while learning and making a difference in their understanding and personality, thus enabling them to become leader and entrepreneurs.

What kind of steps MBU is taking to bridge the gap between academia and the real industry world?

Given an opportunity, I wish and am sure that I can bridge the gaps between academia, government, and industry because I have worked in all the three sectors and I literally understand where they come from. One way to bridge the gap is by organizing interactive meetings/ conferences or trying to understand the thrust areas followed by developing suitable and amicable plans to satisfy them. In a nutshell, the industry needs employable graduates, and as an institute, we shall create an ecosystem where students learn skills and attitudes suitable for various job profiles of an industry viz., R&D, Production, Marketing & Distribution, Quality Control and Liaison, etc.