VETCONVERGENCE 2026: Vice Chancellors’ conclave charts path for demand-driven livestock research and entrepreneurship

The inaugural day’s proceedings included a panel discussion titled ‘Reorienting veterinary research from publication-driven to demand-driven frameworks’, moderated by Tarun Shridhar, IAS (Retd), Director General of the International Council for Food and Agricultural Development (ICFA), with Atul Dhok serving as rapporteur.

The panel brought together M Ganna Prakash, Ravikumar Gandham, SB Barbuddhe, TK Dutta, PK Shukla and Mahesh Patlapati, who discussed approaches to making veterinary research more industry-focused, impactful and innovation-driven.

The session also drew participation from senior poultry industry figures, including Suresh Chitturi, Managing Director of Srinivasa Farms; OP Singh, Managing Director of ABTL; Niteen V Patil, Vice Chancellor of MAFSU; Dr Malik, Deputy Director General, ICAR; Naveen Pasuparthi, President of the Karnataka Poultry Breeders and Farmers Association (KPBFA); Mohan Reddy, President of the Telangana Poultry Federation (TPF); Ravinder Reddy, General Secretary of the Telangana Poultry Breeders Association (TBA); Jeetendra Verma, President of WVPA India; and Srinivas Rama Raju, a poultry consultant, among others.

The IPEMA–Poultry India delegation, led by President Uday Singh Bayas along with Treasurer M Srikanth and other members of the organization’s team, participated actively through the conclave.

Entrepreneurship and incubation in veterinary education

The second session, ‘Entrepreneurship development and agribusiness incubation in veterinary universities’, examined ways to strengthen entrepreneurship, innovation and incubation ecosystems within veterinary education.

Moderated by Niteen V Patil, Vice Chancellor of MAFSU, Nagpur, the session featured Madan Mohan Maity of the West Bengal Poultry Federation; JPS Gill, Vice Chancellor of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana; Artabandhu Sahoo, Director of ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology (NIANP), Bengaluru; BN Tripathi, Vice Chancellor of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu (SKUAST-J); AK Mohanty, Director of ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cattle (CIRC), Meerut; and Sumant Vyas, Vice Chancellor of Rajasthan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (RAJUVAS), Bikaner, who spoke on fostering industry-driven innovation and entrepreneurial opportunities within the livestock and veterinary sectors.

Technology commercialization and start-up promotion

The third session, ‘Technology commercialization, start-up promotion, and stakeholders empowerment’, focused on bridging research, innovation and enterprise development in the livestock and veterinary sectors.

The session was moderated by Nazeer Ahmad Ganai, Vice Chancellor of SKUAST, Kashmir, and featured Naveen Kumar, Director of ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune; PH Tank, Vice Chancellor of Kamdhenu University, Gandhinagar; VK Gupta, Director of ICAR-National Research Centre on Pig, Guwahati; and JV Ramana, Vice Chancellor of Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University, Tirupati.

Discussions centered on pathways for technology commercialization, startup promotion, stakeholder engagement and translating research innovations into ventures with impact for the livestock sector and rural economy.

Poultry sector research priorities for the next decade

The fourth session addressed the poultry sector’s priority research areas for the coming decade, focusing on the innovations needed to strengthen the sector and address emerging industry challenges.

Moderated by OP Singh, Managing Director of ABTL and Huvepharma India, the session brought together RN Chatterjee, Director of ICAR-Directorate of Poultry Research, Hyderabad; KG Anand of VHL, Hyderabad; AS Ranade, Technical Advisor at CLFMA of India; Mohan Reddy, President of the Telangana Poultry Federation; Gurram Chandra Sekhar Reddy, Zonal Chairman of NECC; Uday Singh Bayas, President of IPEMA; Madan Mohan Maity, General Secretary of the West Bengal Poultry Federation; Ravinder Reddy, General Secretary of the Telangana Poultry Breeders Association; and Ajay Deshpande, President of Vets in Poultry.

The panel discussed critical areas for future research, industry-academia collaboration, technology adoption and steps to strengthen the competitiveness and resilience of the poultry sector.

Charting a collective road map

The fifth session, ‘Developing a collective road map – Institutional commitments and actionable outcomes’, focused on charting a collaborative pathway for strengthening veterinary education, livestock research, innovation and industry engagement through coordinated institutional efforts and measurable outcomes.

Moderated by Yashpal Singh Malik, Deputy Director General (Education), ICAR, New Delhi, and coordinated by NV Kurkure, Director of Research, MAFSU, Nagpur, the panel brought together leaders from academia, research and regulatory institutions, including RG Bambal, Secretary of the Veterinary Council of India, New Delhi; NP Sahu, Director of the ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai; VK Verma, Vice-Chancellor of Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (LUVAS), Hisar; JS Tyagi, Director of ICAR-Central Avian Research Institute (CARI), Izatnagar; Sandeep Ingale, Vice President of the Veterinary Council of India; and Mandeep Sharma, Vice Chancellor of Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University (NDVSU), Jabalpur.

The discussion emphasized the need for stronger collaboration among universities, research institutions, industry stakeholders and policymakers to align research priorities with industry requirements, with deliberations focused on institutional commitments, actionable strategies, capacity building, entrepreneurship development and a sustainable framework for driving innovation and growth in the livestock sector.

Artificial intelligence applications in the livestock sector

The sixth session examined the role of artificial intelligence in reshaping livestock production, animal health management, precision farming and decision-making across the livestock value chain.

Moderated by OP Singh, Managing Director of ABTL and Huvepharma India, the panel featured Manisha Bhosale, Director of ILF and ISAP, Pune, and Suresh Chitturi of Srinivasa Group, Hyderabad.

The discussion highlighted how AI-driven technologies can enhance productivity, improve disease surveillance, optimize resource utilization, support data-driven research and create new opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship in the livestock sector, with the panel emphasizing the importance of integrating emerging technologies with academic research and industry needs to build a more efficient, sustainable and future-ready livestock ecosystem.

Chief guest address

Bandaru Dattatreya, former Governor of Haryana, attended VETCONVERGENCE 2026 as chief guest and was welcomed with a performance of the traditional Perini dance of Telangana.

His address reinforced the importance of research, innovation, industry collaboration and collective efforts toward strengthening the veterinary fraternity and the livestock and poultry sectors.

Poultry India Expo 2026 poster unveiled

On the sidelines of the conclave, IPEMA–Poultry India unveiled the official poster for the 18th Poultry India Expo 2026.

Billed as the world’s largest poultry expo, the event is scheduled to be held at HITEX, Hyderabad, from November 25 to 27, 2026, preceded by Poultry Knowledge Day on November 24, 2026.

Conclave concludes on a high note

VETCONVERGENCE 2026 concluded bringing together thought leaders from academia, government, research institutions and industry to chart a collaborative roadmap for the future of the livestock and poultry sectors.

More than 30 Vice Chancellors of veterinary universities across India took part, with organizers citing their insights and collective commitment as a significant highlight of the event.

Over the two days, the conclave featured six panel discussions covering research priorities, industry-academia partnerships, entrepreneurship development, policy support and sustainable growth of the livestock sector.

The conclave was led by Uday Singh Bayas, President of IPEMA–Poultry India, along with M Srikanth, Treasurer of IPEMA; Shirish Dhoopeshwar, Senior Member of IPEMA; Niteen Patil, Vice Chancellor of MAFSU; and OP Singh, Managing Director of ABTL. Organizers credited their leadership with helping make the conclave an outcome-oriented gathering.