FMC India, a leading agricultural sciences company, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) in Hyderabad under its multi-year scholarship program for major agricultural schools across eight states in India. The MOU was signed by Dr. Ravi Annavarapu, President of FMC India and Dr V Praveen Rao, Vice Chancellor of PJTSAU.
Under the agreement, FMC will award two scholarships annually to students from the university pursuing doctorates and master's degrees in agricultural sciences. FMC will work with the university to identify its brightest students and develop their passion for science and research. Fifty percent of the scholarships have been earmarked for female candidates to encourage more women in India to pursue careers in agricultural sciences and research. In addition to the scholarships, FMC will enhance its collaborative research work with the university.
"FMC is working towards shaping young talent as future leaders in agricultural research. As part of our talent strategy, we envision a strong core of local scientists complemented by a rich diversity of international researchers at FMC, who will drive technology innovations in India, for India and the world. Our partnership with the university will unlock the potential of aspirants and help them carve the path to success with guidance from industry experts and educators," said Ravi Annavarapu, President, FMC India. "The R&D investments in India are growing at a remarkable rate and the innovations are gaining global recognition. Through the FMC Science Leaders Scholarship Program, our vision is to empower young talent to be at the forefront of this growth curve.”
Speaking about the partnership, Dr V Praveen Rao, Vice Chancellor, PJTSAU, said: "We appreciate the innovative initiatives undertaken by FMC in the field of sustainable technologies addressing the challenges of agriculture at global and national level. The outreach activities carried out in rural India through several initiatives such as Project SAFFAL and Project Samarth for safe water, good health, GAP, empowering women in agriculture and promoting science among the youth are remarkable efforts made by FMC.” Appreciating the Science Leaders Scholarship Program, Dr. Rao added, "Our partnership with FMC will help provide a much-needed fillip to young Indian talent that aspires to add value to the agriculture sector and will build a potential talent pipeline for present and future talent needs. PJTSAU is looking forward to collaborating with FMC to work on common goals such as Precision Agriculture, AgriTech Venture Capital, Sustainable Pest Management Solutions and Farmer Connect Program in the adopted villages of PJTSAU across the Telangana State.”
FMC, with a world-class in-house R&D organization of more than 800 scientists and associates to guide one of the most robust discovery and development pipelines in the agricultural industry, is committed to strengthening collaboration among the scientific community and academia within the agriculture ecosystem. FMC has recently signed similar MOUs with GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar, Uttarakhand and Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University in Guntur.
FMC's multi-year scholarship program has pledged to support 10 PhD (Ag) and 10 M.Sc. (Ag) scholarships across India in eight universities, in faculties like Agronomy, Entomology, Pathology, Soil Science and Horticulture. Under the scholarship program, awardees will also be accorded internship and industry mentorship for their overall development, in addition to getting preference in full-time employment opportunities in the company.
