Godrej Group’s agribusiness division, Godrej Agrovet has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Maharashtra State Rural Livelihoods Mission (MSRLM-UMED) to support women farmers and strengthen sustainable agricultural practices across Maharashtra. The collaboration is designed to empower more than 5,000 women farmers across nine cotton growing districts and is aligned with the United Nations’ designation of 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, which underscores the role of women in agrifood systems and the need to address gender gaps in agriculture.
Three Year Collaboration Focused on Women Centric Agriculture
The partnership, planned over a period of three years, aims to mobilize Self Help Groups and women farmers to adopt Good Agricultural Practices and Integrated Pest Management techniques. Through this approach, the initiative seeks to improve farm productivity while building more resilient rural livelihoods. In its first year, the programme will focus on the cotton belts of Nagpur, Amravati, Yavatmal, Washim, Parbhani, Jalgaon, Beed, Akola, and Nanded. The initial phase will cover over 5,000 women farmers, span more than 50,000 acres of farmland, and engage around 100 Self Help Groups in each district.
Over the full duration of the partnership, the initiative plans to extend its reach to more than 5,000 Self Help Groups across Maharashtra. While cotton remains the initial focus, the programme has been structured to expand into maize and other crops in subsequent phases.
Roles and Responsibilities Under the MoU
Under the terms of the agreement, Godrej Agrovet will work closely with MSRLM-UMED to design and implement training workshops on Good Agricultural Practices, Integrated Pest Management, and safety protocols. The programme will also include farmer field schools, demonstration plots, and the distribution of safety kits to participating women farmers. MSRLM-UMED will support the initiative by facilitating mobilisation and coordination through its extensive Self Help Group and Krishi Sakhi networks, while Godrej Agrovet will fund and execute the on ground activities.
Government Perspective on Strengthening Rural Livelihoods
Commenting on the partnership, Nilesh Sagar, Chief Executive Officer of MSRLM-UMED, said the MoU aligns with the mission’s objective of empowering rural women by strengthening grassroots institutions and improving livelihoods. He noted that by leveraging the organisation’s network alongside Godrej Agrovet’s agricultural expertise, the focus would be on equipping women farmers with scientific crop management practices to help them manage farms more efficiently and contribute to the socio economic development of rural Maharashtra.
Industry View on Inclusion and Sustainability
Sunil Kataria, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Godrej Agrovet, said Indian agriculture is at a stage where productivity, sustainability, and inclusion need to progress simultaneously. He emphasised that women farmers play a central role in this process and stated that the company’s approach combines research with community engagement to support sustainable agricultural growth. Through the partnership with MSRLM-UMED, the company aims to provide women farmers with practical agronomic knowledge to help improve yields and household outcomes, while developing models that can be scaled responsibly.
Also read: SiFly and Taranis Launch 2026 Field Validation Program for Scalable Aerial Crop Intelligence
Technical Emphasis on Crop Protection and Regional Needs
Highlighting the technical dimension of the initiative, Rajavelu NK, Chief Executive Officer of the Crop Protection Business at Godrej Agrovet, pointed out that Maharashtra is a major cotton producing state and that farmers in the region face challenges that require science based and region specific solutions. He said timely interventions would support immediate agronomic improvements and help establish a knowledge driven crop protection framework that can be replicated across different geographies and crops over time.
Broader Social and Institutional Impact
Rakesh Swami, Group President, Corporate Affairs at Godrej Industries Group, said that the organisation’s focus on people and the planet underpins the collaboration with MSRLM-UMED. He noted that the initiative demonstrates how industry and public institutions can work together to create measurable social outcomes. According to him, strengthening the role of women farmers contributes not only to improved agricultural outcomes but also to stronger rural communities, generating long-term benefits for both the state and the country.
By supporting women farmers in adopting scientific farming practices, improving access to market networks, and enabling informed decision making, the initiative aims to deliver sustained improvements in productivity, livelihoods, and rural resilience across Maharashtra.