Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, UNDP India and Gates Foundation Convened CSR Conclave on Leveraging PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (DDKY) for Farmer Prosperity
Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, UNDP India and Gates Foundation Convened CSR Conclave on Leveraging PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (DDKY) for Farmer Prosperity
Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), Government of India in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India and the Gates Foundation convened a high-level CSR Conclave on the theme “Leveraging PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (DDKY) for Farmer Prosperity” today at New Delhi. The conclave brought together senior government officials, financial institutions, corporate CSR leaders, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and development partners to explore strategic collaboration opportunities under the new initiative DDKY.
The conclave was attended by 65 participants from leading corporate such as Unilever, Reliance Foundation, ITC, Axis Bank, TCS, JK Cement etc.
The DDKY Scheme was launched on 11th October, 2025 by Prime Minister for a period of six years to cover 100 districts. The scheme draws inspiration from NITI Aayog’s Aspirational District Programme and is the first of its kind, focusing exclusively on agriculture and allied sectors.
DDKY aims to (1) enhance agricultural productivity, (2) increase adoption of crop diversification and sustainable agricultural practices, (3) augment post-harvest storage at the panchayat and block levels, (4) improve irrigation facilities, and (5) facilitate availability of long-term and short-term credit. It is being implemented through convergence of 36 existing schemes across 11 Departments, other State schemes and local partnerships with the private sector.
The inaugural address by Shri Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, reinforced the Government’s commitment to fostering convergence between public schemes and private sector participation to achieve measurable impact at scale. He emphasized that private partnership should extend beyond Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contributions to include active engagement through manpower support such as Young Professionals (YPs), strengthening linkages with Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), educating farmers, and promoting climate-resilient agricultural practices. Such collaborative efforts not only enhance service delivery and outreach but also expand the footprint of private sector enterprises across districts.
He further highlighted the critical role of Lead Banks in ensuring the success of flagship schemes such as the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) through specialized drives and focused financial inclusion initiatives in these districts.
In her special address, Ms. Angela Lusigi, Resident Representative, UNDP India, emphasized that CSR engagement, when aligned with national priorities such as DDKY, can strengthen public systems and enable scalable and sustainable impact for smallholder farmers. She highlighted that DDKY can be a game changer for these districts, with Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) playing a central role in poverty reduction and in creating a multitude of economic opportunities for farming communities.
The welcome address by Ms. Saachi Bhalla, Deputy Director, Gender Equality, Gates Foundation, underscored the importance of catalytic partnerships in strengthening farmer livelihoods and scaling sustainable agricultural models.
Mr. Sunit Kumar Singh, Deputy General Manager, Canara Bank was felicitated for the CSR grant of Rs. 50 Lakh to DDKY district, recognizing the role of financial institutions in supporting district-level agricultural transformation.
Following detailed presentation highlighting the features of DDKY, a technical session by senior officers of Government of India exploring financing models, climate-resilient agriculture, convergence with rural livelihoods missions, and mechanisms to align CSR investments with DDKY priorities. In another technical session involving panellist from Unilever, Reliance Foundation, ITC and Axis Bank shared practical insights on CSR-FPO collaborations, addressing challenges, measurable outcomes, and strategies for scaling successful models across geographies. Participants highlighted the importance of long-term engagement, capacity building, technology adoption, and robust monitoring frameworks.
There was interest for CSR funding for Young Professionals support to DDKY districts and also supporting start-ups. Further, interested corporate firms/institutions were invited to engage with the 100 DDKY districts by utilising weekly webinar platform of Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare for DDKY districts. The CSR conclave kick-started the discussion for financial commitment, creation of value chain and market linkages in the DDKY districts.