PASIGHAT, Sep 23: The College of Agriculture (CoA), Central Agricultural University, Pasighat inaugurated a 10-day skill-based training cum short course on ‘Agriculture 4.0 Technologies: Building Next-Gen Agri Skills for Tomorrow’s Farms’ at the 5G Training and Innovation Lab here today.
Backed by NABARD, the programme will run up to October 4 next.
The inaugural session was graced by Sushil Kumar, former Additional Director General, Department of Telecommunications, Govt of India, and presently Chair of ITU-T SG-20 (IoT & Smart Cities, Regional Group for Asia Pacific), who attended as chief guest.
In his address, Kumar emphasized the role of 5G, IoT, and smart digital tools in transforming agriculture, empowering farmers, and creating new opportunities for rural youth.
A total of 40 students and youths representing different districts of Arunachal Pradesh have registered for this training. The participants come from diverse technical course backgrounds, with a special focus on those with an agricultural background—including graduating students, recent graduates, and postgraduate scholars.
The programme is designed to equip them with practical exposure to 5G-enabled solutions, sensor-based farming, drones, AI applications, and smart agricultural innovations, thereby preparing them for future-ready agri-enterprises.
Other distinguished guests included Ravi Pardhi, Director (Engineering-5G), Amantya Technologies, New Delhi, and Nitya Mili, District Development Manager, NABARD, whose support and collaboration have been instrumental in realizing this initiative.
Dean Prof Sanjay Swami lauded the collective efforts of NEC Shillong, AMTRON, Amantya, and NABARD in supporting the establishment of the 5G Training and Innovation Lab—the first of its kind in the State. He encouraged participants to take full advantage of the learning opportunities over the next ten days.