The 39th Annual Conference on Agricultural Marketing was inaugurated on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at 2:30 PM in the DST Auditorium, University of Hyderabad. The prestigious four-day event is organised by the School of Economics, University of Hyderabad, supported by the Indian Society of Agricultural Marketing (ISAM), ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education, State Bank of India, NABARD, and in collaboration with MANUU, Hyderabad.

The inaugural session was graced by distinguished dignitaries including Professor S. Mahendra Dev, President, ISAM, and Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India; Professor B. J. Rao, Vice-Chancellor, University of Hyderabad; Professor Tamma Koti Reddy, Vice-Chancellor, ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education (Guest of Honour); Professor Debashish Acharya, Dean, School of Economics, University of Hyderabad; and Dr. Satyanarayana Tripurari, Secretary, ISAM. The ceremony commenced with the traditional exchange of floral bouquets and the lighting of the ceremonial lamp.

Professor Debashish Acharya, Dean, School of Economics, delivered the Welcome Address, introducing the school’s pluralist approach to economic thought and highlighting its strong research focus on Agricultural Economics and evidence-based policy frameworks.

Next, Professor B. J. Rao, Vice-Chancellor, University of Hyderabad, in his opening remarks commended the organisers for convening a national platform on agricultural marketing. He stressed that addressing India’s agricultural challenges requires not only technological interventions but also a new culture of research-driven collaboration and innovation led by young scholars.

Professor S. Mahendra Dev, President, ISAM, delivered the keynote address, outlining the conference’s three core themes: Agricultural Value Chains, Dynamics of Commodity Markets, and Regional Market Systems with a focus on Telangana. Providing a deep overview of India’s agricultural landscape, Professor Dev emphasised that the national mission of Viksit Bharat demands growth that is both inclusive and sustainable. He cautioned that while the Green Revolution improved the Terms of Trade for agriculture, it also led to severe ecological stress, including groundwater depletion. Advocating for a food systems approach and climate-smart agricultural practices, he affirmed that “growth without inclusivity and sustainability is not useful.”

Dr. Satyanarayana Tripurari, Secretary, ISAM, traced the history of the Indian Society of Agricultural Marketing since its inception in 1986, highlighting its role as the only national body in the field and its contribution through the Indian Journal of Agricultural Marketing, a premier peer-reviewed publication promoting scholarly discourse in agricultural markets.

Guest of Honour, Professor Tamma Koti Reddy, Vice-Chancellor, ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education, discussed the transformative potential of digital platforms in agriculture, citing the success of E-NAM in linking over 11 crore farmers. He noted, however, the persistent challenges of high state market fees, fragmented landholdings, and limited digital literacy among rural farmers. Emphasising the pivotal role of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), he called for strengthening farmers’ collective bargaining power and expanding decentralized storage systems to reduce post-harvest losses.

Prof. L. C. Mallaiah, School of Economics, University of Hyderabad, felicitated the guests with khadas and bouquets. Following the felicitation, he delivered the Vote of Thanks, extending appreciation to all dignitaries, speakers, ISAM members, and participants for their valuable contributions. He acknowledged the support of the University administration, ISAM, and the organising committee for their collective efforts in successfully launching the conference.

The inaugural session concluded with a note of optimism for the discussions ahead, setting the tone for four days of intensive deliberations on agricultural marketing, value chains, technology, and policy innovations.

The session was followed by the Presidential Address by Prof. R. S. Deshpande, Former Director, Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bengaluru, and the Prof. Radhakrishnan Memorial Lecture by Prof. Prabhu Pingali, Founding Director, Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition.