Lucknow, Oct 12 : The Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K), has been entrusted with the responsibility of establishing four upcoming agri-business incubators across Uttar Pradesh. The decision came from the state agricultural research and education department during a transformative agricultural workshop titled 'Uttar Pradesh Krishi Prayogiki Manthan' held at IIT-K this week. Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Devesh Chaturvedi, secretary, agriculture, Raj Shekhar and special secretary, agricultural research and education, Ajay Kumar Dwivedi were prominent among those present at the event. 'The agricultural sector will play a pivotal role in realising the objective of creating a trillion-dollar economy and transforming India into a developed nation by 2047,' said Chaturvedi. 'There is a pressing need for the emergence of startups in the sector as 65 per cent of the workforce still relies on agriculture. In this endeavour, there is no better mentor than SIIC, IIT Kanpur, in establishing agri-business incubators across the state. With the contribution of SIIC, IIT Kanpur, we have the potential to enhance the livelihoods of farmers, bolster production and elevate the overall economy of the state,' the official said. Acknowledging the responsibility, Prof Ankush Sharma, Professor-in-Charge at SIIC, IIT-K, said 'The responsibility provides a pivotal opportunity for IIT Kanpur to forge meaningful collaborations with agricultural universities while helping them set up agri-business incubation centres.' The workshop brought representatives from various agricultural universities from across the state, including Kanpur, Banda, Ayodhya, Meerut and Prayagraj. The participants engaged in discussions on setting up the innovation hubs, emphasising the need for collaboration and strategic planning. The workshop provided insights into the operational aspects, emphasising the key factors essential to their successful establishment. Experts from SIIC IIT-K conducted informative sessions covering topics such as project report preparation, incubation system functioning and critical considerations. /IANS