In a proud moment for the Punjab Agri Business Incubator (PABI) at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Agro Stubble Management Pvt. Ltd., led by innovator Parminder Singh, has clinched the first prize at the HARVEST AgriTech Challenge 2025, winning a cash award of Rs 50,000 for its groundbreaking work on sustainable crop residue management (CRM). Agro Stubble Management Pvt. Ltd. is transforming agricultural waste into value-added products with its eco-friendly ceiling tiles made from paddy straw—an innovative solution aimed at curbing stubble burning, a major environmental challenge in Northern India. The startup’s impactful innovation not only secured the top spot at the challenge but also earned it a place as an Accelerated Startup under the prestigious HARVEST program. This program is powered by PI-RAHI: Northern Region S&T Cluster, supported by Panjab University–IIT Ropar Regional Accelerator for Holistic Innovation Foundation, NEDAC, and The Unati Co-operative Marketing-Cum-Processing Society Ltd.
Mr Parminder Singh, the founder, expressed gratitude on social media, stating, “Thanks for all the appreciation and support. We will provide a sustainable solution before the stubble burning of this year for the betterment of society and environment.”
Lauding the PAU trained startup, Dr MS Bhullar, Director of Extension Education, PAU, said, “Parminder Singh’s innovation is a strong example of sustainable entrepreneurship emerging from grassroots understanding. We are proud to support such ventures through PABI.”
Dr TS Riar, Principal Investigator, PABI, added,“This recognition underlines the impact our startups can make when innovation meets a real-world problem like stubble burning. It’s a step towards cleaner air and circular economy models.”
Dr Poonam Sachdev, Co-PI at PABI, noted, “The journey of Agro Stubble Management shows how waste can be turned into opportunity. Their eco-tiles not only reduce pollution but also generate livelihood and promote green architecture.”
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