FAI function kicks off in hybrid mode; Mandaviya to inaugurate

The annual function of the leading body of fertilizer manufacturers in the country FAI which kicks off today on Monday at the India Habitat Centre in Delhi, will be inaugurated by Mansukh Laxmanbhai Mandaviya, MoS Chemical and Fertilizer Ministry.

The three-day program would be somewhat physical only on the first day with the participation of not more than 50 persons, said FAI sources. For the other two days it would be completely digital, FAI claimed. The theme of this year’s hybrid mode of seminar is “Fertilizer and Agriculture during COVID-19.

“Even our staff members are not being allowed as India Habitat Centre has put a cap on the number of participants”, said the PA of Satish Chandra, DG of FAI who got extension this June again for one year.

Besides the Minister, Secretary and some senior officers of the Chemical and Fertilizer department, only a handful of industry captains would be around. Prominent among them are IFFCO MD Dr U S Awasthi and Joint MD Rakesh Kapur. Confirmation of the Kribhco MD’s participation is yet to come, said Chandra’s PA Sunday evening. Kribhco Chairman Dr Chandra Pal Singh is certainly not coming, he informed.

Most of the participants are going to be the awardees and even from that category not all are coming. For a majority of them, their awards would be sent through couriers or other means. A few winners would of course be there, informed Sharma.

International Fertilizer Association’s former DG Mr Luc Maene and ex-DG ICAR Prof Punjab Singh, the two top awardees who have bagged the Dr U S Awasthi Lifetime Achievement Awards may also give a miss to the function. While Maene could not get a visa, Prof Punjab Singh has landed from Varanasi and the organizers are keeping their fingers crossed if he would make it to the event, said Sharma.

The US Awasthi Lifetime Achievement FAI Award is by far the highest award in the field of agri research with a cash prize of Rs 2.5 million. The IFFCO MD has congratulated the winners through tweets.

The other prominent names of the awardees who are scheduled to receive awards include that of IFFCO Marketing Head Yogendra Kumar for his article on Nano Fertilisers published in the August, 2020 issue of Indian Journal of Fertilisers.

According to the information made available, both the co-op giants IFFCO and Kribhco have bagged several awards with the highest number being grabbed by the IFFCO. While several units of IFFCO have won awards in different categories, Kribhco has annexed laurels in the field of film production.

The function will be streamed live from 2-30 to 4.30 pm.