Because "Agriculture is Core Business"

"Agri-Business Management is gaining prominence in the economy because of a large contribution of agricultural produce to the GDP. A business that derives its primary income from an agricultural input or process is called agribusiness. Agribusinesses quite often don’t deal with actual farming but are in the business of producing farm inputs, such as farm machinery and seeds. Agribusinesses also take up marketing of farm products – and these include facilities like warehouses, wholesale, processing, and retail, as well as the processing of raw material into products such as oils, or production of other processed foods, and their marketing. 

Agribusinesses occupy a unique place

Agribusinesses occupy a special place within the agriculture and allied spectrum.  It happens to be the world’s largest industry; and that too at a time when the global demand for food and food prices are at an all-time high.  It is also this sector that absorbs graduates with qualifications in agriculture- the people who have the potential to find further solutions to agricultural problems.  Agribusiness encompasses half the world’s labor force, half the world’s assets, and 40 percent of consumer purchases.  Agribusiness represents agriculture and its supporting industry and helps teach our future generation about agriculture and how the world is nourished.

Today, agribusinesses are looking towards trained management professionals who can help optimize the input resources and the output as well as make the supply chain efficient and help the businesses maximize their returns through the adoption of technology and best commercial practices. The PGDM/MBA Agri-Business program is aimed towards developing management professionals who understand the entire value chain of agriculture and the best practices to adopt as well as knowledge about integrating AI and IoT to make their work more efficient and sustainable.

For job Opportunities

So, if you are keen on becoming a changemaker in the agricultural sector and ready to carve a rewarding career trajectory, you should consider enrolling in an agri-business management program. This will help you get in-depth knowledge of agricultural management concepts such as rural marketing, retail management, retail logistics, micro-finance, risk management, commodity trading, Agri export-import, and World Trade Organization (WTO) norms and will make you job-ready for the tremendous opportunities coming your way in future.

Let’s take you through agribusiness career opportunities you may look forward to in this sector:

Agricultural Manager

An agricultural manager is responsible for planning and supervising farm operations. So, the job involves intensive office and fieldwork. You have to plan the crop cycle as per the season, monitor maintenance of farm equipment, look after sales and purchase of agri-products, handle paperwork, oversee farmers’ work, meet financial targets and comply with government regulations. 

Agricultural Law and Policy Professional

Given the importance of the agricultural sector in India’s economy, the government makes conscious and continuous efforts to liberalize and promote this sector through policies, laws, and reforms. As a specialist in this field, you need to liaise with farmers, government bodies, agri-trade and commerce communities, political unions, and many other stakeholders at domestic and international levels. You can either work as an independent consultant or serve as a salaried professional in a law firm or in an agri-enterprise.

Commodity Trader

A commodity trader applies fundamental and technical analysis techniques to buy and sell agricultural products on the commodity trading exchanges. The professional knowledge of the agricultural sector along with a sharp analytical mindset will give you much-needed leverage in this career.

Agripreneur

Several agricultural enthusiasts have launched their startups to modernize this sector through cutting-edge technology and revolutionary approaches. There is a tremendous scope to use this technology to help maximize crop production and quality, to improve safe and hygienic methods of food processing and preservation, to share real-time information on farming and weather conditions, unmanned aerial vehicles for land mapping and livestock monitoring, and harnessing renewable energy for farm equipment, etc. Based on your idea, you can easily get funding from venture capitalists and the government.

Market Analyst

As an agri-market analyst, your job responsibility involves research on customer behavior, economic trends and opportunities, and demand-supply-price dynamics related to the agricultural sector. Your market analysis can be instrumental to governments and corporate enterprises to advocate policy changes, design import-export market strategy, evaluate crop production and quality, etc.

Marketing Specialist

In this role, you formulate and execute marketing strategies for enterprises and farms selling agricultural products like crops, seeds, fertilizers, livestock, farm equipment, and machinery. Your job may also involve handling media relations, addressing legislative issues, and creating educational/promotional material for end-users.

Logistics and Supply Chain Manager

Logistics and supply chain manager work in the area of crop/food procurement, warehousing, and transportation. The job involves ensuring the quality and nutritional value of crops or food throughout its journey from the farms to the customers. It also looks into planning the least-cost path for logistics for efficient supply chain management.

Finance Manager

Many small and large banks as well as non-banking financial corporations are extending credit and other financial services to farmers. The finance Manager can help companies formulate loan and credit policies, adhere to financial compliances, audit the financial records, etc. The job also involves working with government agencies to set up financial schemes for farmers. Given the fact that the agricultural sector will grow by leaps and bounds in the coming years, it will offer ample and fulfilling career prospects going forward. There is no better time than now for the aspiring professional to start working towards this career path."