Centre Funds 28 Innovative Solutions to Stabilise Tomato Supply Chain

On Friday, the Centre announced funding and mentorship for 28 innovators who emerged as winners of the ‘Tomato Grand Challenge,’ a hackathon aimed at finding scalable solutions to stabilize the tomato supply chain. The funding will be provided by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution.

Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare stated that out of 1,376 ideas submitted by innovators from across India, 28 were selected for funding to develop prototypes and receive mentorship. The Department of Consumer Affairs noted that the solutions from the Tomato Grand Challenge have the potential to transform the tomato value chain by improving resilience, reducing wastage, and increasing profitability for all stakeholders. This initiative is seen as a model for addressing challenges in other agricultural sectors across India.