Industries dept wants Mohali’s Kisan Chamber to set up ‘Integrated Innovation and Startup Centre’

The proposal has referred to South Korea’s globally acclaimed Pangyo Techno Valley, where Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, along with a high-level delegation, recently visited. According to the proposal, the CM was impressed by its seamless integration of incubation centres, research facilities, start-up acceleration programmes and industry collaboration under one roof. Officials believe replicating a similar ecosystem in Mohali will catapult Punjab’s innovation landscape to the next level.

Named after the legendary agriculture scientist and Padma Bhushan Dr Gurcharan Singh Kalkat, who was the founding chairman of the Punjab State Farmers Commission, Kalkat Bhawan houses the offices of the chairperson of the Punjab State Farmers Commission, several agriculture officers, and the Punjab Innovation Mission.

Proposal to be put up before State Cabinet

The proposal, likely to be presented before the State Cabinet, suggests repositioning the farmers’ commission office within a redesigned layout and renaming the building as “Kalkat Agriculture Innovation and Startup Centre (KAIS)”.

The new centre is explicitly designed to carry forward his legacy by promoting technology-driven solutions in agriculture and food processing.

Under the plan, the Integrated Innovation and Startup Centre will offer operational space to agri start-ups, food processing start-ups and ventures from allied sectors at heavily subsidised rates.

Sources said the government sees Kalkat Bhawan as a prime-location, but an underutilised infrastructure that can now be repurposed for the maximum economic impact. The centre is expected to serve as a one-stop ecosystem offering mentorship, funding access, prototyping labs and industry linkages, exactly what the state’s young entrepreneurs have been demanding.

Neither Industries Minister Sanjeev Arora nor Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian were available for comments.

Building has emotional significance for farmers

Constructed and dedicated to farmers in 2016 — the state provided 2 acres, and the Punjab Mandi Board spent Rs 30 crore on the building — Kalkat Bhawan holds deep historical and emotional significance for farmers in Punjab. Kalkat is widely credited with steering the Green Revolution in Punjab. His pioneering work in introducing high-yielding crop varieties and modern farming techniques transformed the state into India’s food bowl.

Kalkat was instrumental in getting the building for the farmers’ chamber. At that time, the location was away from Punjab’s seat of power in Chandigarh, but with the coming up of an international airport near the location, the land prices in the area have spiralled. The purpose of providing the Kisan Chamber with a building was to bridge the gap between policymakers and farmers. Dr Kalkat was the patron of the Kisan Vikas Chamber Society, which runs the building.

At that time, it was stated that while industrialists have offices like CII in Chandigarh to brainstorm, the farmers did not have any place to sit and organise debates. The chamber has been taking up farmers’ issues with the Centre.

Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee chief Sarwan Singh Pandher said they would oppose the move tooth and nail. “Sanjeev Arora is an industrialist. Through him, the government has been trying corporatisation of agriculture. We will not let this happen. If a centre has been set up for farmers, it should be left for them. Arora’s power department is already selling government lands. By taking away farmers’ chamber building, it is handing over farmers’ place to the industry when Punjab is an agrarian state. We will not let this happen. We will discuss and start protesting against the move,” he said.