Saturday, March 29, 2025
PUNJAB GOVERNMENT, PSCST & NIF HONOUR PAU-PABI STARTUP FOR BREAKTHROUGH BEEKEEPING INNOVATION
LUDHIANA, JUNE 9, 2025:
In a landmark event recognizing grassroots innovation, the Government of Punjab in collaboration with the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology (PSCST) and the National Innovation Foundation (NIF), felicitated eight outstanding innovators under the Grassroots Innovators of Punjab (GRIP) Programme – Edition 3.0. Among them, Sardar Gurdas Singh Kaler, a startup incubated under the Punjab Agri Business Incubator (PABI) at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), emerged as the “Best Innovation Awardee” for his pioneering solution — the Air-Conditioned Apiary Migration Unit.
The state-level award ceremony was held at the Indian School of Business (ISB), Mohali, and was graced by Sardar Bhagwant Singh Mann, Chief Minister of Punjab; Dr Ravjot Singh, Minister for Local Government and Parliamentary Affairs; and Sh Priyank Bharti, Secretary, Science, Technology and Environment, Punjab.
The Air-Conditioned Apiary Migration Unit is a climate-resilient, mobile beekeeping solution that significantly reduces hive stress, temperature fluctuations, and bee mortality during transportation — a major breakthrough for migratory apiculture. Developed by Gurdas Singh, a resident of Patiala, the innovation has been refined with scientific mentorship from Dr Jaspal Singh, Principal Entomologist at PAU, and supported under the structured incubation ecosystem of PABI.
Dr MS Bhullar, Director of Extension Education, PAU, stated, “The success of PABI-supported startup stands as a testament to the power of community-driven science, institutional mentorship, and state-backed innovation ecosystems.”
Dr TS Riar, Principal Investigator at PABI, and Dr Poonam A Sachdev, Co-PI, PABI, while lauding the achievement, said,
“Our goal at PABI is to foster innovation that solves real-world agricultural problems. Gurdas Singh’s innovation exemplifies frugal engineering backed by scientific mentorship.”
Highlighting the national significance, Dr Arvind C Ranade, Director of NIF, noted that Punjab is the first state to roll out such a comprehensive grassroots innovation programme.
Er Pritpal Singh, Executive Director, PSCST, shared that over 1,000 innovations were mapped across Punjab under GRIP 3.0, with eight high-potential solutions awarded at the event.
Dr Dapinder Kaur Bakshi, Joint Director, PSCST, said:
“These innovations are cost-effective, reduce drudgery, and demonstrate improved operational efficiency — all crucial for inclusive and sustainable development.”
