Dr. Ranjit Kumar

Key Contributions & Academic Impact

• Institution Building: Repositioning of PGDM-ABM of NAARM, establishing a-IDEA, designing and initiating training for FPOs and on entrepreneurship.
• Global Collaborations: Extensive research stints, consultations and collaboration with ICRISAT, IFPRI, and CIMMYT (Mexico)
• Professional Leadership: Students’ research guidance, Member in QRT & RAC of different ICAR institutes, Advisory board of different SAUs, Vice President of the Agricultural Economics Research Association (AERA), Editorial board of Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics (IJAE).
• Prolific Author: Over 75 peer-reviewed articles and influential policy papers on e-NAM, FPO, and Entrepreneurship.
• Recognized Excellence: Recipient of the LBS Young Scientist Award of ICAR, Fellow of AERA & BASA, NAARM’s Best Faculty and Best Trainer awards.
 

Professional Profile

Dr. Ranjit Kumar started his career as an ARS Scientist at ICAR-IARI, N. Delhi in the year 2000. He is a distinguished academic leader in Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Management with over two decades of experience spanning research, policy analysis, and entrepreneurship. Currently serving as the Principal Scientist and CEO of a-IDEA, the Technology Business Incubator at ICAR-NAARM, he is a key figure in India's agri-startup ecosystem, driving ideation and business acceleration. Throughout his 25+ years of career at premier institutions like ICAR-IARI, ICAR-IISS, ICAR-NAARM, and ICRISAT, Dr. Kumar has been instrumental in shaping agribusiness education, notably serving as the Head of the Agribusiness Management Division at NAARM (2017–2022). His expertise covers agricultural marketing, value chain analysis, development of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), and promotion of innovation and agripreneurship in India.

Dr. Kumar holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics from IARI, New Delhi, and continues to bridge the gap between scientific research and entrepreneurial success in the agricultural sector.