Farm research reboot

With reference to ‘Agricultural R & D needs a reboot’ (August 15), the Budge prioritised agriculture. Agriculture research must be revamped, focusing on competitive funding, priority research areas, and impactful outcomes.

A comprehensive review of research planning, monitoring, and impact assessment is necessary, involving collaboration with international institutions, donor agencies, and private sector partners.

To further strengthen agricultural research, integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning can improve precision farming and decision-making. Developing climate-resilient crop and animal varieties, strengthening extension services, and promoting agroforestry and conservation agriculture practices can also enhance soil health, biodiversity, and farmer livelihoods.

Amarjeet Kumar

Hazaribagh (Jharkhand)

Disclosure woes

With reference to the editorial ‘Lifting the veil’ (August 15), in the present wild goose chase for the shadow owners of FPIs, securing the granular data of the ultimate beneficiaries is going to be complex, since most of the original investors either operate through P-Note route or through shell companies operating in tax-haven countries.

Also, in case of a single FPI with assets under management covering large number of funds, segregating the cross holdings of the promoter-investors across multiple layers in these funds, would be an uphill task for the regulator.

FPIs, being backbone of indirect investments in Indian companies and are the main pillar of stock market ecosystem, any deterrent regulatory measures, under the guise of securing the critical data, are not desirable.

Sitaram Popuri

Bengaluru

Tread with caution

Apropos the news report ‘Govt ‘relooking restrictions’ on investments from China’ (August 15), it is true that “no nation has decoupled from China” and India also need not do so. However, given the border tensions, rising trade deficit, any reconsideration and lifting of restrictions on FDI needs to be carefully calibrated with caution.

Easing of restrictions on FDI from China may not exactly have the desired impact on manufacturing and value addition, but end up in establishment of mere assembling units. In addition, unbridled FDI from China could pose national security and data risk issues. In order to enhance our participation in the global supply value chains and to take advantage of China+1 policy, FDI policy can be liberalised in respect to other countries.

Our endeavour should be to increase exports to China and reduce trade deficit.

Kosaraju Chandramouli

Hyderabad