76th Republic Day: Goa, Uttarakhand Shine On Kartavya Path, Showcase Cultural Heritage And Tourism

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On the 76th Republic Day, Kartavya Path showcased India’s diverse strengths and its evolving cultural inclusiveness, marching towards a bright future. Among the 31 tableaux, including 16 from states and Union Territories, Uttarakhand and Goa highlighted their rich cultural heritage, tourism potential, and vibrant art forms.

Goa’s tableau, themed ‘Swarnim Bharat: Virasat Aur Vikas,’ celebrates the state’s pristine beaches, lush landscapes, and rich culture.
Goa, often referred to as the “Pearl of the East,” is known for its historical charm, vibrant arts, and warm hospitality. The tableau highlighted ‘Diwaja,’ a unique earthen lamp symbolizing purity and ancestral bonds. During Diwaja, women observe a five-day fast and offer lighted lamps in a ritual.

It also showcased Kaavi art, an ancient Goan mural tradition using red laterite paste on lime-based surfaces. Found in temples and homes, this art reflects motifs inspired by nature, Hindu mythology, and rural life.
As Goa is known for its beaches, its tableaux highlighted the water sports that play a vital role in Goa’s tourism.

It also underscored activities like coastal weddings and photo shoots, which are gaining popularity.

The 1864-built Fort Aguada Lighthouse, one of Asia’s oldest, is depicted, offering stunning views of the Arabian Sea and glimpses of Goan history.

The North Indian State Uttarakhand tableau is themed “Cultural Heritage and Adventure Sports,” showcasing the state’s rich culture, natural beauty, and adventure tourism.

At the forefront, a woman in traditional attire is depicted creating Aipan art, symbolizing its social, cultural, and religious significance in Uttarakhand.

This traditional art, made using rice paste and ‘geru,’ adorns prayer rooms, entrances, and walls.

The tableau also highlighted adventure sports and tourism activities like mountain biking in Nainital and Mussoorie, trekking in the Valley of Flowers and Kedarkantha, snow skiing in Auli, and thrilling activities like yoga, bungee jumping, zip-lining, and rock climbing in Rishikesh.
Uttarakhand’s tableau also emphasized preserving its cultural heritage while promoting adventure tourism.

Earlier, President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday unfurled the national flag at Kartavya Path on the occasion of the 76th Republic Day, followed by the national anthem with a thunderous 21-gun salute using 105-mm Light Field Guns, an indigenous weapon system.

The President of India and her Indonesian counterpart, President Prabowo Subianto, who is the chief guest of this year’s Republic Day, were escorted by the President’s Bodyguard, the senior-most regiment of the Indian Army.

 

Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi greets everyone on 76th Republic Day

by with No Comment Mirabilia IconsPolitics

Republic Day marks the adoption of India’s constitution and the country’s transition to a republic on January 26, 1950. Every year, the celebrations marking the day feature spectacular military and cultural pageantry. 

Republic Day Parade 2025 will be a unique blend of India’s cultural diversity and military prowess, with special focus on 75 years of enactment of the constitution and Jan Bhagidari.

The theme for the tableaux at the Republic Day Parade 2025 has been decided as “स्वर्णिम भारत – विरासत और विकास” |

Greeting everyone on the occasion of Republic Day, the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi remarked that today we celebrate 75 glorious years of being a Republic.

In separate posts on X, the Prime Minister said:

“Happy Republic Day. 

Today, we celebrate 75 glorious years of being a Republic. We bow to all the great women and men who made our Constitution and ensured that our journey is rooted in democracy, dignity and unity. May this occasion strengthen our efforts towards preserving the ideals of our Constitution and working towards a stronger and prosperous India.”

The Indian government has launched many welfare schemes since independence including schemes for healthcare, social security, and employment. E-governance in India has demonstrated the use of electronic tools and processes to improve governance and enhance government capacity to function efficiently.

On 76th Republic Day,  Mirabilia Business Magazine released 76 short clips demonstrating government led welfare schemes to mark the day and made a phenomenal record. 

The purpose is to build a strong and sustainable bridge between government capacity enablement and digital empowerment of masses and to strengthen capacities of local administration and institutions to reach the vulnerable groups with information on government entitlements. 

The broader view of “reaching out to the masses” is to communicate information or a message to a large and diverse group of people, essentially aiming to spread a message widely across a broad audienc

Secretary, MeitY, Shri S Krishnan lays Foundation Stone for EMI and EMC Testing Facility for Strategic Electronic Systems in Navi Mumbai

by with No Comment InfrastructureLatest Updates

Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) , Shri S Krishnan laid the foundation stone for the Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Test Facility at Navi Mumbai today. The laboratory to be established by the Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER), a research institution under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, is designedto cater to the growing demand for testing, qualification, and compliance of indigenously developed defense and strategic electronic systems. Group Coordinator, MeitY, Shri SK Marwaha, and Director General, SAMEER, Dr. P Hanumantha Rao were also present at the event.

Speaking at the event, Secretary, MeitY Shri S Krishnan said that MeitY is aggressively pursuing the electronic manufacturing in India. He further highlighted that, to meet the requirements of EMC compliance testing and certification, a dedicated laboratory for strategic electronics system is being established at SAMEER. This facility will cater to the fast-growing Indian market in strategic electronics for defence, civilian and automotive related electronic equipment.

Director General of SAMEER, Dr. P. Hanumantha Rao, stated that the proposed and upcoming military standards EMC certification laboratory at SAMEER Navi Mumbai is being established with an outlay of around INR 4000 Lakhs. This facility will provide complete EMC testing/research and compliance certification for defence, consumer and medical electronic systems manufacturers in the western zone of India as well as across India.

The facility, which is fully funded by MeitY under the project titled ‘Establishment of EMC Test Facility for Testing of Strategic Electronics Systems’ will play a critical role in supporting India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision. It aims to enable the indigenous defense and aerospace sectors to meet both military and civilian standards for electromagnetic compatibility before deploying these systems in mission-critical operations.

SAMEER has been actively pursuing R&D to address the mitigation of EMI at the design level so as to improve the system performance.The Government of India has been promoting indigenous ecosystem for the development and manufacturing of defence, aerospace, automotive products and medical equipment in the country. It is mandatory that all these systems should qualify for both the Military Standards (MIL STD) and civilian standards before deployment. This Project will cater to Military, Navy, Air force and indigenous commercial/industrial equipment manufacturers for testing, qualification and EMI/EMC compliance demands of western zone and pan India. SAMEER’s services will be utilized by industry to qualify for MIL-STD, CE and FCC certification for domestic and international market. In the coming years, it is expected that large number of defence products will be built and manufactured indigenously and the proposed laboratory will propel the initiative of ‘Make in India’.

The proposed National level EMI/EMC testing facility as per MIL-STD-461 F and IEC 61000-5commercial standards will be beneficial to the industry in Maharashtra as well as in the country due to the presence of defence manufacturing hub, western naval command and the proliferation of industry in this region.

About SAMEER

SAMEER is as an autonomous Research and Development laboratory at Mumbai under the then Department of Electronics, Government of India with a broad mandate to undertake Research and

Development work in the areas of Microwave Engineering and Electromagnetic Engineering Technology. It is an offshoot of the special microwave products unit (SMPU).SAMEER has been contributing towards self-reliance and indigenous solutions for the country in the areas of Microwaves, millimeter waves and advanced communication technologies.

Georgia certified malaria-free by WHO

by with No Comment Health and CommunityLatest Updates

Following a nearly century-long effort, Georgia has been certified malaria-free by the World Health Organization (WHO). With today’s announcement, Georgia joins the ranks of 45 countries and 1 territory that have achieved this milestone.

“Today we congratulate the people of Georgia for their decades of targeted and sustained actions to eliminate malaria, one of the world’s leading killers,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Georgia’s commitment and success gives us hope that a malaria-free world is possible.”

“This is a huge milestone worth marking; with Georgia’s achievement, the WHO European Region is another step closer to initiate certification as the first malaria-free region in the world,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “This doesn’t happen in a vacuum, this was made possible thanks to sustained investment, dedication of the health workforce and targeted efforts in prevention, early detection and effective treatment of all malaria cases.”

Certification of malaria elimination is granted by WHO when a country has proven, beyond reasonable doubt, that the chain of indigenous transmission has been interrupted nationwide for at least the previous three consecutive years.

The Minister of Health, Mikheil Sarjveladze, noted that certifying Georgia as malaria-free is a recognition of the sustainability of its healthcare system, “this success means that Georgia can address important health challenges.”

A longstanding challenge

Malaria has plagued Georgia since ancient times. Before the introduction of systematic control efforts in the early 1900s, at least 3 malaria parasite species—P. falciparum, P. malariae and P. vivax—were endemic in the country. In the 1920s, an estimated 30% of the population suffered from malaria caused by the P. vivax malaria species.

By 1940, large-scale mosquito control programmes had helped reduce malaria cases significantly through improved access to diagnostic and treatment facilities. A few years later, however, World War II caused a surge again due to population movement and the strain on health facilities. 

In the post-war period, Georgia launched an intensive programme aimed at eliminating malaria, using newer medicines, insecticide spraying and robust entomological surveillance. The campaign successfully interrupted the transmission of P. falciparum by 1953, P. malariae by 1960 and P. vivax by 1970. 

Georgia remained malaria-free for 25 years, but by 2002, malaria had reemerged in the country with 474 cases reported.

Renewed commitments to stop the disease

In 2005, together with 9 other countries in the WHO European Region, Georgia signed the Tashkent Declaration, reaffirming its pledge to eliminate malaria. The intensified interventions that followed significantly reduced malaria incidence in Georgia, with the last indigenous case recorded in 2009. By 2015, all 53 countries of the WHO European Region, including Georgia, reported zero indigenous cases of malaria.

To prevent further re-establishment of malaria transmission in the region, the original signatories of the Tashkent Declaration issued the Ashgabat Statement in 2017 committing to take all efforts to remain malaria-free. Türkiye is the only country in the WHO European Region remaining to be certified.

In 2024, during the Georgia’s malaria-free certification process, members of the Technical Advisory Group on Malaria Elimination and Certification, an independent WHO advisory body, noted that Georgia has a well-functioning and adequately resourced health system, strong public-private cooperation, and political commitment to maintaining a malaria-free status.

Source:WHO

PM Suryaghar aims to empower citizens to become energy producers: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi

by with No Comment EnergyLatest Updates

Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy Shri Pralhad Joshi said that PM Suryaghar-Muft Bijli Yojana aims to empower people by making citizens energy-producers as well as enabling them to earn extra income by selling electricity to discoms. The Minister was addressing 750 Special Guests of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy invited for witnessing the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi.

Union Minister said “ Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi ji, the common people are now at the heart of India’s renewable energy revolution. Their work, dedication, and success are proof of what we can accomplish as a nation. The beneficiaries of PM Suryaghar and PM Kusum are the real Ambassadors of India’s renewable energy movement.” The Minister also appreciated them for  leading the charge in India’s renewable energy journey.

Beneficiaries of PM Suryaghar and PM Kusum from different parts of the country spoke on the occasion and appreciated the timely subsidies being received by them, the ease with which they could register on the PM Suryaghar portal without human Interventions and the huge savings and zero bills from electricity because of the installation.

Union Minister said “ In Dharwad, Karnataka, a beneficiary of   PMSurya Ghar achieved zero electricity bills by adopting solar power. With a ₹78,000 subsidy from the central government, this success story highlights  Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of fostering sustainable and energy-efficient solutions across the nation.”

A PM Kusum beneficiary, Rakesh Rohi from Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh told the Minister that he installed solar pumps in his farm after being benefited by PM KUSUM Scheme which has vastly improved his yield.

The Special Guests of MNRE also visited PM Sangrahalaya earlier and will witness the Republic Day parade tomorrow.

Secretary, MNRE Ms Nidhi Khare said that the Ministry is always ready to learn and listen from the beneficiaries for improving the implementation of the schemes.

MNRE Joint Secretary Shri Lalit Bohra and other senior officials of MNRE were also present at the event.

Sygnum Completes USD 58m Strategic Growth Round, Achieves Unicorn Status with 1bn valuation

by Banking & FinanceMirabilia Icons

Fulgur Ventures, cornerstone investor in the final close of Sygnum’s Strategic Growth Round, is a venture capital firm focusing on Bitcoin technologies, infrastructure and applications that drive Bitcoin adoption. Fulgur is joined by new and existing strategic and financial investors, as well as Sygnum team members again participating on equal terms. The Co-Founders, board and team members continue to hold Sygnum majority ownership.

Proceeds from the completed Strategic Growth Round will be put to work to drive Sygnum’s 2025 expanded EU/EEA market entry and to launch its regulated presence in Hong Kong. Sygnum also intends to use the funds to broaden its institutional infrastructure, expand its product portfolio with a focus on Bitcoin-technology, and enable opportunities for strategic acquisitions as the market develops. As the industry’s trend towards regulatory compliance gathers pace, additional investments will be made to further strengthen Sygnum’s organisational and operational resilience, compliance teams and state-of-the-art risk management.

A key driver of the oversubscribed Strategic Growth Round was Sygnum’s multi-year core business growth. 2024 revenues for all trading products, including crypto spot, derivatives, FX and traditional securities, surpassed the previous year’s total in Q3 for the second year running. Total annual trades in 2024 increased by more than 1,000% YoY, propelled by PostFinance and the 20+ banks on its B2B platform providing regulated crypto services to more than a third of the Swiss population.

Sygnum’s core business growth was matched by its industry-shaping product launches. In July 2024, Sygnum launched Sygnum Connect, a 24/7 multi-asset settlement network, with members at launch including digital asset exchange AsiaNext and prime broker Hidden Road. A few months earlier, Sygnum also opened up a second new platform, Sygnum Protect, exclusively to its global institutional client base. This platform enables them to continue trading on major crypto exchanges while holding their flexible choice of collateral in secure, bank-grade and bankruptcy-remote custody with Sygnum

Mathias Imbach, Sygnum Co-Founder and Group CEO, comments that: “Sygnum reaching Unicorn status is a strong validation by the market of our business model, strategy and team. While it is an achievement we are very proud of, it won’t alter the values of integrity and humility, and the importance of displaying confidence without attitude at all times, which have acted as our true-north since day one. As Switzerland is currently losing ground to other jurisdictions as a preferred digital asset hub, it is also our obligation to highlight the need for Switzerland to not ignore the importance of continuous innovation in the financial sector and to continue to attract talent and capital to remain relevant in the long-term. In that way, Sygnum’s mission is only at the very beginning.”

Gerald Goh, Co-Founder and CEO APAC, says: “The successful completion of our Strategic Growth Round is proof of Sygnum’s strong and unique position as a leading regulated financial institution in the global digital asset industry. Offering trusted institutional infrastructure and regulated services for digital assets will continue to be the foundation for Sygnum’s future growth strategy.”

Oleg Mikhalsky, Partner of Fulgur Ventures, adds: “Fulgur is a venture capital firm that continues to drive investment into the accelerating convergence of Bitcoin and institutional financial markets. Sygnum’s market-tested infrastructure, digital asset-native team and global ecosystem makes them the ideal partner to co-develop innovative Bitcoin-related financial products and technologies – as well as for future collaborations with other Fulgur portfolio companies. We are proud to be the cornerstone investor for the final close of Sygnum’s Strategic Growth Round, which coincides with a potential inflection point for Bitcoin’s institutional adoption and regulatory clarity.”

In FY 2024, Sygnum achieved operational profitability and continued to grow its 2,000-strong institutional client base domiciled in over 70 countries, serviced through its regulated operations in Switzerland, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. The group is also regulated in the established global financial hubs of Luxembourg and was recently registered in Liechtenstein.

About Sygnum
Sygnum is a global digital asset banking group, founded on Swiss and Singapore heritage. Sygnum empower professional and institutional investors, banks, corporates and DLT foundations to invest in digital assets with complete trust.The team enables this through our institutional-grade security, expert personal service and portfolio of regulated digital asset banking, asset management, tokenization and B2B services.

16th Meeting of Building and Other Construction Workers (BoCW) Monitoring Committee Reviews Implementation of Social Security Schemes for BoCW

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The 16th Building & Other Construction Workers (BoCW) ‘Monitoring Committee Meeting,’ was chaired by Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment, Smt. Sumita Dawra, on 13th January 2025, in hybrid mode.

The meeting was attended by DG Labour Welfare, other senior officers of the Ministry, Additional Chief Secretary/ Principal Secretaries/ Labour Commissioners, of States/UTs, Secretaries of BoCW Welfare Boards, Central Welfare Commissioners, besides representatives from National Health Authority, and Department of Financial Services. More than 100 participants attended the meeting.Important issues related to (i) amendment to ‘Model Welfare Scheme’ for coverage of registered BoCW Workers under the central social security schemes such as PMJJBY/PMSBY/PM-JAY/PMSYM, (ii) construction of educational institutions/ schools from BoCW Cess Fund, (iii) BoCW data integration/on-boarding with eShram Portal, (iv) CAG Audit and Social Audit, (v) data submission on BoCW MIS Portal, (vii) automatic transfer of benefits to BoCW, etc. were discussed during the meeting.Secretary, Labour & Employment emphasised that the States/UTs take required steps for utilization of cess fund for extending coverage of social security to BoC workers.

It was noted that presently there are around 5.73 Cr workers registered with the BoCW Welfare Boards of various States & UTs across the country, and with the cumulative amount of balance funds available with the Boards as on 30th September 2024, there was ample availability of resources which may be judiciously utilised for the welfare of the BoC workers, duly focussing the uncovered population.

The Secretary, Labour & Employment highlighted, inter-alia, the urgent need for BoCW Welfare Boards to diligently work for providing social security by strengthening registration machinery, API integration of data of BoCW Boards with eShram by all States/ UTs, extending social security benefits to ensure 100% coverage like health, insurance, accidental benefits for all workers, besides leveraging technology to enhance the functioning of the Welfare Boards.Setting up of an effective grievance redressal mechanism, ensuring training of workers in safety measures and modern building techniques, timely payment of minimum wages, besides updation of data on the central MIS portal regarding coverage of BoCW under welfare schemes were emphasized.

During the meeting, Uttarakhand and Assam BOCW Welfare Boards highlighted the good practices of their respective Boards, as part of knowledge sharing.Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Smt Punya Salila Srivastava also participated in the meeting and made an intervention on eradication of Tuberculosis among the construction workers requesting the BoCW Welfare Boards to take part on intensifying the campaign of ‘Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan’ organized by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

In this context, Secretary, M/o L&E requested all State/UT Governments to organise health screenings for BoC workers including migrant workers on campaign mode.

 

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Registration for 8th edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha Concludes with a Record-Breaking over 3.5 Crore Applications

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Registration for 8th edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha Concludes with a Record-Breaking over 3.5 Crore Applications

Registration for the flagship initiative of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Pariksha Pe Charcha (PPC), concluded with a record-breaking over 3.5 crore participation from students, teachers and parents. This is a nationwide movement to transform exam-related stress into a festival of learning and celebration. The 8th edition of PPC 2025 has set an unprecedented milestone in terms of registrations from students, teachers, and parents across India and abroad. This remarkable response underscores the growing resonance of the program as a true Jan Andolan.The online registration for PPC 2025 was hosted on the MyGov.in portal, from 14 December 2024 to 14 January 2025.

The program’s immense popularity highlights its success in addressing the mental well-being of students and fostering a positive outlook towards examinations.The interactive event, organized annually by the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education, has become a much-anticipated celebration of education. The 7th edition of PPC in 2024 was held at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, in a town hall format and received widespread acclaim.In line with the spirit of PPC, a series of engaging school-level activities commenced on 12 January 2025 (National Youth Day) and will continue till 23 January 2025 (Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Jayanti).

The activities aim to foster holistic development and inspire students to celebrate examinations as an Utsav.Through these activities, PPC 2025 reinforces its message of resilience, positivity, and joy in learning, ensuring that education is celebrated as a journey rather than a pressure-driven task.

 

Tata Motors flags off electric buses for workforce transportation in Pantnagar; reiterates its commitment towards carbon neutrality

by Latest UpdatesMirabilia Icons

Tata Motors, India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, today flagged-off a fleet of electric buses dedicated for workforce transportation at its Pantnagar plant in Uttarakhand. These indigenously built, zero-emission buses are equipped with latest features, and powered by advanced battery systems. TML Smart City Mobility Solutions Limited (TSCMSL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Motors, will facilitate this workforce commute with a modern fleet of Tata Ultra 9m electric buses.

Designed to provide a safe, comfortable and convenient commute, this e-bus service will reduce carbon footprint by providing clean and green transport to over 5,000 people and save ~1,100 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. Electricity generated from a 16MW solar energy plant will charge the e-bus fleet, making the entire operation green from end-to-end.

Announcing the launch, Mr. Vishal Badshah, Vice President and Head – Operations, Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles, said, “The introduction of electric buses for workforce commuting marks a significant step forward towards fulfilling Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles’ aspiration of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2045. We are committed to making all our manufacturing facilities green by integrating sustainability across their entire value chain – from sourcing to development and engineering to operations. 

I am delighted to launch this initiative in Pantnagar first as it adds to and acknowledges the successes of the facility’s myriad of sustainability initiatives. This plant is already a certified Zero Waste to Landfill facility and has also received water-positive certification by CII-GBC. The launch of a zero emission, e-fleet service creates another major milestone in the sustainability journey of the plant.”

Powered by a full-electric drivetrain, Tata Ultra EV 9m electric bus is equipped with smart features including regenerative braking system and Intelligent Transport Systems. This deployment builds upon Tata Motors’ remarkable success in India’s electric mass mobility segment, where the company has already deployed over 3,100 electric buses across 10 cities. These buses have cumulatively covered more than 24 crore kilometres with an uptime of over 95%, demonstrating reliability and efficiency of Tata Motors’ electric mass mobility solutions.

 

M&S DRIVES CARBON REDUCTIONS WITH ITS FIRST AUTONOMOUS FIELD TRIAL

by Today's Fables

M&S is announcing the initial results from first retailer run ‘autonomous field’ trial, which will see the retailer selling lower carbon parsnips later this year.  the first retailer to farm and sell a lower carbon vegetable following an ‘autonomous field’ trial.  

In partnership with long-term supplier, Huntapac, the first fully autonomously farmed parsnips will be available in selected M&S stores this November. To create these lower carbon parsnips, the team has brought together all the latest technology to farm with a significantly lower environmental impact. The technology includes two robots for bed forming, planting and weeding, two different types of drone to monitor and maintain crop health, and the latest scientific testing on soil health and carbon impact. Much like when agriculture moved from horse and plough to mechanical tractors, these latest technologies offer a future of farming that will aid farmers, create more highly skilled jobs in the industry and attract new talent. 

The team has adopted a minimum till approach to help keep carbon locked into the soil, a green fertiliser and the new tech, which uses significantly less diesel than a traditional tractor to reduce carbon emissions. The green fertiliser is not only produced with a lower carbon footprint than traditional methods but works by removing nitrogen dioxide from the air and converting it to nitrogen which is used by the plants for photosynthesis. Initial data shows 46% carbon reduction compared to standard methods.  

On top of the carbon impact, the use of the new technology has other benefits including improved quality and quantity of crop yields. AI was used to monitor and improve crop health and autonomous technology can reduce weather impact. For example, in March this year, following the wettest six months in England since 18711, the team were able to get in and plant the field with the autonomous robot which wouldn’t have been possible with a traditional tractor. This has also contributed to an increase in quality and number of parsnips and reduced waste, with a 16% higher yield of grade one vegetables compared to Huntapac’s other parsnip fields.  

The field also includes various measures from M&S’ Farming with Nature programme to improve biodiversity of both wildlife and the soil, including agrisound boxes and wildflower borders. AgriSound technology monitors pollinator numbers with specialist listening devices situated on farm. 

The parsnips are being grown in Yorkshire and will become available in selected M&S stores in November.  

The trial was the first M&S Food project to be funded by the M&S Plan A Net Zero accelerator fund, which the retailer launched to find innovation projects to enable rapid action towards net zero to meet its Plan A goal of being a Net Zero business across its entire supply chain by 2040. 

Andrew Clappen, Technical Director at M&S Food, said: “Innovation is at the heart of M&S Food and our Plan A Accelerator Fund offers us the opportunity to tap into the entrepreneurial spirit of our suppliers. Projects like this help us move towards being a Net Zero business across all our operations and entire supply chain by 2040, whilst focussing on the quality of produce that M&S is famous for. 

Agriculture is one of our biggest contributors to emissions, so it’s important that we find new lower impact farming methods.  Trialling new ways to support our Plan A roadmap to Net Zero is an important step on the journey and this project has helped deliver more parsnips at M&S quality, a carbon reduction and brings together new technologies which if adopted more widely would create more highly skilled jobs and attract new talent into the sector.” 

Stephen Shields, Technical & Sustainability Director at Huntapac, said: “Our 40-year relationship with M&S has gone from strength to strength and we couldn’t have done this project without the Plan A Accelerator Fund. Not only are we seeing a reduction of the carbon impact but more parsnips at higher quality, due to us being able to plant the seeds despite bad weather earlier this year. This would have a fantastic impact on our business at scale and we’re aiming to deliver multiple fields farmed this way for next season.”