The Department of Agricultural Engineering, Paavai Engineering College, Namakkal, successfully organized the two-day Paavai Velaan Tiruvizha 2026 at Anandha Arangam on February 3 and 4, 2026, with the objective of promoting sustainable, technology-driven, and farmer-centric agricultural development, witnessing active participation from farmers, scientists, academicians, agri-entrepreneurs, startups, and students. The programme commenced (03.02.2026) with a welcome address by Dr. K. K. Ramasamy, Director – Administration, Paavai Institutions, followed by the Presidential Address by CA N. V. Natarajan, Chairman, Paavai Institutions, who emphasized the integration of modern technologies with traditional farming practices for Nation development, after which the Chief Guest, Mrs. S. Malliga, Joint Director of Agriculture, Namakkal, delivered her address presenting detailed statistics on the farming scenario in Namakkal district, government schemes, and major initiatives beneficial to farmers, and an inspiring address by Mrs. Mangai Natarajan, Correspondent, Paavai Institutions, highlighting inclusive growth and youth involvement in agriculture. This was followed by special technical talks by invited experts for farmers and students. Subsequently, the stall inauguration was held at the nearby venue, Pragathi Hall and was formally inaugurated by the Chief Guest, who visited various stalls showcasing agricultural inputs, value-added products, solar dryers and panels, agricultural machinery, drones, and other innovations, with more than 75 entrepreneurs and startups exhibiting their products; notably, Paavai Engineering College student startups demonstrated Paavai Organic Farming (Neem Plus Pesticide), Ecofit Bio-manure, and an Android-based agricultural mobile application. A major attraction of the festival was the technology stalls and live demonstrations, which provided farmers with hands-on exposure, direct expert interaction, and opportunities to explore income-enhancing innovations, while students benefited from experiential learning beyond classrooms. Dr. P. Venkatachalam, Retired Professor, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and Bio-energy Expert, delivered a lecture on the future of agriculture and climate change adaptation strategies, followed by Mr. A. Vijaykumar, Retired Superintendent Engineer, Agricultural Engineering Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, who spoke on the transformation of agriculture through farm mechanization and recent innovations in agricultural engineering. In the post-lunch session, Mr. RM. Subramanian, Retired Joint Director of Agriculture, Erode, emphasized the importance of value addition in agricultural produce to enhance farmers’ income and explained the available techniques and machinery, while the final speaker of the day, Mr. A. Theri Rajan, Managing Director, ATR Solar India, Madurai, elaborated on the role of solar dryers in value addition, detailing their design, technical specifications, construction, installation, and marketing. The first day concluded with traditional cultural performances by students themed on heritage, food practices, and healthy lifestyles. On February 4, 2026, the programmecommenced with a welcome address by Dr. K. K. Ramasamy, followed by the Presidential Address by CA N. V. Natarajan, who highlighted the vital role of farmers in ensuring food safety and food security, after which the Chief Guest, Mr. Karthikeya Sivasenapathy, Chairman, Non-Resident Tamils Welfare Board, and Managing Trustee, SenaapathyKangayam Cattle Research Foundation, delivered an insightful address on the historical significance of Jallikattu and native cattle breeds, stressing the need to conserve indigenous breeds for quality livestock development and farmer welfare, and an address by Mrs. Mangai Natarajan, emphasizing women’s role in agriculture, entrepreneurship, and empowerment. An MoU was signed between the Department of Agricultural Engineering, Paavai Engineering College, and the SenaapathyKangayam Cattle Research Foundation to promote research collaboration, faculty development programmes, student exposure visits, and knowledge exchange. Experts sessions continued with Mr. Selva Murali, Founder and CEO, Agrisakthi, who spoke on climate change impacts, traditional timekeeping in the Tamil calendar, and introduced farmer-friendly Tamil-language digital solutions recognized among Google’s top Android applications, followed by Mr. R. Sudar Shanmugasundaram, a traditional seed conservator from Puducherry, who highlighted the importance of preserving native seed varieties to avoid corporate dependency and ensure poison-free food, displaying several traditional seed collections. In the afternoon session, Dr. K. Velmurugan, Professor and Head, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Namakkal, explained precision farming techniques in horticulture, productivity enhancement strategies, and the role of KVK in technology transfer, while Mrs. S. Padmavathi, Executive Engineer, Agricultural Engineering Department, Namakkal, along with Mr. R. Balaji, Assistant Engineer, explained government schemes, seed-to-seed mechanization practices, machinery availability, and demonstrated the Uzhavan App for booking farm machinery at subsidized rates. The programme concluded with a Vote of Thanks delivered by the Student Secretary (Agricultural Engineering), expressing gratitude to the management, speakers, farmers, students, organizers, and volunteers. The Paavai Velaan Tiruvizha 2026 emerged as a comprehensive knowledge-sharing platform that successfully blended traditional wisdom with modern science and engineering, reinforcing Paavai Engineering College’s commitment to farmer empowerment, sustainable agriculture, and rural development.
