On 5th May 2025, Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways inaugurated a Biochar Centre of Excellence promoting Rural Entrepreneurship at Kanha Shanti Vanam – the headquarters of Heartfulness Institute, which houses the largest meditation centre in the world, in the outskirts of Hyderabad.
The Biochar Centre of Excellence promoting Rural Entrepreneurship, an initiative by Heartfulness Institute and PayPal was inaugurated by Nitin Gadkari – Minister for Road Transport and Highways in the gracious presence of Kamesh Patel (Daaji)— President Founder & Guide of Heartfulness Institute along with Nath Parameshwaran, Senior Director at PayPal.
The Centre has been established to provide skill development, and capacity building for rural entrepreneurs in villages for biochar. The initiative aims to encourage women and youth entrepreneurs to set up biochar units, produce biochar, and distribute it to farmers as part of a rural business model. The Centre of Excellence will also offer an end-to-end experience of how biochar is produced, processed, and applied to the soil, enabling participants to visually study and understand its impact on crops, soil, and forests.
Nitin Gadkari – Minister for Road Transport and Highways said, “Small businesses, rural entrepreneurs and farmers form the backbone of India’s economy. This unique initiative brings entrepreneurs and farmers together to equip them with modern agricultural technologies and know-how on farming.”
“We want our farmer community to have superior yield, better income, make agriculture dependable and provide economic opportunities for small rural entrepreneurs in the villages. With the Biochar Centre of Excellence and promoting Rural Entrepreneurship at Heartfulness, we are sure to make India more self-reliant in agriculture. This is a wonderful initiative, and we hope that rural entrepreneurs and farmers will benefit from this initiative,” he added.
“We must be wise in how we produce crops - not only by adopting modern techniques but also by being sensitive to soil health and nutrition. A Centre of Excellence like this will train rural entrepreneurs, farmers, and agriculturists in sustainable farming, helping them adopt biochar as an effective carbon-sequestering agent for better plant survival rates and afforestation. Our vision is to establish a biochar unit in every village in the country for the benefit of all,” added Kamlesh Patel (Daaji) – Founder & Global Guide of Heartfulness Institute.
Nath Parameshwaran from PayPal said, “Helping small businesses and entrepreneurs thrive is a key priority for PayPal globally and in India. We are delighted to partner with Heartfulness Institute in this unique initiative, which aligns with the Skill India vision of Prime Minister Modi. The Centre of Excellence for Rural Entrepreneurship aims to provide economic and upskilling opportunities for rural entrepreneurs, boost farmer incomes, and protect the environment with use of bio-char.”
