New Delhi/Bengaluru, Sep 30 (IANS): Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, H.D. Kumaraswamy, on Wednesday said the Centre has approved procurement of sunflower, moong and soybean under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) for the Kharif 2026-27 season in Karnataka.
In a statement, Kumaraswamy said the government has approved the procurement of 13,413 metric tonnes (MT) of sunflower, 38,250 MT of moong and 1,15,500 MT of soybean from Karnataka farmers.
He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for their “responsive and farmer-centric approach” towards the growers of Karnataka.
Kumaraswamy said the approvals would provide important support to farmers through procurement at the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
The Centre’s approval is expected to facilitate the procurement of the three Kharif crops under the PSS and provide farmers with support for their produce at the MSP.
Meanwhile, Kumaraswamy on Wednesday unveiled and digitally launched the Impact Report of the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) Industry Accelerator Project at Navigyaan 2026 in New Delhi, marking an important milestone in the development and advancement of indigenous technologies for India’s mobility and manufacturing sectors.
Addressing the gathering, Kumaraswamy said the event marked the conclusion of the MHI Industry Accelerator Project and highlighted the importance of building domestic technological and manufacturing capabilities.
“The Government of India under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji, has placed strong emphasis on building domestic technological and manufacturing capabilities,” he said.
The Minister said that the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat requires India to move beyond being a large market for advanced technologies and develop the capacity to manufacture and export them.
“The vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat calls for an India that is not only a large market for advanced technologies, but also a country that develops, manufactures and exports those,” Kumaraswamy said.
Highlighting the scale of support extended under the Scheme for Enhancement of Competitiveness in the Indian Capital Goods Sector – Phase II, he said the scheme has a total financial outlay of ₹1,207 crore and aims to support common technology development and services infrastructure. Under the scheme, 33 projects have been approved.
The MHI Industry Accelerator Programme, one of these initiatives, provided ₹35.72 crore in Grant-in-Aid for 10 technologies, with the objective of supporting their progression from Technology Readiness Level 3 to Level 9.
Kumaraswamy noted that the technologies supported under the programme cover several areas of future mobility, including electric powertrains, high-voltage motor control and energy storage. An important outcome, he said, has been the movement of technologies from early-stage prototypes towards commercially viable products.
Emphasising the importance of collaboration in technology development, the Minister said government, industry, research institutions, academia, startups and institutions such as ARAI each have an important role in strengthening the innovation ecosystem.
“Government can provide the policy framework and targeted support. Industry brings market understanding and manufacturing capability. Research and academic institutions contribute knowledge and technology. Startups bring new ideas and agility,” he said.
He further underlined the role of institutions such as ARAI in bridging the gap between technology development, validation and industry adoption.
Kumaraswamy said that as India moves towards Viksit Bharat@2047, the focus must remain on developing capabilities within the country and taking Indian technologies to international markets.
