NABARD Karnataka Celebrates its 45th Foundation Day in Bengaluru

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) celebrated its 45th Foundation Day on 17th July 2026 at NABARD Tower, Bengaluru. Commemorating over four decades of dedicated service to the nation.The event was themed “International Year of Women farmers,” reflecting NABARD’s focus on empowering women farmers through recognition, empowerment and equal access to resources for sustainable rural development.

The function was graced by the presence of Shri Ritesh Kumar Singh IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Finance, Government of Karnataka, as the Chief Guest. Other dignitaries included Dr. Vishal R IAS, Secretary (Fiscal Reforms), GoK; Dr. M V Venkatesh IAS, Registrar of Cooperative Societies, GoK; Shri B.K Pavithra (KES), Secretary to Government, Minor Irrigation and Ground Water department, GoK; Smt. Kaya Tripathi, Regional Director, RBI, Smt. Joohi Smita Sinha, CGM, SBI;Dr. Giridhar Parvatam, Director CSIR-CFTRI;SLBC, Senior Bankers; representatives from Government, members of banking fraternity, farmers, NGOs, and other development stakeholders.

The ceremonial proceedings included an invocation, lighting of the traditional lamp, and a welcome address by Dr. Ashutosh Kumar, General Manager, NABARD.

In his address, Dr. Surendra Babu, Chief General Manager, Karnataka Regional Office, outlined the journey of NABARD since its inception. He briefed the significant achievements of NABARD, Karnataka Regional Office during the financial year 2025–26. He informed that the total business operations in the State reached an all-time high of more than ₹32,500 crore, which included ₹25,327 crore in refinance assistance to banks and cooperative institutions, ₹4,714 crore in infrastructure finance to the State Government, and ₹2,115 crore in direct refinance to District Central Cooperative Banks. He further announced that NABARD had projected a credit potential of ₹4.99 lakh crore forpriority sector in Karnataka for the financial year 2026–27, aligning with SLBC’s Annual Credit Plan.

He elaborated on the contributions of NABARD to rural infrastructure through the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) and NABARD Infrastructure Development Assistance (NIDA). Since inception, 41,489 projects have been completed under RIDF in Karnataka, resulting in the creation of irrigation potential for 5.64 lakh hectares, construction of 45,972 kilometres of rural roads, constructing 58,874 meters of Rural Bridges, providing infrastructure for 13,480 Rural Educational Institutions, 338 Public Health Institutions, 317 Raita SamparkKendras, infrastructure for marketing silkworm cocoons, improving coverage under micro irrigation, ensuring drinking water supply in rural areas, improved infrastructure for Anganwadis, smart class rooms etc. In 2025-26 alone, over ₹1,940 crore was sanctioned under RIDF and ₹5,500 crore under NIDA.

In addition to strengthening conventional rural infrastructure, NABARD has played a catalytic role in advancing Karnataka’s green growth agenda through its Green Lending Facility, which provides direct lending support for environmentally sustainable projects across sectors. Under this initiative, a loan of ₹180 crore was sanctioned to TruAlt Gas Pvt. Ltd. for establishing three compressed biogas plants in Bagalkot and Belagavi districts, promoting waste-to-energy solutions and a circular economy in agriculture.

NABARD also participated with ₹485 crore in a consortium loan for a 100 MW wind–solar hybrid renewable energy project promoted by Project Eleven Renewable Power Pvt. Ltd. of the Ayana Renewable Power Group, with wind generation capacity located in Gadag district. Further, NABARD sanctioned a term loan of ₹314.61 crore for the development of a 70 MW (AC) / 97 MW (DC) solar power plant by KMF Nandini Avaada KN Pvt. Ltd. in Kalaburagi district.

Collectively, these investments are contributing to clean energy generation, rural industrial development, and Karnataka’s transition towards a climate-resilient and sustainable growth pathway.

NABARD’s digital outreach and financial inclusion efforts were also spotlighted. More than 400 micro-ATMs were deployed to enhance last-mile banking access. A notable achievement under rural connectivity, during the year 2025-26 ₹191.82 lakh was sanctioned to Karnataka Grameena Bank for installation of HTS VSAT/SD WAN in 556 branches with poor connectivity. Enabled connectivity in 1,408 rural branches (Tier 5 & Tier 6 locations) with cumulative grant support of ₹486.10 lakh, enhancing access to banking services in underserved areas.Over 2100 Financial and Digital Literacy (FIDGI) programs were also conducted to educate rural populations on banking, digital payments, and responsible borrowing.

Under the PACS Computerization Project, 4299 out of 5,491 PACS in Karnataka have gone live on a common ERP platform, significantly enhancing operational transparency and service delivery.

Delivering the keynote address, Ritesh Kumar Singh IAS, commended NABARD for its multifaceted developmental interventions in the areas of rural infrastructure, agriculture and rural development in the State. He congratulated NABARD for its four and a half decades of transformative contribution to rural India and Karnataka. He highlighted NABARD’s pivotal role in strengthening agriculture, rural infrastructure, women’s empowerment, Self-Help Groups, watershed and tribal development, and digitalization initiatives, which have significantly advanced inclusive and sustainable rural development. Emphasizing the Foundation Day theme aligned with the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026, he lauded NABARD’s efforts in empowering women farmers, artisans, and entrepreneurs through skill development, financial inclusion, and producer organizations. He reaffirmed the Government of Karnataka’s commitment to partnering with NABARD in building a resilient, climate-smart, and prosperous rural economy, and expressed confidence that NABARD will continue to play a vital role in realizing the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.

A significant moment during the celebrations was the release of two booklets titled “Transformative role of NABARD in Karnataka’s Cooperative sector,”and “Unit Cost Booklet for the Investment Credit Activities 2026”.

Dr. Vishal R IAS, Secretary, Department of Finance (Fiscal Reforms), GoK, congratulated NABARD on its 45th Foundation Day and commended its significant contribution to rural development, agricultural transformation and financial inclusion.He highlighted NABARD’s pivotal role in supporting Karnataka’s growth through enhanced rural credit planning, women’s empowerment initiatives, strengthening of Self-Help Groups, digitalisation of cooperative institutions, and investments in rural and economic infrastructure through RIDF and NIDA. Emphasising the significance of the International Year of Women Farmers, he acknowledged NABARD’s efforts in promoting women-led livelihoods and entrepreneurship. He also noted NABARD’s support towards key infrastructure and development projects in the State, including industrial and power sector investments, and reaffirmed the Government of Karnataka’s commitment to deepening its partnership with NABARD to advance sustainable agriculture, resilient rural livelihoods, inclusive growth and the vision of a prosperous rural Karnataka.

Dr. Venkatesh M V IAS, Registrar of Cooperative Societies, GoKcongratulated NABARD on its 45th Foundation Day and appreciated its transformative contribution to rural development and the cooperative sector. Highlighting NABARD’s pivotal role in strengthening cooperative credit institutions, promoting women’s empowerment, supporting PACS computerisation, and advancing initiatives such as Multipurpose PACS and the PACS Accelerator Programme, he noted that NABARD has been a key partner in improving governance, digitalisation and financial inclusion across Karnataka. Reaffirming the State Government’s appreciation for NABARD’s continued support, he expressed confidence that the partnership would further strengthen the cooperative movement and contribute to inclusive rural prosperity under the vision of Sahakar Se Samriddhi.

In her address, Smt. Kaya Tripathi, Regional Director, RBI, applauded NABARD’s sustained efforts in promoting inclusive finance, climate resilience, and cooperative banking reforms. Emphasizing the significance of the International Year of Women Farmers, she highlighted the critical role of women farmers in strengthening rural economies and achieving sustainable agricultural growth. She further underscored the importance of integrating NABARD’s credit planning frameworks with district and state-level development strategies to ensure efficient credit delivery and greater financial inclusion, particularly for women-led agricultural enterprises and rural livelihoods.

In her address, Smt. Joohi Smita, Chief General Manager, State Bank of India, congratulated NABARD on its 45th Foundation Day and appreciated its pivotal role in promoting sustainable agriculture, rural infrastructure, and inclusive rural development. She underscored the importance of stronger collaboration among financial institutions to enhance credit flow, foster innovation in the agriculture sector, and empower rural communities. She also commended NABARD’s initiatives towards women-led development and extended her best wishes for the institution’s continued success in advancing rural prosperity.

Dr. Giridhar Parvatam, Director, CSIR–CFTRI, congratulated NABARD on its 45th Foundation Day and highlighted the strong synergy between finance and technology in transforming Indian agriculture. He emphasised that while NABARD provides the financial impetus for rural development, institutions like CSIR–CFTRI contribute scientific innovations and food processing technologies that enhance value addition, reduce post-harvest losses and improve farmers’ incomes. Referring to the collaborative “Farmers’ Training and Common Facility Centres for Agro Processing” project in Kalyana Karnataka, he reaffirmed CSIR–CFTRI’s commitment to providing technical support for scientific processing, quality assurance, product standardisation and entrepreneurship development.

In a major boost to agri-processing and value-addition in Kalyana Karnataka, NABARD exchanged MoU with CSIR-CFTRI, Mysuru, for delivering advanced technical support, technology transfer, product development and capacity-building interventions across seven district-level Farmers Training and Common Facility Centres.

To mark the international year of women farmers, five women farmers from Dharwad, Davangere, Tumkur, Mysuru &Chitradurga districts of Karnataka were felicitated for their pivotal role in ensuring food security, preserving agri-biodiversity, and driving rural economic growth.

Also, during the celebration, NABARD felicitated three District Development Managers (DDMs) from Dharwad, Dakshina Kannada, and Uttara Kannada districts in recognition of their exemplary commitment, leadership, and impactful field-level initiatives in promoting agriculture and rural development. Their efforts in strengthening community institutions, fostering stakeholder convergence, and enhancing the outreach and effectiveness of NABARD’s developmental programmes during FY 2025–26 were specially acknowledged.

The programme concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Smt. Tarunnum Azmi, Deputy General Manager, highlighting NABARD’s reaffirmed commitment to work in close partnership with the Government of Karnataka, financial institutions, grassroots organizations, and civil society to realize the vision of a resilient and prosperous rural Karnataka. As the institution enters its 46th year of service, NABARD remains steadfast in its mission to empower rural communities, promote entrepreneurship, and foster inclusive economic transformation across the State.