Dr Neelam Patel

Senior Adviser, NITI Aayog (Agriculture and Allied sectors)

Dr Neelam Patel currently works with NITI Aayog, an Indian think tank, as a Senior Adviser in the Agriculture and allied sectors. Dr Patel has worked extensively on developing policy and strategy papers on precision farming technologies, hi-tech horticulture, agroecology, capacity-building for different stakeholders, and empowering women. She is currently a Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers, and the Indian Society of Soil and Water Conservation. She has received several awards and honours, including the Panjabrao Deshmukh Outstanding Woman Scientist Award in 2015, hosted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, and the Watsave annual award for Young Professional of the International Commission on Irrigation & Drainage in 2006, the Gyan Vigyan Puraskar in 2004 from the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Siksha Puruskar in 2006 from the Ministry of Human Resources Development.

Previously, Dr Patel joined the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in 1997 as a scientist, where she worked for 18 years. She has a PhD from ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. As a respected expert in the sector, Dr Patel has developed syllabus content for the integration of natural farming in BSc and MSc courses, experiential learning programmes, and certification courses at the four Gujarat State Agricultural Universities.