Dr. B. Navaneetham

Dr. B. Navaneetham is an Assistant Professor in Agribusiness Management with an interdisciplinary academic and professional background spanning agribusiness, agricultural economics, entrepreneurship, value chains, sustainability, digital agriculture, and rural development. She holds a B.Tech. in Agricultural Information Technology, MBA in Agribusiness Management, and PhD in Agribusiness Management from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore. She received the UGC-NFOBC Fellowship (2015–2017) for her doctoral research in Agribusiness Management. Her doctoral research focused on Farmer Producer Companies and their contribution to agricultural sustainability and rural development. Since 2020, she has been serving as an Assistant Professor at Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, where she teaches agriculture, agribusiness, and entrepreneurship-related courses, mentors students and researchers, and contributes to innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives as an Entrepreneurship Coordinator and AICTE and Ministry of Education-approved Innovation Ambassador.

Dr. Navaneetham has developed a research profile centred on sustainable agribusiness systems, agricultural value chains, entrepreneurship, renewable energy, technology adoption, circular economy, rural development, gender equity, social inclusion, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She has served as Project Director for the ICSSR-funded project, “Assessing the Socio-Economic Impact of Solar-Powered Technologies in Tamil Nadu’s Agricultural Landscape,” sanctioned with a grant of ₹10 lakh. Her earlier research and professional experience includes the EU-funded Veg-i-Trade project, agribusiness incubation, Farmer Producer Companies, agricultural sustainability, solar water pumps, digitalisation, agricultural marketing, microfinance technology adoption, and supply-chain management. Her scholarly contributions include 16 research articles, 9 book chapters, 13 conference presentations, 12 trainings/workshops, and 3 laboratory manuals, with publications in indexed and peer-reviewed outlets.

Beyond teaching and research, Dr. Navaneetham has actively contributed to entrepreneurship development, capacity building, innovation, and academic outreach. She has organised and delivered training programmes, workshops, webinars, expert lectures, and student entrepreneurship initiatives, including a MANAGE-funded programme on Horticulture Value Chain Management for Agripreneurs. Her professional achievements have been recognised through awards and fellowships, including the Young Researcher Award (2021), Best Research Paper Award, Best Master’s Thesis Award, and National Venture Contest recognition. Her career reflects a sustained commitment to integrating agriculture, technology, markets, entrepreneurship, and sustainability to strengthen farmers, agribusiness organisations, rural entrepreneurs, and future agricultural professionals.