Vanchinathan Ravichandran

V. Ravichandran is a third-generation farmer from India who has been farming for more than 39 years. On his 60-acre farm, he grows paddy, sugarcane, cotton, pulses, fruits, and vegetables, using irrigation technologies, mechanization, and science-based practices to improve productivity, conserve water, and address labor challenges. He is the recipient of the 2013 Kleckner Global Farm Leader Award from the Global Farmer Network.

Ravichandran serves as a board member of the Global Farmer Network and is Vice President and an active member of Viksit Kissan Manch, formerly the Indian Farmers Network. He founded the United Progressive Farmers Forum to help farmers aggregate resources, connect with consuming industries, and create stronger market opportunities. He has also been selected as State Chairman for the All India Agricultural Students Association farmers cell, Kisan Kalyan Manch, in Tamil Nadu.

A strong proponent of agricultural technology, Ravichandran advocates for environmentally sustainable farming methods, farm mechanization, women’s empowerment in agriculture, biotechnology, artificial intelligence for early pest and disease diagnosis, and farmer-to-farmer cooperation. He is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Transformation Leaders Network, New Vision for Agriculture, and served for three years on the Bayer Crop Science Global Farm Advisory Board, concluding in June 2024.

Ravichandran has advised the Wadhwani Foundation for Artificial Intelligence on development of an AI-based app to help forewarn cotton pests, a project recognized through Google’s AI for Social Good program. He has also served on the organizing committee for Advanced Technology for Plant Breeding Research – 5F Farming and as a member of the Confederation of Indian Industry Tamil Nadu Agri and Food Processing Panel for 2021–22.

Through virtual workshops, village-level meetings, social media, radio, television, and writing in Tamil and English, Ravichandran works to bridge gaps between farmers, markets, policymakers, scientists, and consumers. His work has emphasized e-marketing, irrigation management in rice, pulse productivity, lower water and carbon footprints, and the responsible use of science-based farm technologies. He is a science graduate of Madras University and has completed certification courses in farming technology, including sugarcane and cotton cultivation through Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.