- Hosted by famed Indian film and television actor, Mr. Annu Kapoor, the campaign is the first farming related infotainment.
- Campaign features 5 inspiring farmer stories and how they are making a difference to their communities and India’s agriculture landscape.
BASF launched its ‘Wah re Kisan’ campaign (Hindi for
“Salute to farmers”). The campaign is part of the Biggest Job On Earth campaign and seeks to advocate for India’s farmers by highlighting five farmers who are making a difference to their communities and to India’s agricultural landscape.
BASF appointed Mr. Annu Kapoor to host the campaign, and the episodes are telecasted exclusively on BASF’s YouTube & Facebook channel. Prior to the launch of the series, a month-long social media campaign was run to invite farmers to submit their stories, culminating in the selection of five who provided the most inspiring stories for ‘Wah re Kisan’ campaign.
“Farmers deserve more visibility and appreciation. Here in India, with its diverse geography and farming practices, I am delighted to be able to meet the five innovative farmers who are showcased in “Wah Re Kisan” and I hope many more farmers will be inspired to step up as we work with them to seek out a sustainable future for all in agriculture,” said Livio Tedeschi, President, BASF Agricultural Solutions .
- Episode one: The invention of an energy efficient and low-cost solar dryer that helps minimize farmers’ post-harvest crop loss. [Mr. Tushar Gaware from Maharashtra]
- Episode two: The story of a farmer who not only transformed his farmland but his
entire village by introducing integrated farming with innovative practices. [Mr. Manjanna T.K. from Karnataka]
- Episode three: A rice library that has played a significant role in preserving India’s India’s indigenous rice varieties. [Mr. Mahan Chandra Bora from Assam]
- Episode four: How diversified farming helps to tackle water scarcity faced by traditional cropping systems [Mr. Sarwan Singh Chandi from Punjab]
- Episode five: Redefining traditional apple farming with an innovative low chilling apple variety. [Mr. Hariman Sharman from Himachal Pradesh]
”We are excited to launch ‘Wah Re Kisan’ and celebrate the remarkable achievements of farmers across India,” said Giridhar Ranuva, Business Director, BASF Agricultural Solutions, India. ”The campaign has currently reached 35 million on social media, and I believe it is important to bring to attention to the challenges faced by farmers. Through the infotainment episodes, we hope to build conversations around the highly creative efforts of our farmers that many living in the city would easily take for granted as we aren’t involved in how our food is produced.”
The five farmer stories are hosted by famed Indian film and television actor, Mr. Annu Kapoor and available here: BASF Agro India – YouTube. In the coming months of 2025, BASF plans to feature new farmers with different stories in season two of ‘Wah re Kisan’.
About BASF’s Agricultural Solutions division
Everything we do, we do for the love of farming. Farming is fundamental to provide enough healthy and affordable food for a rapidly growing population, while reducing environmental impacts. That’s why we are working with partners and experts to integrate sustainability criteria into all business decisions. With €900 million in 2023, we continue to invest in a strong R&D pipeline, combining innovative thinking with practical action in the field. Our solutions are purpose-designed for different crop systems. Connecting seeds and traits, crop protection products, digital tools, and sustainability approaches, to help deliver the best possible outcomes for farmers, growers, and our other stakeholders along the value chain. With teams in the lab, field, office and in production, we do everything in our power to build a sustainable future for agriculture. In 2023, our division generated sales of €10.1 billion. For more information, please visit www.agriculture.basf.com or our social media channels.
About BASF in India
BASF has successfully partnered India’s progress for more than 130 years. As of the end of 2023, BASF had 2,335 employees in India with 8 production sites and 42 offices throughout the country. The Innovation Campus Mumbai and the Coatings Technical Center in Mangalore are both part of
BASF’s global technology platform. In 2023, BASF registered sales of approximately €2.4 billion to customers in India. Further information is available on www.basf.com/in.
