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By:

Parashram Patil

14 January 2026 at 8:49:45 pm

Crops of Conflict

As water and climate become instruments of geopolitical leverage, India has an opportunity to turn agricultural resilience into a new form of South-South diplomacy. Climate change is making an old truth harder to ignore: food security is national security. As water becomes scarcer, harvests more erratic and trade policies more protectionist, agriculture is moving from the margins of geopolitics to its centre. Nowhere is this clearer than in Africa, where fragile food systems intersect with...

Crops of Conflict

As water and climate become instruments of geopolitical leverage, India has an opportunity to turn agricultural resilience into a new form of South-South diplomacy. Climate change is making an old truth harder to ignore: food security is national security. As water becomes scarcer, harvests more erratic and trade policies more protectionist, agriculture is moving from the margins of geopolitics to its centre. Nowhere is this clearer than in Africa, where fragile food systems intersect with contested rivers, conflict and disrupted supply chains. For India, this presents not merely a humanitarian challenge but an opportunity to practise a more strategic form of food diplomacy. Clear Warning The Nile basin offers the clearest warning. Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia depend heavily on the river, directly or indirectly, for agriculture and livelihoods. Egypt obtains roughly 90-95 percent of its water from the Nile, with most of its withdrawals going to agriculture. Wheat, rice, maize and cotton are therefore inseparable from the country's water security. Sudan is similarly dependent on the Main Nile and its Blue and White Nile tributaries for crops including sorghum, wheat, cotton and sugarcane. Ethiopia, by contrast, relies much more heavily on rain-fed agriculture, but the Blue Nile remains crucial to its plans for agricultural and economic expansion. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has transformed this already delicate equation. The Blue Nile supplies roughly 85 percent of the Nile's runoff, giving Ethiopia substantial geographical leverage upstream. Egypt and Sudan, downstream and more dependent on the river, have consequently viewed the dam through the prism of food and water security. The dispute has its roots partly in the 1959 agreement that allocated Nile waters between Egypt and Sudan, but the rise of Ethiopia as a major upstream power has altered the political balance. The stakes are enormous. A disruption to water availability is not simply an environmental problem when millions depend on irrigated agriculture. It can affect food prices, livelihoods, migration and political stability. Across the basin, the consequences potentially extend to hundreds of millions of people. The lesson is straightforward: rivers can become geopolitical infrastructure, and crops can become strategic assets. Critical Role This is where India can play a useful role. Its longstanding diplomatic, commercial and maritime links with Africa give it an established platform. Its experience in producing wheat, rice and millets, meanwhile, gives it something more tangible: the ability to contribute to food-supply resilience. Egypt, for instance, remains heavily dependent on imports and is projected to require around 13 million tonnes of wheat imports to bridge its consumption gap. Sudan’s agricultural crisis is still more acute. Conflict and climate stress have sharply reduced cereal production, leaving output well below recent historical averages. India could therefore build food diplomacy around two complementary tracks. The first is supply. Predictable grain arrangements and strategic food buffers could help vulnerable countries absorb shocks in international markets. The second is technology. India's experience with micro-irrigation, precision farming and water-use efficiency offers tools that may help African farmers produce more with less water. The Per Drop More Crop component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana is one example. Drip irrigation, improved canal management, seepage reduction and precision agriculture cannot resolve a dispute over the Nile, but they can reduce the amount of water required to produce a given crop. For this to become a durable strategy, however, India will need to move beyond individual projects. Bilateral agricultural agreements with African countries could be converted into longer-term trade corridors and grain-supply arrangements. Multilateral platforms, including BRICS, could provide mechanisms for greater transparency in food distribution and market stabilisation. Seed exchanges could focus on drought-tolerant millets, biofortified wheat and heat-resistant maize suited to increasingly volatile climates. Indian private enterprise could be brought into this architecture. Agritech startups and Farmer-Producer Organisations could be encouraged to enter African markets through export-linked grants, incubation programmes and risk-sharing mechanisms. EXIM Bank credit lines and export guarantees could reduce the financial risks of deploying solar cold chains, irrigation systems and agricultural technologies in politically volatile markets. Public-private partnerships could also help Indian firms adapt AI-based crop advisory systems and IoT-enabled water sensors to African soils and farming practices. The larger opportunity is strategic. India’s relationship with Africa need not be confined to trade, infrastructure or diplomatic declarations. Agriculture offers a practical form of South-South cooperation in which food, technology and water efficiency reinforce one another. (The writer is a member of Maharashtra Agriculture Price Commission. Views personal.

‘Revolutionising the Future of Work’

Swapnil R Mishra
Jan 3, 2025
3 min read

Sreenivas Tirdhala, Co-Founder of iSprout, talks about co-working spaces

Sreenivas Tirdhala

Mumbai: As the modern workplace continues to evolve, coworking spaces are becoming increasingly popular among entrepreneurs, startups, and large corporations alike. iSprout, a leading player in the Indian coworking market, is redefining the future of work with its innovative approach to shared office spaces. In an exclusive interview, Sreenivas Tirdhala, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of iSprout, shares insights into the company's vision, growth strategy, and what sets it apart from other coworking spaces in the market."


Q. What motivated the founders of iSprout to start the company, and how did they envision transforming the co-working real estate market?

A. iSprout's founders were inspired by the changing dynamics of the modern workplace. We saw a gap in the market for workspaces that combined flexibility, convenience and community to professional infrastructure. Our vision is to redefine coworking in personal service and premium design and promote a sense of belonging among tenants. The main goal is to make iSprout more than just an office space a center for innovation, collaboration and business growth.

Q. What challenges did iSprout face when it was first starting, and how did the team overcome them?

A. In its early days, iSprout faced challenges such as limited market awareness, Competition from famous players, and the complexity of setting up a large office space, including the spread of COVID-19 This has caused unprecedented disruption Operations interrupted and changing workspace needs. The team overcame these obstacles by focusing on customer-centric solutions, building a strong base of operations and creating partnerships with key industry players attention to detail adaptability and resilience during the pandemic have given us a strong foothold in the market, and become a reliable service provider of innovative office solutions.

Q. What are iSprout’s plans for expanding to new cities or regions?

A. iSprout is strategically expanding its presence in metropolitan areas and tier 2 cities with high growth potential and increasing demand for flexible office space. With focuses on premium locations, and plans to add 1 million square feet of new workspace in Hyderabad and aims to replicate this success in cities like Chennai, Pune, Bangalore, Kolkata and Kochi. Our expansion strategy focuses on scalability while maintaining the brand's unique identity and commitment to excellence.

Q. Has iSprout raised any funding so far, or are there plans to seek investment shortly to fuel expansion and growth?

A. iSprout, on the other hand, relies heavily on strategic partnerships and internal fundraising the founders are also open to outside funding to accelerate growth and scale operations. The plan is to find investments that align with long-term vision and bring innovative solutions to the coworking market.

Q. What differentiates iSprout from other co-working spaces in the market?

A. iSprout stands out with its focus on premium design, personalized service and promoting a strong community culture. Unlike traditional co-working spaces, iSprout tailors its offerings to meet its clients' specific needs. From ergonomically designed workstations to integrated technology solutions and dynamic environments, iSprout provides a holistic experience that goes beyond just an office space.

Q. How does iSprout identify and select locations for its co-working spaces?

A. iSprout takes a data-driven approach to selecting locations, analyzing factors such as business centres, connectivity, local amenities, and market needs. The team works closely with real estate experts (IPC/DPC/Local brokers) and prioritizes locations that align with target demographics and long-term strategic goals.


Q. What unique amenities and services does iSprout provide to its tenants?

A. iSprout offers complete amenities such as high-speed internet, tech-enabled meeting rooms, wellness zones, gourmet cafeterias, and premium lounges, All this is complemented by a specially designed interior which reflects the customer's brand identity. In addition to flexibility and convenience, iSprout reinforces that offering dynamic workspace options that allow tenants to use more than a fixed desk and choose a space that suits their needs, such as a breakout area, phone booth, or co-working space. With a dedicated team of experienced tenants that seamlessly manage all operational needs, iSprout ensures that businesses can focus on growing in a personalized professional environment.


Q. Can you share any data or milestones that highlight iSprout’s growth and success?

A. iSprout has established itself as a top 10 player in the Indian-managed office space sector, with operations in 6 cities and 23 centres. The company has successfully added 2.2 million square feet of workspace and expects to expand by another 1 million square feet soon. One of the standout innovations is the Airport Coworking Centre, which is Specially designed for travellers. With high customer retention rates and continued expansion, iSprout continues to grow in a highly competitive market.

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