Raghuveer Nandam

Former software engineer and film maker

Topic: Seeds and Seed Conservation

Madhu Reddy

Raghuveer, a former software engineer with an M.S. in Software Engineering from BITS Pilani, transitioned from a five-year IT career to pursue his passion for filmmaking. Alongside his cinematic endeavors, he embarked on growing and preserving native paddy varieties in Penamaluru village of Krishna district, inspired by Dr. Debal Deb, an activist for the conservation of endangered paddy varieties. Raghuveer is currently dedicated to establishing community seed banks in the Telugu states, under the slogan'One Seed Revolution'—facilitating seed exchange without monetary transactions. His experiences formed the basis for two forthcoming books. His impactful work was acknowledged with the esteemed ‘Plant Genome Savior Farmer’ Award by the President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, in New Delhi on September 12, 2023. He has been recognized with awards such as ‘Best Farmer Awards’ from Mahaa News, Go-Adharitha Prakruthi Vyasayadharula Sangam, and Raithunestham Foundation in Andhra Pradesh.