CBC Launches Agriculture & Food Industries Hub and Welcomes Sampath Kumar, CEO of FEST‑Group & Feston Solar, as Co-Chair In Charge of Strategic Partnerships & Zero-Emission Agriculture Ecosystem
- Tomasz CleanTech Business Club
- Jul 30
- 4 min read
We are thrilled to announce our strategic expansion in the agriculture and CleanTech space by welcoming Mr. Sampath Kumar, CEO of FEST‑Group and Feston Solar, into the CBC Leadership Family as an Elite Member. He now takes the helm as CBC Co‑Chair of the Agriculture & Food Industries Hub (In Charge of Strategic Partnerships & Zero‑Emission Agriculture Ecosystem Development).
At the same time, his company Feston Solar becomes a CBC Premium Corporate Business Partner.
Launch of the CBC Agriculture & Food Industries Hub
This marks the official launch of CBC’s new Agriculture & Food Industries Hub — a global collaboration platform uniting leaders across continents to drive agri-food transformation through CleanTech, Clean Water, and Clean Hydrogen. As we stand at the intersection of climate resilience, circular economies, and rural prosperity, this is a milestone moment for CBC, its members, and the planet.
Why This Matters Globally
Food Security in a Climate-Disrupted World
Climate-smart agriculture — via solar irrigation, AI-driven farming, and green hydrogen support — is essential to nourish a growing population sustainably.
Decarbonizing Agriculture (25%+ of Global Emissions)
CleanTech solutions — green ammonia, methane capture, and solar-powered inputs — are key to lowering emissions across the agri-food value chain.
Optimizing Water & Resources
Innovations like solar desalination, IoT irrigation, and precision farming build resilience in regions like North Africa and India.
Empowering Rural Economies
CleanTech unlocks cost savings, green jobs, and prosperity for smallholders — a transformative force across both continents.
Building Regenerative Food Systems
Through circular loops of energy, water, nutrients, and carbon, we move from extractive practices to regenerative food ecosystems.
CBC Agriculture & Food Industries Hub's Mission
Decarbonize Agriculture through solar-powered irrigation, green fertilizers, and methane reduction
Build Water Resilience with AI-driven irrigation and solar desalination technology
Empower Smallholders by making CleanTech accessible and affordable
Create Circular Systems where energy, water, and nutrients are continuously reinvested
India–Morocco: A Strategic CleanTech–Agri Innovation Corridor
CBC is proud to activate a transformative India–Morocco innovation corridor through our strategic ventures GFHA (Go For Hydrogen Africa) and Cleanvestree Africa, based in Morocco. This initiative creates dynamic opportunities to bridge:
India’s CleanTech Leadership
Feston Solar's advanced solutions (solar inverters, BESS, EV charging)
Over 25 years of engineering excellence in sustainable technologies
“Made in India” innovation with global scalability
Morocco’s Agricultural Strength
Top 3 African food producer (contributing 15% to national GDP)
Leading global exporter of fruits and vegetables
45% of workforce employed in agriculture
OCP Group: A Key Opportunity
World’s largest phosphate producer (holding 70% of global reserves)
Currently transitioning to carbon neutrality by 2040
Investing heavily in renewables and green hydrogen
“This India–Morocco corridor represents exactly the kind of innovation bridge CBC exists to build,” said Sampath Kumar, “With Feston’s CleanTech expertise and my family’s agricultural legacy, we’re excited to explore collaborations that can transform agri-food systems in both regions.”
Building Ecosystems: From Engineering Talent to CleanTech Leadership
At the heart of CBC’s mission is the belief that real transformation requires more than technology — it demands ecosystems: talent, infrastructure, and collaboration working in harmony.
One powerful example of this in action is the upcoming official opening of the Joint Center of Excellence in Clean Hydrogen at EHTP (École Hassania des Travaux Publics) in Casablanca this October, co-hosted by CBC through its African joint venture Go For Hydrogen Africa (GFHA). This groundbreaking initiative aims to empower the next generation of African CleanTech engineers and innovators, and to serve as a bridge between academia, industry, and investment.
This ecosystem-driven approach deeply resonates with Mr. Sampath Kumar’s vision.
His family’s engineering college in Chennai which educates over 8,000 students, reflects a longstanding commitment to capacity building and innovation. As a leader who understands that tomorrow’s CleanTech transformation begins in today’s classrooms, Mr. Kumar is exploring ways to connect this Indian academic hub with CBC’s global ecosystem — including between others a future collaboration with the Joint Center in Morocco.
Together, we share a conviction:
There is no CleanTech transformation without talent transformation.
And there is no regenerative future without empowered ecosystems.
Through his role as CBC Co-Chair and strategic bridge between India and Morocco, Mr. Kumar will help activate and align institutions, startups, and students — accelerating capacity development and entrepreneurship across both continents.
About Sampath Kumar, CEO of FEST‑Group & Feston Solar
Sampath Kumar is the CEO of FEST‑Group & Feston Solar, overseeing operations in manufacturing, distribution, EPC, solar inverters, BESS, EV, and net-zero technologies.
Under his leadership, Feston Solar established a 60,000 sq ft facility in Chennai with an annual production capacity of approximately 400,000 inverters, supported by nationwide service operations. A strong advocate of “Made in India” and purpose-driven entrepreneurship, he actively engages in major industry events such as RenewX and Solar IPL, and has recently led partnerships like the deployment of Solplanet’s 350 kW inverters for utility-scale solar projects across India.
With more than 25 years at the intersection of engineering excellence and green enterprise, and with deep family roots in agri-business, Sampath brings unparalleled vision and execution capability to CBC’s mission of zero-emission agriculture through CleanTech, Clean Water, and Clean Hydrogen.
As CBC Co-Chair of the Agriculture & Food Industries Hub, he will guide the transformation of the global agri-food sector by fostering strategic partnerships and championing the integration of sustainable technologies.
His unique blend of heritage and innovation positions him to bridge traditional practices with next-generation solutions — building resilient, regenerative, and climate-smart food systems for the future.
Join the Regenerative Revolution #TogetherWeAreStronger
This is more than an expansion — it marks a defining moment in CBC’s journey. By bringing together CleanTech, agriculture, academia, and global leadership, and by activating the India–Morocco CleanTech–Agri and capacity-building corridor, CBC is charting a bold new course toward a regenerative, zero-emission future.
We warmly welcome Mr. Sampath Kumar to the CBC Leadership Family. Together, we will build the regenerative food systems the world needs — and the future demands.
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