<h1>India and ADB Sign $24.3M Loan Deal to Boost Agribusiness Infrastructure in Maharashtra, Integrate Small Farmers into Value Chains.</h1> The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $24.3 million loan agreement to enhance agribusiness infrastructure in Maharashtra. This funding is part of a larger $170 million investment program aimed at modernizing the state's horticultural industries and integrating small-scale farmers into value chains in Nashik and Aurangabad-Amravati. The initiative focuses on strengthening physical and institutional links among farmers, processors, and agribusiness entrepreneurs. It emphasizes public-private partnerships to create competitive and adaptable agribusiness models. The project, supported by the Government of Maharashtra with additional funding, is scheduled for completion by 2015.