In an exclusive AgroSpectrum interview, Komal Shah Bhukhanwala, Director, Sumil Chemical Industries Pvt. Ltd, outlines how climate volatility is rapidly reshaping farmer behaviour and pushing India toward climate-smart, biology-driven agriculture. She notes that even in a strongly price-sensitive, 92 percent generic market, farmers are gradually shifting from cost-based decisions to long-term value, especially as sustainable nutrition and biologicals prove their cumulative benefits in soil health and yield stability. The future, she argues, lies in ecosystem-led innovation—trait-linked inputs, sensing systems, and value chain premiums—but adoption will accelerate only when markets begin rewarding these advanced choices.

Dealers will continue to act as trust anchors in this transition, while rigorous on-ground validation, compliance discipline, and precision technologies will differentiate credible players from opportunistic ones. Looking ahead, she predicts that soil health, carbon sequestration, and sustainable input regulation will form the core of India’s next agricultural decade—scientific, transparent, and increasingly climate-aligned.

Climate change is reshaping farmer behaviour. How is that influencing demand for new-age inputs?

Sumil Chemical notes that climate change has fundamentally altered the psychology of farming in India. What was once a predictable, season-linked activity has become a volatile exercise in risk mitigation. Erratic monsoons, sudden heat spikes, and shifting pest cycles have forced farmers to abandon the old practice of reacting to problems as they arise. They are increasingly searching for preventive and adaptive tools that help crops stay physiologically stable under unpredictable conditions. This is driving a steady shift toward climate-smart inputs such as stress-mitigating biostimulants, nutrient-use efficiency enhancers, and formulations capable of protecting crops during critical growth phases. Farmers are no longer assessing products only on the basis of immediate yield response; they are evaluating long-term resilience, survivability during stress, and the ability to maintain crop uniformity. The company believes this shift in behaviour is subtle but irreversible, marking the transition from traditional product usage to more scientific, resilience-oriented decision-making.

India is a price-sensitive, generic-dominated market. How do sustainable nutrition and biologicals create long-term value?

The company recognises that in a market where nearly ninety-two percent of agricultural inputs are generic, the instinctive farmer behaviour is to treat agricultural inputs as commodities. Yet the economics of farming are quietly changing. Sustainable nutrition products and biologicals may not always deliver a dramatic, instant yield surge, but they build foundational strength within the farm ecosystem. Soil structure improves, microbial populations stabilise, nutrient losses reduce, water-use efficiency rises, and plant immunity becomes stronger over time.

As progressive farmers start analysing profitability per acre rather than price per packet, they see that the long-term economic benefits—fewer crop failures, more consistent yields, better quality, and lower wastage—far outweigh the initial premium. Sumil Chemical argues that sustainable nutrition offers compounding value: the benefits accumulate season after season, especially in regions where soils are fatigued, rainfall is erratic, and the cost of crop failure is rising.

Are farmers ready for the future—traits, sensing systems, and climate-smart decision tools?

According to Sumil Chemical, the next chapter of Indian agriculture will revolve around biological traits, sensor-based advisory systems, and inputs that integrate with digital decision frameworks. However, the company acknowledges that the adoption curve remains shallow. Many farmers are not yet exposed to traits-based products or sensor-driven tools, and the market does not consistently reward quality differentiation. To accelerate adoption, the surrounding ecosystem must evolve.

A farmer is far more likely to embrace a next-generation input if a processor offers a premium for quality, an exporter demands residue-free produce, or an FPO secures a contract for high nutritional standards. Without such market-linked incentives, even the most advanced technologies remain underutilised. Sumil Chemical believes that widespread adoption will require a coordinated shift across the value chain, where quality is not only produced but also recognised, rewarded, and monetised.

In such a fragmented market, how critical are dealers to your growth strategy?

The company emphasises that in India’s agricultural landscape, dealers remain the most influential actors in last-mile decision-making. Farmers often trust the dealer’s recommendation more than advertisements, digital advisories, or even university guidelines. Sumil Chemical therefore positions its dealer network not as mere distribution channels but as strategic partners in capability building. The company invests in training, product-knowledge sharing, and long-term engagement programmes that deepen dealer loyalty and strengthen their advisory ability. By supporting dealers with technical understanding, transparent product information, and continuous agronomic guidance, the company ensures that the farmer receives accurate recommendations at the point of purchase. This relational model transforms the dealer into an extension of the company’s technical credibility and plays a critical role in consistent product adoption.

You mention that wheat is a success story. What drives your validation and demonstration model?

Sumil Chemical follows a rigorous validation framework that blends academic recommendations with real-world field data. Every product enters the market only after undergoing university-backed crop recommendations, multi-location field trials, and village-level demonstrations. The company believes that in India, proof is the most powerful marketing tool, and evidence from the ground carries more weight than any promotional material. Wheat stands out as a success story because it is highly sensitive to nutrient-use efficiency, soil moisture balance, and climatic stress.

Across seasons and geographies, the company has consistently demonstrated better tiller formation, improved spikelet density, superior grain weight, and more uniform crop establishment. These outcomes are documented through extensive testimonials from progressive farmers, creating a cycle of credibility, repeat usage, and word-of-mouth expansion. This evidence-driven model reinforces the company’s belief that sustainable product adoption must be built on long-term verification rather than short-term messaging.

The biostimulants space has seen regulatory scrutiny. How does Sumil Chemical position itself?

Sumil Chemical positions itself strongly as a compliance-first organisation in a category often criticised for inconsistency. Its plant-based biostimulants undergo structured field trials, detailed documentation, and exhaustive regulatory alignment well before they reach the farmer. The company adheres to the evolving Indian biostimulant guidelines while maintaining standards that are compatible with global markets.

Unlike firms that struggle with regulatory complexities, Sumil Chemical reports that its disciplined processes allow it to operate without significant compliance-related roadblocks. As regulatory scrutiny intensifies—both from Indian authorities and global buyers seeking traceability and quality assurance—the company sees its compliance culture as a decisive advantage. In the long run, Sumil Chemical believes that the market will consolidate around companies that combine scientific rigour with transparent regulatory practices.

How do you see precision agriculture integrating with sustainable inputs?

The company views precision agriculture as a natural complement to sustainable nutrition and biological inputs. Precision systems—whether drip irrigation, fertigation units, micro-irrigation networks, or sensor-guided nutrient scheduling—deliver water and nutrients with higher accuracy, reducing wastage and labour requirements. Sustainable nutrition platforms then enhance the plant’s ability to absorb these nutrients efficiently, stabilise physiological responses, and maintain growth even under climatic stress. This creates a virtuous cycle of efficiency, consistency, and resilience. Sumil Chemical notes that adoption will depend on regional infrastructure, product compatibility, and farmer readiness, but believes that the convergence of precision techniques with sustainable inputs will gradually become the dominant agronomic approach, particularly in regions facing water scarcity or rising labour costs.

Soil health is becoming central to global food systems. What does this shift mean for your innovation agenda?

Sumil Chemical sees soil health as the defining axis for the coming decade of agricultural innovation. The global discourse on carbon sequestration, regenerative agriculture, and sustainability-linked procurement is pushing soil biology and nutrient efficiency to the forefront. The company is directing its innovation pipeline toward products that enhance soil organic matter, improve microbial diversity, and strengthen the plant–soil interface. This includes climate-smart formulations aligned with carbon markets, biological platforms designed for long-term nutrient efficiency, and solutions that help farmers meet residue-free and sustainability-linked supply chain demands.

The company also anticipates more stringent regulatory pressure on nutrient-use efficiency, biostimulant registration, and traceability in the coming years. Rather than viewing this as a barrier, Sumil Chemical considers regulatory tightening a strategic tailwind that will favour disciplined, science-led companies. As global markets begin rewarding sustainable cultivation practices, soil health will evolve from an agronomic concept into a direct economic lever, influencing procurement contracts, carbon payments, and market access opportunities for farmers.

— Suchetana Choudhury (suchetana.choudhuri@agrospectrumindia.com)