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HomePosts Tagged "Dr Ratna Kumria"
Agribiotechnology, Agribusiness, India, Industry Reports / Analysis, Start ups

Agri biotech startups are driving innovations in crop improvement, biofertilisers and precision farming, targeting the nation’s long-term goals of food security, reduced cost for farmers, sustainability and high yields for a growing population.

India’s agriculture sector and allied industries have always been resilient and a strong backbone for the economy and livelihood for a majority of citizens. Leveraging the immense potential of agri-biotechnology, experts believe, could turn transformative for the sector and the stakeholders involved. Agri biotech startups are driving innovations in crop improvement, biofertilisers and precision farming, targeting the nation’s long-term goals of food security, reduced cost for farmers, sustainability and high yields for a growing population. However, these are fraught with challenges that could be addressed with government support, investment in research and a favourable policy environment, among others. 

Agri biotech startups are transforming agriculture with innovative biological solutions that enhance productivity, improve soil health, and reduce reliance on synthetic inputs.  Beyond production, agri biotech offers new ways to utilise agricultural produce and waste, and startups are at the forefront of these innovations. Agri-biotech startups in India face challenges including limited access to capital, regulatory hurdles, technological limitations, and market penetration issues, hindering their growth and scalability. The government is trying to support agri-biotech startups through various initiatives. The Union Budget 2025-26 announced an increased allocation for the Department of Biotechnology to support Biomanufacturing, Biotech research, Entrepreneurship, innovation, skill development, etc. An allocation of Rs 20,000 crore has been designated to support private sector-driven research. With strengthening intellectual property rights, facilitating global partnerships and the right policy interventions and investment in research agri biotech startups are looking forward to the growth of the industry.

According to a report from precedenceresearch.com, the agricultural biotechnology market in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region is segmented into India, China, Japan, South Korea, and the rest of the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. China dominated the Asia Pacific region followed by India and Japan. In India, biotechnology’s success extends beyond rice to other crops.  Andhra Pradesh has been a leader in the adoption of Bt Cotton, with 4,73,345 farmers cultivating it in 2023–24. An ICAR-CICR study found Bt cotton increased yields by 3-4 quintals per acre while reducing pesticide use. Such advancements support sustainable, climate-resilient agriculture. Other crops of Andhra Pradesh like Maize, Rice, Chilli, Vegetables, Pulses and Oilseeds can get a big boost with the help of biotechnology.

In India, agri biotech startups are contributing to the growth of the agriculture sector by providing technological support from seed to the post-harvest supply chain. Despite this, startups are facing major roadblocks such as limited access to capital, lack of seed funds, complex regulatory processes and legal hurdles, and inadequate Infrastructure and Intellectual Property (IP) Protection. Agri-biotech startups often struggle to secure funding, especially in the early stages, due to the perceived risk and long timelines associated with agricultural innovation. The regulatory landscape for agricultural biotechnology can be complex and time-consuming, leading to delays in product development and market entry. Ensuring adequate protection for intellectual property is crucial for attracting investment and incentivising innovation, but weak IP protection can discourage innovation. Lack of access to state-of-the-art facilities for research, manufacturing, and distribution limits the ability of startups to innovate and scale operations.

Ajai Rana, CEO & MD, Savannah Seeds and Chairman, Federation of Seed Industry of India commented on the roadblocks agri biotech companies facing currently and the way forward, “Agri biotech companies in India face multiple challenges, including the absence of national accreditation for research-driven seed companies, regulatory uncertainties, and financial constraints due to the removal of the 200 per cent income tax deduction on R&D. The GST burden on input costs also adds to operational challenges. Moreover, there is no clear differentiation between research-based seed companies and those that do not invest in R&D, creating an uneven playing field.”

Rana also emphasised measures to mitigate the current challenges of the agri-biotech sector in India. He said, “To overcome these roadblocks, establishing a National Register of Research-based Seed Companies, reinstating the 200 per cent R&D tax deduction, and introducing a National Seed Production & Trade Policy are critical steps. Additionally, an exemption from GST on expenses related to production, processing, storage, and transportation will ease financial strain and enhance competitiveness. These measures will not only promote research and innovation but also strengthen India’s position in the global seed industry.”

Inputs for growth

According to Dr Ratna Kumria, Senior Director, Agri Biotechnology at Alliance for Agri Innovation, India’s agricultural biotechnology sector is at a crucial juncture, where technological advancements are essential for growth. We have already integrated several new technologies into our system, but there is a need to incorporate global best practices from regions like the US, South America, and Europe into our value chain. These steps will not only enhance productivity but also contribute to sustainability, create a positive environmental impact, and improve farmers’ incomes, not just through increased yields but also by optimising the utilisation of agricultural output.

To read more click: https://agrospectrumindia.com/e-magazine

Agri biotech startups are driving innovations in

Agri Genomics, Agribiotechnology, Agrotech, India, Opinions, R&D, Seeds

 By Dr Ratna Kumria, Senior Director – Biotechnology, Federation of Seed Industry of India

Technology in agriculture, particularly, seeds have great potential to provide sustainable, profitable yet affordable solutions for a wide array of challenges including climate change. But to maximise the benefits, it is important to establish an open, unbiased and enabling policy environment. On National Technology Day, the seed industry reiterates the importance of biotechnological solutions as vital aids in addressing the challenges confronting the agriculture sector.

Rising global temperatures, coupled with increasingly severe and unpredictable weather patterns, have been exacerbated by the greenhouse warming effect, contributing to the occurrence of the El Niño weather phenomenon. Heatwaves, insufficient rainfall, and changes in monsoon patterns have collectively resulted in significant water stress in agricultural fields, leading to reduced crop yields. Rising temperatures can lead to heat stress in crops, affecting their growth and development. Heatwaves during critical stages of crop growth can reduce yields and quality.

India is close to reaching a tipping point where groundwater levels will plummet, according to a 2023 UN Water report. The northern parts of the country have lost 95 per cent of their groundwater between 2002 and 2022, and some areas in the Indo-Gangetic basin have already passed the groundwater depletion tipping point. India is the world’s largest consumer of groundwater, using about a quarter of the world’s total.

Need for developing drought-resistant crop varieties

The combination of water scarcity, heatwaves, frequent droughts, and unpredictable monsoons presents a significant challenge to India’s agricultural productivity. These challenges underscore the urgent need to prioritise the development of drought-resistant crop varieties. With climate change exacerbating these issues, the cultivation of crops with enhanced drought tolerance is increasingly essential to safeguarding food security of the nation. Redirecting focus towards the breeding and promotion of drought-resistant varieties is imperative to ensure the resilience and sustainability of India’s agricultural sector in the face of mounting environmental pressures.

Plant breeders in both private and public sectors have dedicated their efforts to develop varieties and hybrids capable of withstanding drought stress across various crops. Although the process is gradual, there have been notable successes in breeding drought-tolerant crops. Examples include conventional breeding programmes such as the creation of rice, wheat, and Indian mustard varieties resilient to salt and alkali soils by the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute in Karnal. Additionally, maize hybrids with heightened drought tolerance have been developed, along with endeavours to integrate salt tolerance into wheat from wild relatives. Notably, drought tolerance has been prioritised as a selection trait in the generation of new maize and wheat germplasm by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT). The advent of genetic modification (GM) and gene editing technologies offers a swifter route to producing drought-tolerant crops. Presently, GM varieties of Glycine max (soybean) and Zea mays (maize), as well as gene-edited wheat for drought tolerance, have been developed and sanctioned in many countries.

The private seed industry in India has been a key driver of technological advancements in agriculture, with significant contributions to the sector’s growth and development. This sector has witnessed a steady increase in investments in research and development in advanced technologies, reflecting a strong commitment to exploring innovations and several members of Federation of Seed Industry of India invest, on an average, over 10 percent of the annual turnover for R&D. Furthermore, the private seed sector has introduced a wide range of high-yielding hybrid seeds, genetically modified crops, and biofortified varieties, catering to the diverse needs of Indian farmers and consumers. These technological interventions have led to notable improvements in crop yields, quality, and resilience, contributing to food security and sustainable agriculture practices. All these efforts collectively empowered the farmers particularly, smallholders, to enhance their productivity and profitability, driving overall agricultural growth in India. Overall, the private seed industry’s relentless focus on technology-driven solutions, coupled with strategic investments and market expansion efforts, has positioned it as a key player in India’s agricultural transformation, fostering innovation, sustainability, and economic development in the sector.

In the current scenario, climate change poses a formidable threat to both agricultural sustainability and food security. Increasing frequency of extreme weather events underscores the urgency of addressing these challenges. As we navigate these uncertain conditions, it’s evident that our agricultural systems face mounting pressures. However, amidst these challenges lies an opportunity for technologies in seed including biotechnology to play a pivotal role in adaptation and resilience.

As we mark National Technology Day, it’s imperative for policymakers, researchers, and the seed industry to collaborate in promoting the adoption of biotechnology-driven solutions among farmers. By enhancing the genetic makeup of crops, we can bolster their ability to withstand prolonged periods of drought and other climatic stresses. This is the time for the policymakers, researchers and seed industry to come together to promote this sustainable solution to the farmers and make the agri-food system climate-resilient.

 By Dr Ratna Kumria, Senior Director –

Agri Genomics, Agrotech, India, R&D

 By Dr Ratna Kumria, Director, Biotechnology Alliance for Agri Innovation (AAI)

Gene editing offers an accurate, predictable, quick, and economical method for crop improvement. Due to its precision, it offers the opportunity to increase nutrient levels, decrease anti-nutrients, and improve the shelf life of food to preserve quality and nutrition. This technology cannot provide solutions for all farming challenges or plant breeding bottlenecks, but it can certainly streamline the process towards greater efficiency. It provides an opportunity to address hunger and malnutrition regionally using traditional, local crops. It can also enable local solutions to conserve biodiversity and resources, moving towards better agriculture.

Gene editing refers to making changes in the genome of an organism using various nucleases with distinct specificities and modes of action. The nucleases are programmed to target particular sequences for cutting, although the repair mechanisms can either be random or designed with external templates. While traditional nucleases cut both strands of DNA, some have been adapted to cut a single strand and utilise RNA as a template for making alterations. The selection of the appropriate gene editing tool is based on the target’s cost and feasibility. As new nucleases are being discovered and editing tools developed, gene editing is finding diverse applications. Although currently used in therapeutics, it is expected to have far-reaching effects on crop improvement and agriculture.

Humans have been selectively breeding plants and animals for centuries, long before the field of genetics was established. Today’s cultivated crops, whether ornamental or used for food, as well as domesticated animals are very different from their wild counterparts. For example, maize was selected and bred from its ancestor teosinte and likewise the fibrous, blander version of ancient watermelon fruits, as also other food crops were bred for a better flavour and texture that is more palatable to humans. Domesticating plants and animals are a painstaking and repetitive process that has been ongoing for hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of years.

Advancements in genetics have accelerated plant breeding and crop improvement over the past century. With the knowledge of genetics, breeders were able to identify variations and select for new genetic combinations that were better suited for cultivation and consumption. In addition to identifying variations, breeders have also been using chemicals or radiation to induce random mutations that result in beneficial genetic modifications. This mutation breeding has led to the creation of over 3000 new varieties of crops across the globe, during the last few decades. As a result of these plant breeding efforts, cereal crop production has tripled during this period, with only a 30 per cent increase in land under cultivation. India’s green revolution, which transformed it from a food-deficient nation to a food-surplus one, owes much of its success to plant breeding efforts.

However, the haphazard nature of mutation-generation makes selecting the relevant modifications an expensive, time-consuming, and laborious process. Conventional breeding is a lengthy process that depends on the number and duration of growing seasons per year, as well as the time it takes for plants to mature. This process can be even more prolonged when dealing with trees, perennials or assembling multiple traits through multi-stage crossing, selection, and testing. Additionally, the randomness of induced mutagenesis adds another dimension to the selection and testing required for large-scale screening. To make the breeding process more efficient over time, various technological interventions have been introduced, including molecular markers, double haploids, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and other prediction tools.

To read more click on: https://agrospectrumindia.com/e-magazine

 By Dr Ratna Kumria, Director, Biotechnology Alliance