ICRISAT Launches CATALYST to accelerate agricultural innovation through corporate partnerships

With climate change intensifying pressures on dryland agriculture and the growing need for faster and more efficient delivery of innovations to farmers, ICRISAT launched its corporate engagement initiative, CATALYST, on 16 March 2026 at ICRISAT headquarters in Patancheru.

The hybrid launch event brought together industry leaders, cooperatives and government representatives committed to advancing collaborative solutions for productive and climate-resilient agriculture.

Sanjay Agarwal, assistant director general, ICRISAT delivered the opening remarks and elaborated on the need for a structured engagement model for industry partners for better transparency and ease of accessing the services. Dr Stanford Blade, Deputy Director General – Research and Innovation, ICRISAT gave an overview of four broad areas of engagement – Research for Development; Consulting and Advisory; Technology and Digital Solution; and  Training and Capacity Building.

Highlighting the long-standing role of corporate partnerships in strengthening Indian Agriculture, beginning with the support of the Ford and Rockefeller foundation in establishing CGIAR institutions, Himanshu Pathak, Director General of ICRISAT, said:

“Partnerships are essential to scaling climate-resilient agriculture and delivering meaningful impact for farmers and agri-food systems.

“While our collaboration with industry partners spans over 50 years, CATALYST provides a structured platform to engage with ICRISAT’s science and technology and access our service offerings.

“As its name suggests, this engagement will act as a catalyst, accelerating crop productivity, strengthening seed systems, expanding agribusiness opportunities, and advancing climate-resilient farming across the drylands of Asia and Africa,” said Pathak.

Adding momentum to the new initiative, the event also featured the exchange of four Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and two Service Agreements, formalizing partnerships between ICRISAT and key organizations – Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS); Nuziveedu Seeds; Raheja Solar Food Processing Limited (RSFP); Livelihood Alternatives; Bhartiya Beej Sahakari Samiti (BBSSL); and Yara India.

Industry leaders congratulated ICRISAT on this initiative and emphasized the importance of close collaboration, noting that ICRISAT brings advanced science while industry understands market needs, together forming a complementary partnership for effective delivery.

M Prabhakar Rao, Executive Director, Nuziveedu Seeds, said, “Nuziveedu has been a long-standing partner in ICRISAT’s crop-specific consortia. Through CATALYST, ICRISAT’s strong research legacy comes together with the private sector’s ability to scale innovations.

“With climate change accelerating, the need for improved crop varieties is more urgent than ever. This collaboration will help shift from chance-based breeding to predictive approaches, enhancing breeding efficiency and reducing development timelines,” said Rao.

Highlighting the work by ICRISAT and RySS on soil dry chemistry, T Vijay Kumar, executive vice chair, Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), called CATALYST, “a worthy addition.”

“This is welcomed as it would mean knowledge available to a wider population for a larger good,” noted Kumar.

Pointing to the critical gap in translating science from lab to field, Mr Chetan Joshi, Managing Director, Beej Sahakari Samiti Ltd (BBSSL), said:

“Our collaboration with ICRISAT began with a shared vision to build robust seed systems that benefit farmers, and ICRISAT’s global germplasm base is an invaluable asset in tackling emerging challenges in agriculture.

“We are pleased to be part of this launch of CATALYST,” said Joshi.

Concluding the eventDinesh Kumar Chauhan, CEO – head, Agribusiness Innovation and Nutrition and nodal lead for CATALYST, thanked partners including, Shriram Bioseeds Genetics (BIOSEEDS), Seed Works International (SeedWorks), the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA), the Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE) and Kaveri Seeds for their presence and support. He underscored that CATALYST will serve as a platform to convert collaboration into action and innovation into impact for farmers.