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A favorable enabling environment has fueled the rapid growth and development of the seed sector in India. Although the Indian seed industry is one of the most mature in the region, the private sector is secretive about its business activities.
The Government of India has played an important role in developing policies and programs that have far-reaching impacts on the progress of smallholder farmers such as Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, a government-sponsored crop insurance scheme.
The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act 2001 has increased private sector investment in R&D to develop new varieties.
There are currently two seed associations: the National Seed Association of India (NSAI) and the Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII). The latter was set up in 2016, following controversy around patents on insect resistance traits used in cotton.
India is among the top ten countries cultivating GM crops, with insect-resistant Bt cotton covering a land area of 11.4 million hectares in 2017.
Twenty-six index companies report having a presence in India. Eight companies have their headquarters in the country. Private agribusiness companies invest heavily in R&D and technological innovation, which is evident from the extensive company activity in the country.
Of the twenty-two companies that carry out seed production in the country, more than half involve mainly smallholder farmers in such activities.
The companies that have breeding locations in the country focus on breeding both vegetable crops and field crops.
Cotton is present in the portfolio of twelve companies. Only Bayer, Nuziveedu and National Seeds Corporation offer open pollinated varieties. Cotton is listed as the main crop in the region for companies such as Bayer and Nuziveedu.
Sixteen companies report having significant extension services, with dedicated staff to deliver them.
| Company | Crops in portfolio | Company activities in country | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Companies selected for the Access to Seeds Index |
Field crops |
Vegetables | Breeding location |
Testing location |
Seed production |
Processing location |
Sales | Extension services |
||||||
| Acsen HyVeg ** | * | |||||||||||||
| Advanta | * | |||||||||||||
| Bayer | * | |||||||||||||
| Bejo | ||||||||||||||
| Bioseed ** | ||||||||||||||
| Charoen Pokphand | ||||||||||||||
| Corteva Agriscience | * | |||||||||||||
| East-West Seed | * | |||||||||||||
| Enza Zaden | ||||||||||||||
| Kalash Seeds ** | * | |||||||||||||
| Known-You Seed | ||||||||||||||
| KWS | ||||||||||||||
| Lal Teer Seed | ||||||||||||||
| Limagrain | * | |||||||||||||
| Mahyco ** | ||||||||||||||
| Metahelix ** | ||||||||||||||
| Monsanto | * | |||||||||||||
| Namdhari Seeds ** | ||||||||||||||
| National Seeds Corporation ** | * | |||||||||||||
| Nongwoo Bio | ||||||||||||||
| Nuziveedu Seeds ** | * | |||||||||||||
| Rijk Zwaan | * | |||||||||||||
| Sakata | ||||||||||||||
| Seed Co | ||||||||||||||
| Syngenta | * | |||||||||||||
| Takii | ||||||||||||||
Other index companies are also active in the country. However, country-specific information for these companies is not available or was provided under non-disclosure.
Other companies identified in the regional landscaping study and their activities
| Company | Crops in portfolio | Company activities in country | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field crops |
Vegetable crops |
Breeding location |
Seed production |
Sales | ||||
| JK Agri Genetics | ||||||||
| Kaveri Seeds | ||||||||
| VNR Seeds | ||||||||
