India's Seed Sector Strengthening Initiatives
The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has implemented comprehensive measures to enhance India's seed sector global competitiveness through the National Agricultural Research and Education System (NARES). The system comprises 56 ICAR Institutes, 48 State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), 03 Central Agricultural Universities (CAUs), and 39 centres under the All India Coordinated Research Project on Seed (Crops).
From 2014 to 2025, the system developed and released 3,236 field crop varieties, with 2,996 being climate-resilient varieties. This includes 587 extreme climate-tolerant varieties comprising 341 drought tolerant, 89 flood tolerant, 80 salinity tolerant, 59 heat stress tolerant, and 18 cold tolerant varieties. The crop-wise distribution shows cereals led with 1,574 varieties (1,453 climate-resilient), followed by oilseeds (444 total, 397 climate-resilient), pulses (473 total, 446 climate-resilient), forages (207 total, 185 climate-resilient), fibre crops (408 total, 392 climate-resilient), sugarcane (96 varieties, all climate-resilient), and other crops (34 total, 27 climate-resilient).
The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights (PPV&FR) Authority has accelerated registrations, with 10,802 varieties of 219 crop species registered so far, including 5,689 varieties registered during 2023-26. The institutional framework includes 229 Seed Hubs and 384 Breeder Seed Production Centres, supported by 17 State Seed Corporations and National Seeds Corporation Limited, along with public sector organizations like Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited, Hindustan Insecticides Limited, NAFED, NFL, KRIBHCO, and IFFDC, plus private seed companies.
Quality assurance is maintained through 178 notified Seed Testing Laboratories (STLs), with government support for strengthening labs including International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) membership and technical audits for ISTA accreditation. Regulatory framework operates under the Seeds Act, 1966, Seeds Rules, 1968, and Seeds (Control) Order, 1983, supplemented by the Seed Authentication, Traceability and Holistic Inventory (SATHI) Portal for digital traceability.
International trade has been facilitated through simplified import/export procedures via DGFT's digital platforms after disbanding the EXIM Committee in October 2024. Seed trade data shows imports of 27.69 thousand MT valued at ₹1,561.22 crore in 2024-25, increasing to 31.84 thousand MT worth ₹1,755.96 crore in 2025-26, with 4.43 thousand MT (₹357.36 crore) in the first two months of 2026-27. Exports grew from 92.06 thousand MT (₹2,323.39 crore) in 2024-25 to 123.82 thousand MT (₹3,023.16 crore) in 2025-26, with 18.46 thousand MT (₹582.19 crore) exported by May 2026.
India participates in international frameworks including the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) and collaborates with CGIAR institutions such as International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), ICRISAT, CIMMYT, ICARDA, and CIAT. The IRRI South Asia Regional Centre was established in Varanasi in 2018, and the International Potato Center South Asia Regional Centre was approved for Agra on June 25, 2025.
Public-Private Partnerships have been promoted through 1,317 licensing agreements executed by 27 ICAR Institutes with public and private organizations during 2023-24 to 2025-26. Financial support is provided through the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund for seed processing facilities and various programs including National Food Security Nutrition Mission, National Mission on Edible Oils-Oilseeds, Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, National Mission on High Yielding Seeds, and Mission for Cotton Productivity.
The government promotes advanced crop improvement technologies including Marker-Assisted Selection, Gene Editing, and Speed Breeding to develop high-yielding, climate-resilient and bio-fortified crop varieties, strengthening national food security against climate change challenges.