“Navigating the Government Connect: Unlock Grants, Subsidies, Policy Alignment & Zero-Cost Growth Opportunities”
Budget 2025-26: MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE; DEMAND NO. 2; Department of Agricultural Research and Education …
Crop Science for Food and Nutritional Security:
Research provision is to develop trait- specific high yielding field crop varieties/hybrids having tolerance to pest and diseases and bio-fortification, besides various abiotic stresses. The quality attributes are also given due importance with no yield penalty. The All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRPs)/Network Research Projects with active collaboration with State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) are engaged in the development of improved crop varieties/ hybrids, cost-effective production and environment-friendly protection technologies in different agro-climatic regions.
OUTPUTS: 1.Knowledge Product Developed
1.1. Number of Varieties released by Central Variety ReleaseCommittee (CVRC)- 150
2. Number of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) developed/ documented - 105
1.3. Number of Formulations/ Breakthroughs in R&D-12
1.4. Number of knowledge products included in Package of Practices (POPs)- 35
2. Capacity building
2.1 Number of farmers trained on knowledge products 10,000
2.2 Number of Students appointed as Scientists, Assistant Professors, etc. 25
OUTCOMES: 1.Transforming the business norms
1.1 Number of Varieties to be entered in breeder seed chain during the
year 110
1.2 Number of knowledges products commercialized (including varieties/ vaccines/ formulations/ diagnostics/ technologies etc.) 30
2.Breaking the barriers
2.1. Increase in productivity over last year average (kg/ha) 80
2.2. % Gain due to the adoption of knowledge products (variety, breed,
technology etc.) 0.5
2.3. % Increase in Seed/ variety replacement rate (SRR/VRR) 2
3. Outcome quality
3.1 H-Score/ J-Score of research articles/ reports published during the
year 1,100
3.2 Revenue generated through commercialization of
knowledge products (Rs in Cr) 8
Crop Science for Food & Nutritional Security: Startup Opportunity Analysis
Key Theme: Commercializing high-yielding, climate-resilient crop varieties & agri-tech innovations.
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1. Data Snapshot (R&D-to-Commercialization Pipeline)
Metric Achievement Gap/Opportunity
Varieties released (CVRC) 150 Low commercialization rate (only 30/150 commercialized)
Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) developed 105 Adoption lag (only 10k farmers trained)
Productivity increase (kg/ha) +80 Marginal (0.5% gain) despite R&D efforts
Revenue from commercialized products (₹Cr) 85 Undervalued IP (potential 5-10x scaling)
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2. Startup Opportunities
A. Bridging the R&D-Commercialization Gap
Problem:
• Only 30/150 varieties commercialized; slow seed replacement rate (2%).
Solutions:
1. B2B Seed Licensing Platform
o Startup Idea: "VarietyX" – Digital marketplace for SAUs/KVKs to license biofortified/hybrid varieties to private seed companies.
o Tech Stack: Blockchain-based IP tracking + royalty automation.
2. Precision Agri-Advisory for GAPs
o Startup Idea: "GAP Guru" – Satellite/AI-driven app recommending location-specific practices from the 105 documented GAPs.
o Revenue Model: Freemium (govt-funded) + B2B (agri-input firms).
B. Boosting Adoption of Climate-Resilient Varieties
Problem:
• Low farmer awareness; 80 kg/ha productivity gain is underwhelming.
Solutions:
1. "Try-Before-You-Buy" Demo Farms
o Startup Idea: "SeedTrial" – Network of micro-farms showcasing CVRC varieties with yield comparison dashboards.
o Funding: Partner with NABARD’s FPO grants.
2. Biofortified Food Brands
o Startup Idea: "NutriCereals" – D2C brand marketing zinc-rich wheat/iron-rich millets directly to health-conscious consumers.
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3. Challenges & Mitigation
Challenge Startup Fix
Slow variety adoption Seed subscriptions (pay-per-acre model).
Low GAP awareness Voice-based vernacular tutorials (IVR + WhatsApp).
Fragmented breeder seed chain IoT-tracked seed logistics from labs to farms.
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4. Funding & Execution Strategy
• Government Schemes to Leverage:
o Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) – Grants for agri-tech startups.
o National Food Security Mission (NFSM) – Subsidies for biofortified seeds.
• Pilot Approach: Target high-adoption states (e.g., Punjab for wheat, Karnataka for millets).
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5. Key Metrics for Startups
• Farmer Adoption Rate (target 5x via demo farms/digital outreach).
• IP Monetization (aim for ₹500 Cr+ revenue from CVRC varieties by 2030).
• Yield Gain Acceleration (goal: 3-5% annual productivity increase).
