NEW DELHI, 7 June 2025: In a major step toward strengthening agricultural development across the Global South, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), in collaboration with the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) recently launched the ICRISAT Centre of Excellence for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture (ISSCA).
The launch took place during the Conference on Global South and Triangular Cooperation: Emerging Facets, held in New Delhi, and featured the signing of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ICRISAT and DAKSHIN (Development and Knowledge Sharing Initiative)—a Government of India initiative dedicated to strengthening South-South cooperation through capacity building and development partnerships.
The newly established ISSCA is envisioned as a dynamic platform to exchange knowledge, scale agricultural innovations, and foster partnerships among countries with shared agro-climatic and socio-economic challenges. Through its digital repository, ISSCA will offer validated, low-cost, and high-impact agricultural technologies, facilitate peer-to-peer learning, and support policy innovation tailored to dryland and developing regions.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Director General of ICRISAT, emphasized the vast untapped potential within the Global South. “We already possess a rich ecosystem of innovation and proven local solutions. What we now need is coordinated action, greater investment, and strong partnerships to scale these innovations,” he said. He reiterated that ISSCA demonstrates ICRISAT’s commitment to enabling countries in the Global South to drive their own agricultural transformation, powered by science and aligned with inclusive development.
Professor Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General of RIS, highlighted DAKSHIN’s pivotal role in connecting stakeholders and identifying scalable, sustainable solutions to uplift economies and communities across the Global South. “The partnership between ICRISAT and DAKSHIN will be key to enhancing agricultural systems, digital innovations, and climate-resilient practices,” he added.
Further strengthening the initiative, Dr. Mangi Lal Jat, Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), expressed strong support for ISSCA. He underlined ICAR’s proactive role in expanding international cooperation and knowledge sharing in agriculture, aligned with India’s commitment to sustainable growth.
The launch of ISSCA comes at a critical time when global challenges such as climate change, food insecurity, and resource degradation call for collaborative, regionally adapted solutions. Through this initiative, India and its partners aim to lead the charge in building a resilient, innovation-driven agricultural future for the Global South.
