NEW DELHI, 27 January 2026: India’s agricultural research establishment is preparing a data-led investment and policy roadmap to future-proof the country’s food systems, as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) reviewed 15 years of the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) programme and launched a digital adaptation platform aimed at scaling climate action nationwide.
At a joint workshop organised with the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA), ICAR officials assessed NICRA’s progress across more than 200 locations in 151 climate-vulnerable districts, positioning the initiative as a template for science-backed adaptation in emerging markets.
Dr. M. L. Jat, Secretary (DARE) and Director General, ICAR, said the programme has reached a strategic inflection point, calling for greater convergence of data, policy and financing to build resilient agri-food value chains. Despite recurring weather shocks, particularly in rainfed regions, India has sustained productivity gains through climate-resilient seeds, water management technologies and institutional support, he noted.
The workshop also marked the launch of the Atlas of Climate Adaptation in Indian Agriculture (ACASA–India), a web-enabled decision-support platform developed by ICAR’s research network in partnership with BISA–CIMMYT. The tool provides location-specific data to guide investments, risk planning and resource allocation, enabling targeted interventions by states and development agencies.
Officials said integrating digital intelligence with schemes such as crop insurance, livestock and fisheries missions could help streamline spending and improve farmer outcomes. Stakeholders also flagged carbon credit methodologies and climate finance frameworks as emerging areas for private-sector participation.
Senior ICAR scientists indicated that NICRA’s model of combining science, extension and policy alignment could attract multilateral and impact investors seeking scalable climate solutions. The initiative is increasingly being framed as a global case study for resilience-building in smallholder-dominated systems.
With agriculture central to India’s long-term growth ambitions, policymakers view the next phase of NICRA as critical to mobilising capital, strengthening data infrastructure and delivering measurable adaptation outcomes as the country targets a “Viksit Bharat” by 2047.
