Bayer opens maize seed facility in Zambia

25-Mar-2025 - 0 Comments.

Bayer recently announced the opening of a new maize seed facility in Kabwe, Zambia.

Make in India seeds can dominate global trade if protected by robust IPR framework

22-Mar-2025 - 0 Comments.

mid a raging debate over intersectionality of AI and and IP Rights, and need to modify the Indian Patent and Copyright Acts, the seed industry has asked for an incisive, non-invasive, and foolproof framework to “protect India's premium intellectual property rights framework, and prevent its infringement.” India possesses huge potential in global seed trade and stronger enforcement can help realise it, they said adding that a strong IPR framework will also ensure our farmers are saved from the damages caused by spurious and counterfeit products, and will make their produce globally competitive.

Budget boosts agri-biotech: Experts call for regulatory reforms and high-yield & resilient crops

11-Feb-2025 - 0 Comments.

The Union Budget 2025-26 places a strong emphasis on agriculture, introducing initiatives such as the National Mission on High Yielding Seeds, expanded seed availability, and efforts to boost cotton productivity.

Hatchery Heroes: The Importance of Sustainable Fish Seed Production

16-Nov-2024 - 0 Comments.

As global populations grow and the demand for seafood increases, the importance of sustainable fish seed production has never been more critical.

Seeds are the Foundation of India’s Food Security and Nutrition, says FSII chairman

24-Oct-2024 - 0 Comments.

As global food insecurity and malnutrition continue to pose significant challenges, the seed industry stands as a critical player in addressing these issues.

GM Mustard verdict by SC: Seed industry pitches for a science-based approach 

25-Jul-2024 - 0 Comments.

The seed industry has welcomed the verdict by the two-judge bench on the conditional approval granted by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) to Delhi University’s Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP).

Meghalaya recognizes best performing young farmers with awards, seed-money

23-Jun-2024 - 0 Comments.

The Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Government of Meghalaya, through the office of the Principal, Basic Agriculture Training Centre, awarded the achievements of 8 Best Performing candidates from different districts a cash prize of INR 50000 each to support their venture under the visionary programme titled, ‘The Training of Rural Educated Youth for Self-Employment on Farm-Based Activities’ (TREYSEFA)’.

Freshleaf raises INR 1 Crore in seed round led by Inflection Point Ventures

25-May-2024 - 0 Comments.

Premium tea brand Freshleaf has raised INR 1 Crore in seed round led by Inflection Point Ventures. The funds raised will be utilized to expand marketing efforts, increase production capacity, and enhance research and development for new products.

Fodder ecosystem builder Cornext raises $2.2M from Omnivore

12-May-2024 - 0 Comments.

Cornext, which is building a fodder ecosystem to support dairy cattle farmers, announced today that it has raised USD 2.2 million in a Seed round from Omnivore.

New leadership team takes charge at Federation of Seed Industry of India

22-Oct-2023 - 0 Comments.

Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) welcomes its new leadership team as Ajai Rana assumes the role of Chairman. Discover the organization's vision for a knowledge-driven seed sector in India.

Rallis India powers its hybrid seed production process with mobile app SeedSure

20-Oct-2023 - 0 Comments.

Rallis India Limited, a Tata enterprise and a leading player in the Indian agri inputs industry announced the roll out of a mobile application, ‘SeedSure’, for monitoring and managing its Hybrid Seed Production  (HSP) program.

ICAR to standardize Plasma-ized Water Tech, partners with Indian subsidiary

20-Oct-2023 - 0 Comments.

A path-defining memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research  Institute, New Delhi, ICAR-Indian Institute of Seed Science, Mau, Uttar Pradesh and Plasma Water Solutions India Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of a fast emerging US Ag Tech company, Plasma Water Solutions Inc. 

Agri fintech KIVI closes seed round, positions to serve the farmgate ecosystem with credit, commerce and distribution

13-Oct-2023 - 0 Comments.

Agri-fintech startup KiVi, operated by Agrosperity Tech Solutions Private Limited, announces the conclusion of its seed round of Rs 15 crore led by Caspian Leap for Agriculture Fund, Piper Serica Angel Fund, YAN Angel Fund, Impact Innovators and Entrepreneurs Foundation, among others. KiVi is incubated at IIT Madras Research Park and stands for kisan vikas - farmer development.

Namdhari Seeds unveils cutting-edge greenhouse for plant pathology, elevating Indian agriculture

22-Sep-2023 - 0 Comments.

Namdhari Seeds Pvt. Ltd. (NSPL), a leading player in the agricultural industry, has taken a significant leap towards elevating Indian agriculture with the inauguration of a state-of-the-art greenhouse facility. This cutting-edge greenhouse, covering an impressive 58,000 square feet, is dedicated to advancing Plant Pathology and Seed Health operations, reinforcing NSPL's commitment to providing world-class agricultural solutions to Indian farmers.

Agritech start-up farmers fresh zone earns UN recognition for sustainable innovation

20-Aug-2023 - 0 Comments.

Farmers Fresh Zone (Farmers FZ), an innovative start-up focused on revolutionizing the agricultural sector, has gained global recognition by being selected as the sole Indian participant in the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Seed's SDG Agrifood accelerator programme for innovators.

Namdhari Seeds bags NABL accreditation for seed health testing

07-Aug-2023 - 0 Comments.

Namdhari Seeds Pvt. Ltd (NSPL), a prominent leader in the seed industry, is delighted to announce that its cutting-edge laboratories based in Bangalore have been awarded NABL Accreditation in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025:2017 by the National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories (NABL).

NCDEX launches Isabgol seed futures contract

19-Apr-2023 - 0 Comments.

National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Ltd. (NCDEX), India’s leading Commodity Exchange, today launched Futures contracts in Isabgol Seed for trading.

Incentivising Agri-Seed Research & Development: Key to Food Security

23-Mar-2023 - 0 Comments.

A robust seed system for agriculture is of fundamental importance to the health of the nation. Food & nutrition security continues to need attention in India, with a burgeoning population of approximately 1.4 billion to feed.

Agri tech startup Greenikk raises INR 5 crore in pre-seed funding from Indian, foreign investors

11-Jan-2023 - 0 Comments.

Greenikk, a Kerala-based fledgling startup that launched India’s first full-stack supply chain seamlessly connecting banana cultivators, wholesalers,  exporters and B2B buyers on a single platform, has raised INR 5.04 crore in pre-seed funding from a string of  institutional funders, angel investors and serial entrepreneurs from India and abroad.   

Fresh From Farm raises over INR 3.2 Cr in seed round led by Inflection Point Ventures

26-Nov-2022 - 0 Comments.

Food-Agri Business start-up Fresh From Farm has raised over 3.2 Cr in Seed Round led by Inflection Point Ventures. Fresh From Farm is a demand-and data-based aggregation ecosystem that recognizes retailer demand trends and buys the precise amount from farmers.

FSII donates INR 20 lakh to Benefit Sharing Fund of Food and Agriculture Organisation

25-Sep-2022 - 0 Comments.

Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) donated INR 20 lakh (USD 25000) to the Benefit Sharing Fund of Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) showing support for the work of the Benefit Sharing Fund.

Agtonomy receives seed III funding from Cavallo Ventures and Mirae Asset

16-Sep-2022 - 0 Comments.

Ag-tech innovator Agtonomy announced it closed a USD 13.5 million funding round for its cutting-edge software and services.

B2B food processing firm Suite42 raises $4.3 MN in seed round from Omnivore, Orios

07-Sep-2022 - 0 Comments.

Suite42, a B2B food processing platform, announced today that it has raised USD 4.3 million in Seed funding.

Insect biotech startup Loopworm raises $3.4M from Omnivore, WaterBridge

06-Sep-2022 - 0 Comments.

India's leading insect biotech startup, Loopworm, announced today that it has raised a $3.4 million Seed round co-led by Omnivore and WaterBridge Ventures, with participation from Titan Capital and leading angel investors including Nadir Godrej (Godrej Agrovet), Sanjiv Rangrass (ex-ITC), and Akshay Singhal (Log9 Materials). 

Jharkhand becomes first state to distribute seed to farmers through blockchain tech

22-Aug-2022 - 0 Comments.

In a significant development which would revolutionize agriculture in the country, Directorate of Agriculture, Jharkhand and global blockchain technology company, SettleMint, India jointly announced the successful launch of seed distribution to farmers based on blockchain technology.

Agri-Insurtech startup IBISA raises seed funding from Ankur Capital

16-Aug-2022 - 0 Comments.

Agri insurtech startup IBISA announced that Ankur Capital, an India-based leading early-stage venture capital fund focused on transformative technologies in deeptech and climate tech has joined its seed round.

Piatrika Biosystems raises $1.2 MN seed funding led by Ankur Capital

Agri-Genomics startup, Piatrika Biosystems has raised $1.2 Million in a seed round led by Ankur Capital.

Agritech startup Kisanserv inching towards INR 100 crore revenue

30-Apr-2022 - 0 Comments.

Pune-based full stack agritech startup Kisanserv who had raised INR 10 Crore in its seed round has clocked multiplier returns this year.

Seso raises USD 25m in seed funding lead by Index Ventures

18-Apr-2022 - 0 Comments.

Seso, a San Francisco, CA-based workforce management platform for agriculture, closed USD 25m in Series A funding.

Agrizy raises $4 million seed funding from Ankur Capital

13-Apr-2022 - 0 Comments.

Bengaluru-based ag-tech startup, Agrizy has raised $4 Million in a seed round led by Ankur Capital. This round also saw participation from Omnivore and notable angels like Rajesh Yabaji (CEO, BlackBuck), Zetwerk's Co-founders Srinath Ramakkrushnan, Amrit Acharya, Rahul Sharma, and Vishal Chaudhary among others.

Leaf Agriculture raises USD 5m seed funding from S2G Ventures

31-Mar-2022 - 0 Comments.

Leaf, food and agriculture's data infrastructure company, has raised USD 5m in seed funding led by S2G Ventures with participation from all existing investors including Cultivian, Radicle Growth, and SP Ventures.

Koidra raised USD 4.5m seed funding from Ospraie Ag Science for IA of greenhouses

30-Mar-2022 - 0 Comments.

Koidra, intelligent automation (IA) platform company based out of Seattle, has raised USD 4.5m in its seed round. Ospraie Ag Science (OAS) led this round of funding, with participation from Amritam Holdings, Cavallo Ventures, and Foothill Ventures.

Women leaders building sustainable, inclusive food system globally

16-Mar-2022 - 0 Comments.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) and Alliance for Agri Innovation held a webinar on 'Women Leadership Building Sustainable and Inclusive Food System'.

From seed to market govt overnment is providing all facilities to the farmers, says Kailash Choudhary

14-Mar-2022 - 0 Comments.

Union Minister of State Kailash Choudhary inaugurated Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela 2022 in New Delhi recently.

Ninjacart launches $25 MN agri seed fund

04-Mar-2022 - 0 Comments.

Ninjacart, India's leading agri-platform which leverages technology to organize the agriculture ecosystem, launches an Agri Seed Fund, a $25 million fund to support emerging and new-age startups in the agriculture sector.

Semaai raises USD 1.25m in pre-seed funding from Sequoia Surge, Beenext

18-Feb-2022 - 0 Comments.

Indonesia-based agri-tech startup Semaai earlier this week raised USD 1.25m (INR 8.75 crore) in a funding round.

India to showcase agriculture, food processing potential at EXPO2020 Dubai

17-Feb-2022 - 0 Comments.

India will pitch to become the preferred sourcing partner for the global food processing industry during the fortnight at EXPO2020 Dubai and host various seminars and conferences to deliberate on ways to explore international collaborations and further strengthen its export potential.

Agritech precision farming startup Samhitha raises $1.5MN in seed funding

02-Dec-2021 - 0 Comments.

Samhitha Crop Care Clinics, an agritech start-up offering precision farming advisory, announced on December 1, 2021, that it has raised $1.5 million in a seed round led by TechStar Group, and participated by Quadrant Resource and angel investors.

Govt to give 8.20 lakh hybrid seed mini kits free to farmers in 343 districts of 15 states

20-Oct-2021 - 0 Comments.

Under a special program by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, 8,20,600 seed mini-kits will be distributed free of cost in 343 identified districts of 15 major producing states of the country.

Federation of Seed Industry, Alliance for Agri Innovation celebrates World Cotton Day

06-Oct-2021 - 0 Comments.

On World Cotton Day on 7 October, Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) and Alliance for Agri Innovation (AAI) celebrates the power of technology like Bt Cotton in making India the world’s leading producer.

Bayer to launch organic vegetable seeds portfolio enabling greater access to certified organic market

04-Oct-2021 - 0 Comments.

Bayer has announced that it will expand its vegetable seeds offerings under the new Vegetables by Bayer umbrella to include organically produced seed.

Plant Protein Innovator Proeon raises INR 17.5 Crores in seed round

07-Sep-2021 - 0 Comments.

Committed to building a sustainable and environment friendly food ecosystem, Pune based food ingredient start-up Proeon, has recently raised INR 17.5 Crores as seed capital.

NSAI, FSII agrees on business framework on development of superior plant varieties by plant breeders

09-Jul-2021 - 0 Comments.

The seed industry through National Seed Association of India (NSAI) and Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) has reached a consensus on commercialization of framework for new traits for development of superior plant varieties which will benefit the farmers.

TrendiTech raises USD 1.18 MN seed funding for AI Biotrim Technology

29-Jun-2021 - 0 Comments.

TrendiTech Inc (Trendi), a Canadian-based start-up dedicated to creating new robotic, AI-driven food waste processing solutions, has raised USD 1.82 million (CAD 2.25m) in seed funding for its Biotrim mobile processing technology.

Govt prepares roadmap for self sufficiency in pulses, oilseeds

05-Jun-2021 - 0 Comments.

The seed minikit Programme was launched by agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar recently by distributing seed minikits (higher yielding varieties of seeds) to farmers.

CIBA develops captive breeding, seed production technology for Mangrove Red Snapper

31-May-2021 - 0 Comments.

In a major breakthrough that would give a fillip to the diversification of brackishwater aquaculture, the ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai has succeeded in developing captive broodstock and seed production technology of another marine fish Mangrove Red Snapper for the first time in India.

AgriTech silk supply chain startup ReshaMandi raises USD 1.7 mn seed funding

23-May-2021 - 0 Comments.

ReshaMandi, an agritech start-up digitizing India’s silk supply chain, has raised USD 1.7 million in seed funding. The round was led by Omnivore and Strive Ventures with participation from Axilor Ventures and Supply Chain Labs (Lumis), according to a media report.

Govt focused on providing quality seeds to farmers, states get funding for setting up seed processing-cum-storage godown units

09-Mar-2021 - 0 Comments.

The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare is implementing farmer’s welfare scheme ‘Sub-Mission on Seeds & Planting Materials’ to produce and supply quality seeds to farmers to enhance production and productivity in the country through various components namely Seed Village Programme, Establishment of Seed Processing- cum- Seed Storage Godowns at Gram Panchyat Level, National Seed Reserve, Boosting Seed Production in Private Sector and Strengthening of Quality Control Infrastructure Facilities.

Agri-inputs B2B marketplace AGRIM raises USD $2M in seed funding from Omnivore, India Quotient and Accion Venture Lab

05-Mar-2021 - 0 Comments.

AGRIM, a B2B marketplace for agri-inputs, came out of stealth mode today to announce that it had raised over USD 2 million (INR 15 crore) in Seed round funding back in May 2020 and had scaled operations substantially over the past ten months.

Govt procures 8.84 MN cotton bales from farmers worth INR 25,826 Cr during Kharif Marketing Season 2020-21

28-Jan-2021 - 0 Comments.

In the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2020-21, the Government has procured 8.84 million bales of seed cotton (Kapas) valuing INR 25826.59 crore has been procured benefitting 1.81 million farmers.

Social media empowers farmers to make judicious decisions, says Dr Shivendra Bajaj of Federation of Seed Industry of India

12-Jan-2021 - 0 Comments.

Social media has changed the way we think, comprehend and communicate, and it has not just restricted young people in urban pockets anymore but has penetrated deep into rural areas as well.

Agritech e-marketplace, Agri10x raises seed fund from Omnivore

07-Jan-2021 - 0 Comments.

Agritech startup Agri10x has announced that it has raised a seed round from Omnivore, without giving any details on the amount raised.

qZense secures INR 4.5 Cr seed investment led by Venture Catalysts

01-Jan-2021 - 0 Comments.

Venture Catalysts, India’s first and largest integrated incubator and accelerator, has recently led INR 4.5 Cr seed investment in qZense Labs, an agritech start-up for quality control and management of fresh produce.

Bayer launches mini seed packs for home garden segment

10-Dec-2020 - 0 Comments.

Bayer is entering India’s home garden segment with mini packs of its Seminis Vegetable Seeds. The home garden segment is vastly underserved with limited choices for farmers.

AIC-NMIMS Incubation Centre's portfolio start-up Agrify Organics gets funded

04-Dec-2020 - 0 Comments.

Agrify Organic Solutions Private Limited (Agrify Organics) has raised a Seed Stage round from AIC NMIMS Incubation Centre's 25x7 Investor Network.

Farm liberalisation to bring prosperity to entire food supply chain, says Federation of Seed Industry of India

27-Nov-2020 - 0 Comments.

When the Union Finance Minister proposed 16-point action plan to boost agriculture and farmers' welfare while presenting the budget earlier this year, the stage was set for liberalisation of the farm sector. There has been a long-pending demand of the comprehensive reforms to make agriculture a sustainable and scalable industry, and the new farm laws are the steps in the right direction.

'New farm laws offer more markets, benefits to farmers', says Federation of Seed Industry of India ED

17-Oct-2020 - 0 Comments.

Over the past few weeks, much has been written on the newly enacted farm bills, which have been termed 'historic' by the proponents while “death warrant” for farmers by the opposition groups.

Bayer launches high-yielding corn hybrid seed for Bihar farmers

12-Oct-2020 - 0 Comments.

Bayer Crop Science, a leading player in Indian agriculture has launched DKC 9188, a high-yielding hybrid corn seed for progressive corn farmers in Bihar. With DKC 9188, farmers can look forward to higher yields of superior quality corn in the upcoming Rabi season.

IPFT develops biopesticide formulation for insect control in seed spice crops

10-Oct-2020 - 0 Comments.

Providing an alreantaive to the chemical pesticide in treating seed spices crops, the Institute of Pesticide Formulation Technology (IPFT ) with ICAR- National Research Center on Seed Spices (NRCSS) has successfully developed new Aqueous Suspension formulation technology of bio-pesticide based on entomo-pathogenic fungus Verticillium lecanii.

Soil tech firm raises $1 mn from NABVENTURES, Omnivore

07-Oct-2020 - 0 Comments.

Krishitantra announced that it has raised USD 1 million (INR 7.6 crore) in seed funding from NABVENTURES and Omnivore.

Government statement on cropping patterns

20-Sep-2020 - 0 Comments.

National Food Security Mission, NFSM, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, MIDH, State Agricultural Universities, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, ICAR, ICAR-Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research, Modipuram, Agro Climatic Zonal Conferences, Agricultural Universities, KVKs, cropping systems, AICRP-Integrated Farming Systems, farmers

Alliance for Agri Innovation urges govt to allow Bt Brinjal trials in India

16-Aug-2020 - 0 Comments.

Alliance for Agri Innovation (AAI), a special interest group of Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) urges the Central and State Governments to allow field trials of Bt Brinjal in India.

Gene editing technology and regulation, says Dr Shivendra Bajaj of FSII

29-Jul-2020 - 0 Comments.

Adoption of science and technology in all aspects of life has been the hallmark of modern civilization. We expect technology to address challenges and make our lives easier, the same holds true for technological intervention in farming, writes Federation of Seed Industry of India executive director Shivendra Bajaj.

Alliance for Agri Innovation celebrates 25 years of growing GM crops

22-Jul-2020 - 0 Comments.

Alliance for Agri Innovation (AAI), a special interest group of Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) celebrates 25 years of planting biotech crops globally.

NCDEX to launch three feed, Industrial grade commodities option from July 27

21-Jul-2020 - 0 Comments.

National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX), India’s leading agricultural commodity exchange has announced the launch of Options in Goods contracts on Rapeseed – Mustard Seed, Wheat and Maize –Feed/Industrial Grade.

Telangana govt extend Keshavulu tenure as TSSOCA director

03-Jun-2020 - 0 Comments.

Telangana state government has extended the tenure of K. Keshavulu as Director of Telangana State Seed and Organic Certification Authority (TSSOCA) for a period of five years.

Entrepreneurship in agriculture can do wonders for rural economy, says Federation of Seed Industry of India Executive Director

13-May-2020 - 0 Comments.

Agriculture sector provides food for 1.3 billion people in India as well as support over 60% of the population for their livelihood and plays a crucial role in sustainable growth of the country's economy.

FSII members pledge INR 9 crores for COVID 19 relief measures

24-Apr-2020 - 0 Comments.

Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) along with its members have pledge now pledged donations of over Rs 9 cr for fighting COVID19, also known as Corona virus.

Corteva Agriscience launches Brevant seed to rice farmers in India

20-Mar-2020 - 0 Comments.

Global agriculture company, Corteva Agriscience expanded its Brevant seed range to offer rice farmers in India better access to the company's trusted hybrid seed portfolio.

FSII recommends making India global seed production hub & pushes for 200

16-Jan-2020 - 0 Comments.

For the upcoming Union Budget, Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) urges the Government of India for restoring the 200% income tax deduction (under the section 35 (2AB) of the Income Tax Act, 1961) for the in-house Research and Development (R&D) expenditure in seed industry.

Utkal Tubers eyes 50,000 tons of high yielding, disease resistant seed potatoes by 2022

20-Dec-2019 - 0 Comments.

Bengaluru-based potato seeds firm Utkal Tubers India Pvt. Ltd, plans to ramp up its annual production to 50,000 tons of high-yielding, disease-resistant seed potatoes across Gujarat, Assam, Punjab, UP, Haryana and Karnataka over the next three years.

Bayer opens state-of-the-art seed processing facility in Ukraine

06-Sep-2018 - 0 Comments.

Bayer opened a state-of-the-art seed processing facility in Pochuiky, Zhytomyr region. The new facility is the largest of its kind in Ukraine, and one of the largest in Europ

India to establish 150 Seed Hubs for pulses, Indian agri minister

05-Dec-2017 - 0 Comments.

India has taken up the initiative for the establishment of 150 Seed Hubs for pulses, ensuring timely availability of sufficient quantity of quality seeds, Indian agriculture and farmers welfare minister

Increasing Relevance of Hydroponics by Technologies

17-Oct-2017 - 0 Comments.

Among technologies that can potentially influence the future of agriculture and seed industry, hydroponics is one of the most exciting. The fact that hydroponics is prominently featuring in recent seed conferences in Netherlands is an indication of the potential and importance of the technology.

ITC acquires potato seed firm

25-Mar-2016 - 0 Comments.

India’s leading snacks producer, ITC Ltd has acquired the India unit of Australia-based agri-biotech company Technico Pty Ltd for $18.10 million.