Telangana, May 09: International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the Department of Agriculture, Government of Rajasthan, formally exchanged four strategic Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity, sustainability, and climate resilience in the state.
The exchange took place during the Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet (GRAM) 2026 Investor Meet held at Park Hyatt Hyderabad.
The MoUs were exchanged in the presence of Bhajanlal Sharma, Joraram Kumawat, and Gautam Kumar.
The formal exchange was conducted between Manju Rajpal and Himanshu Pathak.
The partnership establishes a long-term framework for collaboration in agricultural research, training, and scaling science-led innovations to benefit Rajasthan’s farming community.
Under the agreement, the two sides will work together to establish several key initiatives and centres of excellence in Rajasthan. These include a Centre of Excellence on Millet Systems and Climate-Resilient Cropping to strengthen millet value chains and resilience, a Centre of Excellence on Genomics and Advanced Breeding to develop stress-tolerant crop varieties, and a Centre of Excellence on Regenerative Agriculture focused on soil health restoration and sustainable farming practices.
The collaboration will also support capacity building, digital innovation, market linkages, and value-addition initiatives aimed at improving the agricultural ecosystem and empowering farmers through technology-driven solutions.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Himanshu Pathak emphasized the importance of partnerships in achieving agricultural transformation and stated that the vision of a developed India remains incomplete without the development of the farming sector and rural communities.
By combining ICRISAT’s expertise in dryland agriculture research with Rajasthan’s agricultural development vision, the partnership aims to strengthen climate-resilient farming systems and improve livelihoods for smallholder farmers across the state.
