‘AGRlNDIA’ a new company by Department of Agricultural Research & Education

The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal of Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Research & Education (DARE) for setting up of a new company, called AGRlNDIA.

The AGRlNDIA will be a registered company under the Companies Act, fully owned by Government of India in the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) with a share capital of Rs.100 crore and initial paid up capital of Rs.50 crore. The company would be made functional within four months.

AGRlNDIA would undertake, amongst others, the following major activities:

i. Protection and management of intellectual properties generated in the system and its commercialization / distribution for public benefit

ii. Production, marketing and popularization of ICAR's products, processes and technologies in agriculture and allied sectors, viz. seed (including fodder seed, semen and fish seed), planting material, vaccines, diagnostics, several other biotechnological products, other value added inputs and products, farm implements and machinery, other technologies etc.

iii. Providing skilled services from ICAR, such as consultancies, contract research, contract service, customized capacity building, technical support for turnkey project etc.

iv. Setting up research and development farms and assist in setting up production units outside India, especially in Africa and in the Asia-Pacific region; and perhaps other regions of the world such as Latin America.

v. Public-private partnerships in research, education and other capacity building in agriculture and allied sectors.

. AGRlNDIA would promote spread of R&D outcomes through IPR protection, commercialisation and forging partnerships both in the country and without. The farmers of the country would benefit from the formation of the company because of the following:

i. The company would provide a model for quality seed availability in the country.

ii. The company would enable manufacturing and marketing models of good quality vaccines and diagnostic kits etc.

iii. It would establish ICAR's R&D presence in other countries/region, such as in Africa and the Asia Pacific region.

iv. Intellectual Property Rights in ICAR would be efficiently managed for their protection and consequent commercialization.