With holistic policy and regulatory reforms, India’s `30,000-crore seed industry could unlock over `800 crore in additional annual economic value, bring more improved varieties to the farmers faster and raise its share in global seed trade from around 1 per cent to 10 per cent by 2035, says a new report by the Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII). The report, Ease of Doing Business in the Indian Seed Industry: Unlocking Growth Through Holistic Policy Reforms, launched at FSII’s conference coinciding with its 9thAnnual General Meeting, highlights how streamlining regulations would not only strengthen India’s competitiveness but also directly benefit farmers.
With these reforms, a typical seed company could introduce 3–5 new varieties each year, invest more in R&D and enable farmers faster access to innovations. Progressive farmer from Tamil Nadu, Ravichandran Vanchinathan, underlined the urgency from a farmer’s perspective. “Farmers are demanding access to GM crops and other innovative technologies that can help us fight climate stress, pests and diseases. We want policies that allow us to benefit from scientific progress rather than being left behind.
More competition and choice in the market will ensure that high-quality seeds reach us on time. Looking back, I think the green revolution’s success was assured because at that time there was no unscrupulous activism spreading misinformation,” he said. The EoDB report reveals that a significant chunk of regulatory friction costs estimated to be over `300 Crore annually for the industry, come from delays in licensing and registration, causing companies to miss crucial testing and launch window.
Other major challenges include redundant variety testing, inconsistent state-level requirements divergent from the Central legislations, and cumbersome procedural complexities particularly impacting MSMEs more. Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, Chairperson of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPVFRA),said that intellectual property protections are key to addressing these bottlenecks. This, FSII estimates, could save the industry ?382–708 crore annually, enable a 13–15per cent rise in R&D spending, and accelerate the introduction of new seed varieties.
Ajeet K Sahu, Joint Secretary (Seeds), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, said, “The Government is exploring all means to boost growth of the seed sector by addressing the challenges. Adding a scientific and regulatory perspective, Dr D.K. Yadava, Assistant Director General (Seed), ICAR, emphasized the need for stronger public–private collaboration. Ajai Rana, Chairman of FSII and CEO & MD of Savannah Seeds, highlighted the opportunity such reforms could unlock.