Crop Protection Companies Seek Five-Year Data Protection Framework for New Pesticide Molecules

Five leading Indian crop protection companies have jointly urged the Government of India to introduce a time-bound Protection of Regulatory Data (PRD), saying it would benefit farmers and strengthen domestic manufacturing and exports.

Crystal Crop Protection, Rallis India, Dhanuka Agritech, PI Industries and Godrej Agrovet have proposed a five-year protection period from the first registration of a new molecule or a new use. They want the provision to be incorporated into the draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025. These companies are members of CropLife India.

The companies argue that India’s limited portfolio of registered crop protection molecules is restricting farmers’ access to newer technologies. India currently has around 380 registered molecules, compared with about 1,200 in use globally, according to the industry.

As climate change alters pest, weed and disease patterns and resistance increases, access to newer chemistry has become more important, the companies said. Newer molecules are generally more targeted, work at lower doses and may offer better safety and residue profiles.

The industry estimates that India loses 10% to 35% of its agricultural output annually to pests, weeds and diseases, resulting in losses of around Rs. 2 lakh crore.

Industry Says Current Rules Discourage Investment

According to the joint statement, bringing a new crop protection molecule to India requires six to eight years of local safety, efficacy and residue studies and an investment of around Rs. 40 crore to Rs. 50 crore.

However, the companies argue that once regulatory data is submitted, subsequent applicants can rely on the same data to seek registration at a significantly lower cost. This, they say, reduces the incentive for companies to invest in introducing new molecules.

Under the proposed PRD framework, the first registrant would receive a limited period of protection for regulatory data related to a new molecule or new use. Once the protection period ends, the product would become available to the wider industry, including generic manufacturers and small and medium enterprises.

The proposed framework would apply only to new molecules and new uses and would not affect products already registered or available in the market.

Farmers and Exports in Focus

Ankur Aggarwal, Chairman of CropLife India and Executive Chairman and Managing Director of Crystal Crop Protection, said a time-bound data protection framework could help farmers access newer crop protection technologies faster. “A time-bound data protection window brings them newer and safer tools sooner, and every molecule it brings in early belongs to the whole industry once the window closes,” he said.

Rahul Dhanuka, Managing Director of Dhanuka Agritech, said rising resistance among pests requires faster access to newer and safer crop protection solutions. 

Dr Gyanendra Shukla, Vice Chairman of CropLife India and Managing Director and CEO of Rallis India, said data protection could also improve India's competitiveness in global agrochemical markets. “The exporting countries we compete with adopted data protection and grew stronger for it. For India, a modern portfolio keeps our farmers protected and our exports competitive,” he said.

The companies said a wider portfolio of modern crop protection molecules could also help Indian agricultural exports meet tightening pesticide residue standards in overseas markets.

Five-Year Protection Proposed

The industry has proposed a five-year PRD period from the first registration of a new molecule or new use. It said this would strike a balance between encouraging investment in innovation and ensuring that generic manufacturers and SMEs gain access once the protection period expires.

The companies also argued that the framework could encourage greater investment in Indian laboratories, research facilities and field trials, as registration requires locally generated safety, efficacy and residue data.

The joint appeal comes as the government considers the draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025. The five companies, all members of CropLife India, have urged the government to use the proposed legislation to introduce a limited and time-bound regulatory data protection framework.