The Indian seed industry aims to raise India's share of global seed trade from around 1% to 10% by 2035, while strengthening domestic innovation and self-reliance in strategically important crops such as oilseeds and pulses, the Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) said on Thursday. Setting out the goal at the FSII Knowledge Day 2026, held as part of its 10th Annual General Meeting in New Delhi, FSII said the industry, valued at $3.6 billion and expected to cross $5 billion by 2030.
Ajai Rana, Chairman, FSII and MD & CEO, Savannah Seeds, said, "India has the science, the talent and the farmers to become a major player in the global seed market. Government initiatives such as the national Mission on High-Yielding Seeds are important steps. The industry is ready to invest more in research, especially in oilseeds and pulses."
Outlining the industry's asks, he said, "We need a single national framework for seed regulation with predictable timelines, faster science-based approvals for new varieties, traits and technologies, and stronger protection of intellectual property, especially in oilseeds and pulses. This will give companies the confidence to make long-term investments."
The industry believes that there is merit in giving a decisive push to R&D investments as it is directly proportional to a nation’s GDP. “While developed countries spend about 3-4% of their GDP on R&D, our investment is much below one percent. Research suggests that every rupee spent on on R&D can give a return of Rs 13,” added Rana.
Rana also said that there was need for the industry and government to work together. Citing edible oil import dependence, he added, “If government and industry can come together, we can achieve self sufficiency in edible oil in less than 10 years. The industry has developed mustard hybrids which give farmers yields of one tonne per acre adding significantly to their incomes, unlike wheat which gives less returns. If we can divert some land to mustard from wheat, this shall significantly enhance farmers income, while ensuring self-sufficiency, and reducing our import dependence.”
Kishore Jaiswal, progressive farmer and Convenor, National Farmers' Empowerment Initiative (NFEI), said, "Farmers adopt better seed once they see the results in their fields. Good seed gives us higher yields and better protection against pests and bad weather. Indian farmers want access to the latest seed technologies at the same time as farmers in other countries."
Experts also highlighted the growing economic and resilience value of improved seed technologies among vegetable farmers in India. Evidence from vegetable farmers across five major vegetable-producing states shows that 93% of farmers use hybrid seed, with 68% sourcing seed through dealers, while quality, cost and reliability remain key considerations in seed selection. “Our findings indicate that improved seed is translating into economic value, with an average cultivation cost of Rs 1.07 lakh per acre and an average reported return on investment (ROI) of 2.7x.
Importantly, 85% of farmers reported improved crop resilience, while 61% considered contemporary varieties climate-ready, underlining the role of varietal innovation in helping farmers respond to changing growing conditions,” said Dr K Vijayaraghavan, Chairman and CEO, Sathguru Management Consultants, Hyderabad. A Report “Transformation of India’s Vegetable Seed Sector” prepared by Sathguru Management Consultants and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands.
The findings of the Report also point to an opportunity to unlock further value, with awareness and adoption of specific climate- and biotic-stress traits remaining limited and farmers continuing to rely on generic pesticide applications for crop protection.