50 Years of ICAR–ICRISAT Partnership Celebrated as Dryland Congress 2026 Focuses on Farming Systems, Seeds, Gender and Youth
New Delhi, India — 11 September 2026
Day Two of Dryland Congress 2026 opened with a special session celebrating 50 years of ICAR–ICRISAT collaboration, bringing together former and current leaders of both institutions to reflect on five decades of partnership and chart a roadmap for deeper collaboration towards Viksit Bharat 2047.
The session was co-chaired by Dr RS Paroda, former Director General, ICAR, and Dr William Dar, former Director General, ICRISAT. It featured reflections from former ICAR and ICRISAT leaders, including Dr Panjab Singh, former Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR; Dr CLL Gowda, former Deputy Director General, ICRISAT; Dr TR Sharma, former Deputy Director General, Crop Science, ICAR; and Dr Swapan Datta, former Deputy Director General, Crop Science, ICAR. Dr ML Jat, Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR, provided a strategic outlook, calling for the complementary strengths of ICAR and ICRISAT to be leveraged to address larger challenges and accelerate impact.
Looking ahead, Dr DK Yadava, Deputy Director General, Crop Science, ICAR, and Dr Raman Babu, Global Research Program Director, Accelerated Crop Improvement, ICRISAT, presented a roadmap for strengthening ICRISAT–ICAR collaboration towards Viksit Bharat 2047.
The day's program also featured three thematic panel discussions: Reimagining Resilient Dryland Farming Systems, exploring integrated and climate-smart approaches for smallholder farmers; Transforming Seed Systems in the Global South, focusing on strengthening seed delivery and public–private partnerships across Asia and Africa; and Gender and Youth-Centered Transformation, examining how inclusive policies, leadership and youth engagement can drive lasting change in dryland agri-food systems.
These discussions were complemented by parallel technical sessions covering resilient dryland farming systems, seed systems in the Global South, and gender- and youth-centered transformation.
The poster presentations also got underway, with students and research scholars showcasing their research through a vibrant display of scientific work. More than 145 posters are being evaluated on 10 and 11 September as part of the Best Poster Awards.
A highlight of the day was a Visionary Talk by Dr RS Paroda, former Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR, on Agrobiodiversity for Building Resilience of Drylands, highlighting the importance of biodiversity in strengthening the resilience of dryland farming systems.
Quotes
Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General, ICRISAT:
“This is an enduring partnership that has truly delivered. The first fifty years have transformed science into impact, and the next fifty years must strengthen innovation, South-South cooperation and collective action to accelerate the transformation of drylands in India and beyond.”
Dr ML Jat, Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR:
“We value the partnership, we support the partnership, and we will continue to support the partnership. By leveraging the complementary strengths of ICAR and ICRISAT, we can take on bigger challenges and create greater impact in the years ahead.”
Dr RS Paroda, Former Director General, ICAR and Former Secretary, DARE:
“This milestone is an opportunity not only to celebrate success, but also to reflect on the future. By aligning our resources, expertise and vision, we can accelerate the transformation of dryland agriculture in India and beyond.”
Dr Panjab Singh, Former Director General, ICAR and Former Secretary, DARE:
“The ICAR–ICRISAT partnership has delivered significant outcomes over the past five decades. The next phase must focus on scaling successful models and ensuring that innovations reach farmers at a much larger scale.”
Dr William Dar, Former Director General, ICRISAT:
“The future of dryland agriculture will depend on combining the best science with strong partnerships, innovation and scale. Our focus must extend beyond productivity to include income security, nutrition security and resilience for farming communities.”
Prof. Yaye Gassama, ICRISAT Board Member:
“The future of the drylands will be stronger when women’s voices carry further and young people have greater space to shape solutions. Inclusive transformation means turning voice, agency and ideas into opportunity, through leadership, innovation and enterprise. It begins by widening who gets heard, who gets to lead and who gets to shape the future.”
Dr AV Bhavani Shankar, Chief General Manager, NABARD:
“We are glad to be the principal partner for this important conversation at Dryland Congress 2026. Scaling innovation has always been a challenge. The discussions I co-chaired today highlighted the importance of developing scalable innovations and taking them beyond individual interventions towards systems-level and landscape-level deployment.”
Parkavi Kumar
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