ICRISAT and ICAR Announce Dryland Congress 2026 in New Delhi, India
The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) will organize the Dryland Congress 2026 from 10–12 September 2026 at the NASC Complex, New Delhi, India.
Organized under the theme “Transforming Dryland Agriculture through South–South Cooperation,” the Dryland Congress 2026 will serve as a major global platform for science, policy, innovation, investment, and collaboration, bringing together stakeholders to advance resilient and sustainable agri-food systems.
Dryland Congress 2026 will convene global leaders from research, academia, governments, industry, development agencies, startups, farmer organizations, CGIAR centers, and international institutions to accelerate collaboration and scalable innovation for dryland regions across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and beyond.
The Congress is being guided by an eminent global advisory committee under the joint leadership of Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General, ICRISAT, and Dr M. L. Jat, Director General, ICAR and Secretary, DARE, Government of India. The Congress is co-chaired by Dr Stanford Blade, Deputy Director General – Research & Innovation, ICRISAT, and Dr Devendra Kumar Yadava, Deputy Director General – Crop Sciences, ICAR.
The three-day Congress will feature high-level plenary sessions, technical sessions across six thematic areas, the Dryland Expo, startup and industry engagement platforms, policy dialogues, innovation showcases, and the ISSCA Awards recognizing contributions to South–South cooperation in agriculture.
The Congress also coincides with two significant milestones — the celebration of 50 years of partnership between ICRISAT and ICAR and the United Nations Day for South–South Cooperation observed on 12 September — reinforcing the importance of collaborative innovation, shared scientific leadership, and cross-regional partnerships in addressing the growing challenges facing dryland regions globally.
Registration for Dryland Congress 2026 is now open.
Students, researchers, and professionals are encouraged to submit abstracts under any of the six thematic areas of the Congress. Institutions, startups, industry partners, and government agencies are also invited to participate in the Dryland Expo and apply for ISSCA Awards
For sponsorships and other partnership opportunities, please contact: dryland-congress@icrisat.org
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