ICRISAT Strengthens South–South Collaboration through ISSCA and ITEC Global Training Programs
Four specialized courses equip global practitioners with science-based regenerative agriculture, digital technologies, crop improvement, and seed systems
Across the Global South, agriculture is emerging as a shared challenge that demands scalable solutions, stronger partnerships, and faster knowledge exchange. Addressing this need requires science-led approaches that combine innovation, capacity building, and global collaboration. To advance this, ICRISAT hosted a series of four international training programs from 3 March to 3 April 2026.
The programs were delivered through the ICRISAT Center of Excellence for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture (ISSCA), in collaboration with the Dryland Academy, under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) initiative of India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Developed collaboratively by ICRISAT and ISSCA partners, the courses enabled participants to understand, evaluate, and adopt scalable technologies for agriculture, climate resilience, and rural development, while building country-level collaborations to drive technology transfer, localization, and institutional partnerships.
A total of 129 participants from 25 countries participated in this intensive capacity-building initiative. The participants represented a diverse mix of policymakers, researchers, extension professionals, and development practitioners from the Global South, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing scalable solutions in climate-resilient agriculture, digital transformation, crop improvement, and seed systems strengthening.
[L-R]: Dr Ramesh Singh, Principal Scientist - Landscape Resource Conservation, ICRISAT; Dr Pratibha G, Principal Scientist (Agronomy) & OIC, GRF, ICAR-CRIDA; Dr VK Singh, Director, ICAR-CRIDA; Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General, ICRISAT; Dr Ravisankar N, Project Coordinator, AICRP-IFS, ICAR-IIFSR, and Dr Padmaja Ravula, Principal Scientist - Sociologist, Gender & Nutrition, ICRISAT.
[L-R]: Dr Pranuthi Gogumalla, Scientist - Digital Agriculture, ICRISAT; Dr Padmaja Ravula, Principal Scientist - Sociologist, Gender & Nutrition, ICRISAT; Dr Suryamani Tripathi, Global Head - Legal Services, ICRISAT; Dr Stanford Blade, Deputy Director General - Research and Innovation. ICRISAT; Dr CS Murthy, Advisor/Mentor, Digital and Geospatial Agriculture, Former Director, MNCFC, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India; Dr Murali Krishna Gumma, Principal Scientist - Geospatial Sciences and Big Data, ICRISAT, and Dr Mukund Patil, Senior Scientist - Soil Physics, ICRISAT.
[L-R]: Dr SK Gupta, Principal Scientist - Pearl Millet Breeding, ICRSAT; Dr Kuldeep Singh, Principal Scientist - Genebank Head, ICRISAT; Dr Stanford Blade, Deputy Director General - Research and Innovation, ICRISAT; Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General, ICRISAT; Mr Sanjay Agarwal, Assistant Director General, ICRISAT and Dr Padmaja Ravula, Principal Scientist - Sociologist, Gender & Nutrition, ICRISAT.
[L-R]: Dr Manzoor Dar, Principal Scientist - Global Head Seed Systems, ICRISAT; Dr C Tara Satyavathi, Director, ICAR-IIMR; Dr Stanford Blade, Deputy Director General - Research and Innovation, ICRISAT; Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General, ICRISAT; Dr Raman Babu, Global Research Program Director – Accelerated Crop Improvement, ICRISAT and Dr Padmaja Ravula, Principal Scientist - Sociologist, Gender & Nutrition, ICRISAT.Highlighting the need for stronger global collaboration to drive sustainable transformation, Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General of ICRISAT, said:
“The future of agriculture will be shaped by how effectively countries collaborate, share knowledge, and scale solutions.
“Through ICRISAT’s institutional platforms, such as ISSCA and the Dryland Academy, we connect science, innovation, and partnerships to drive sustainable transformation across the Global South,” said Dr Himanshu Pathak.
The training series focused on four priority areas aligned with ISSCA's focus areas:
- Regenerative Agriculture for Climate Resilience and Sustainable Intensification of the Drylands: Featured scalable regenerative practices to restore soil health, improve water-use efficiency, and strengthen resilience, complemented by hands-on training in tools such as digital MRV and decision-support systems.
- Digital and Geospatial Technologies for Agricultural Monitoring and Decision Support: Equipped participants with practical skills in remote sensing, GIS, and AI-driven analytics for real-time crop monitoring, risk assessment, and data-driven advisory services.
- Climate Smart and Nutri-Rich Cultivars for the Future: Highlighted scientific advancements in ICRISAT’s specialty crops, such as millets and legumes, along with advanced breeding, genomics, and biofortification technologies to develop high-yielding, nutritious, and farmer-preferred varieties.
- Designing and Delivering Resilient Seed Systems for Sustainable Food Security in Drylands: Trained participants on the multidisciplinary nature of seed systems, strengthening their capacity to design inclusive, market-oriented approaches by integrating policy, digital innovations, and community-based delivery models.
Emphasizing the breadth of the programs, Dr Stanford Blade, Deputy Director General - Research and Innovation of ICRISAT said:
"ICRISAT brings over five decades of experience in advancing agricultural science and reaching farmers, including the most underserved.
"By sharing this knowledge with diverse cohorts representing over 25 countries, we are strengthening global capacity to tackle agricultural challenges," said Dr Stanford Blade.
Throughout the courses, participants engaged in expert-led sessions, hands-on training, field visits to seed companies, the NutriHub, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD), and peer learning. The programs focused on practical application, with real-world case studies, tools, and analytical frameworks tailored to dryland systems. Participants strengthened their technical capacities while exchanging insights across countries, developing context-specific approaches for implementation within their national and regional systems.
These learning experiences were further enriched through contributions from partners and global experts, including Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Uttar Pradesh Council of Agricultural Research (UPCAR), Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), ICAR–Central Arid Zone Research Institute (ICAR-CAZRI), ICAR–Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research (ICAR-IIFSR), ICAR–Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research (ICAR-IIOR), ICAR–Indian Institute of Rice Research (ICAR-IIRR), Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited (BBSSL), Corteva Agriscience, Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University (RLBCAU), Seed Traceability, Authentication, and Holistic Inventory (SAATHI) Portal, Gubba Cold Storage Limited (Gubba Seeds), ICAR–Indian Institute of Millets Research (ICAR-IIMR), and ICAR–Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (ICAR-CRIDA).
The programs also benefited from CGIAR collaboration, including the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), CGIAR Science Program on Breeding for Tomorrow (B4T), CGIAR Data and Digital Accelerator (DDA) International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg), and HarvestPlus, bringing diverse scientific expertise into the training programs.
Emphasizing peer-to-peer learning, Mr Sanjay Agarwal, Assistant Director General of ICRISAT, encouraged participants to share scalable solutions through ISSCA platform:
"Solutions to many of agriculture’s challenges already exist. We must bridge the knowledge gap to make them accessible across borders.
"The ICRISAT Center of Excellence for South–South Cooperation in Agriculture (ISSCA) is designed to do exactly this by connecting countries, building capacity, and enabling solutions to be adapted to local contexts,” said Mr Sanjay Agarwal.
With four additional ITEC training programs planned for 2026, Dr Padmaja Ravula, Principal Scientist - Sociologist, Gender & Nutrition, ICRISAT, indicated that ICRISAT will continue to expand its global capacity development efforts through the Dryland Academy. She noted that the upcoming programs will further strengthen technical capacities, deepen cross-country learning, and support the wider adaptation of proven solutions across dryland regions.
About ISSCA: Established at ICRISAT in 2025, the platform translates decades of agricultural research into scalable, context-appropriate solutions while enabling the exchange and scaling of innovations across countries in the Global South with shared climatic, agricultural, and socio-economic challenges.
About ITEC: Launched in 1964, the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Program is a premier, fully funded capacity-building initiative of the Government of India. It fosters South-South cooperation by offering training, technical assistance, and consultancy to 160 partner countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Roseleen Aind
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