INDIA BRAZIL AGRI INNOVATION COLLABORATION
Why in News?
- The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) launched Maitri 2.0, the second edition of the India–Brazil Cross-Incubation Programme in Agritech.
- The programme was inaugurated in New Delhi in the presence of:
- Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR)
- Ambassador of Brazil to India
- Senior officials, incubators, and startups from both countries.
ABOUT MAITRI 2.0 PROGRAM
| Aspect | Details |
| Full Name | Maitri 2.0 – Brazil–India Cross-Incubation Programme in Agritech |
| Organizers | Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) & Brazilian institutions |
| Nature | Bilateral Agri-Tech Collaboration Platform |
| Objective | Promote co-creation, innovation exchange, and incubation partnerships between startups and research institutions of India and Brazil |
| Focus Areas | Sustainable agriculture, digital farming, climate resilience, agri-value chains, food & nutritional security |
| Approach | Two-way learning, incubation support, exchange of best practices |
KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE LAUNCH EVENT
(DG, ICAR)
- Celebrated 77 years of India–Brazil relations.
- Stressed on historical ties and shared multilateral platforms like BRICS and G20.
- Cited recent ICAR–EMBRAPA MoU as a milestone.
- Emphasized:
- Complementarity in agriculture and food systems.
- Shift from 74 patents in 1996 to 1,800+ patents annually.
- Over 5,000 licensing agreements through ICAR.
- Commercialization of innovation as public service, not profit-driven.
- Maitri 2.0 as a “two-way learning and co-creation” platform.
(Ambassador of Brazil)
- Lauded ICAR for the initiative.
- Reaffirmed strategic alignment between Brazil and India in:
- Agriculture innovation
- Food and nutritional security
- Emerging technologies
- Called Maitri 2.0 a strategic step in bilateral relations.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
- Strengthen incubator linkages between India and Brazil.
- Facilitate cross-incubation and co-innovation in:
- Climate-smart agriculture
- Agri-digital technologies
- Supply chain and value-chain development
- Foster a resilient, inclusive agri-food system.
- Enable technology transfer and startup scaling.
SIGNIFICANCE OF INDIA BRAZIL AGRI PARTNERSHIP
Global Context
- Both countries are agricultural powerhouses with:
- Large agri-ecosystems
- Shared tropical farming challenges
- Influence in global food governance (WTO, G20, BRICS)
Innovation Ecosystem
- India: ICAR, Startup India, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Agri-Incubators.
- Brazil: EMBRAPA – world-renowned agricultural research body.
- Potential for joint R&D, tech transfer, and business model co-creation.
CLIMATE RESILIENCE & SDGs
- Addresses climate-smart agriculture, in line with SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
Way Forward
- Expand Co-Incubation Framework to cover more agri-sectors (e.g. livestock, fisheries, agri-biotech).
- Bilateral Start-up Exchange Programs to strengthen capacity building.
- Joint participation in international agri-innovation competitions and platforms.
- Monitor and Evaluate outcomes via metrics like startup success, innovations commercialized, and farmers reached.
- Leverage this model for South-South Cooperation across Africa, Latin America, and ASEAN.
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