"India has traditionally relied on government-led research institutions to drive agri innovation"

In an exclusive interview with AgroSpectrum India, Navneet Ravikar, Group Chairman & Managing Director, Leads Connect Services, unveils India's first privately-owned Integrated Centre of Excellence for Cattle and Plant Genomics.

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He explains how the initiative marks a major leap from traditional government-driven research to a collaborative, industry-led agri-genomics ecosystem. Ravikar emphasizes that breakthroughs in genomic selection, OPU-IVF, and trait discovery will translate into real income gains for smallholder farmers through superior seeds, resilient crops, and high-performance indigenous cattle. Positioned as a catalyst for biological and technological self-reliance, the Centre aims to reduce India's dependence on imported genetics while building globally competitive IP. Edited excerpts:

A Genomics Leap for Indian Agriculture: India's agri sector has often lagged in cutting-edge R&D compared to the West. With your new Integrated Centre of Excellence for Cattle and Plant Genomics, are we finally seeing India take its place at the global frontier of agricultural biotechnology?

India's agri sector has always been rich in diversity, has historically excelled in scale but not always in scientific depth compared to the west. India, with the largest livestock population in the world (~300 million cattle and buffalo) and one of the most diverse crop portfolios, has immense genetic resources. Yet, the sector has traditionally lagged in advanced genomics research compared to Brazil, the U.S., and China. With our new Integrated Centre of Excellence for Cattle and Plant Genomics, India's first privately-owned facility, we are bridging that very gap – placing India firmly on the global biotechnology map. At Leads Agri Genetics, we were driven by two critical imperatives – to strengthen food security and to harness genomics for developing climate-resilient crops and cattle.