Indian scientists develop Designer Rice that contains protein three times the normal rice

Wheat, mustard, bananas and tomatoes are being ‘re-engineered’ in research labs

- BY S VENKAT NARAYAN

Across India’s research laboratories, scientists are quietly rewriting the science of food—rebuilding grains, editing crop genes, and redesigning staples to address some of the country’s most pressing nutritional and agricultural challenges.

This transformation is not happening in flashy tech hubs or futuristic factories. It is unfolding in agricultural laboratories, food technology institutes, and crop research centres scattered across the country. And its goal is simple but profound: to help India feed itself better.

Rethinking the grain that feeds a nation

Rice sits at the heart of India’s food system. It is eaten daily by hundreds of millions of people and forms the backbone of meals across much of Asia and Africa. Yet nutritionally, polished white rice is mostly starch. Once eaten, that starch converts rapidly into glucose, raising blood sugar levels.

For India—home to more than 100 million diabetics—the health implications are significant. At the same time, millions of Indians who rely on rice as a staple remain undernourished because the grain contains relatively little protein, iron, or essential vitamins.

Scientists believe technology can bridge this gap

At the CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) in Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), researchers led by food scientist Dr C. Anandharamakrishnan have developed what they call “designer rice.”

Instead of modifying the plant genetically, they start with broken rice—the small fragments produced during milling that are often discarded or sold cheaply.

The rice fragments are ground into flour, stripped of excess starch, and blended with protein and micronutrients. The mixture is then processed through an extrusion system that rebuilds the material into grains that look and cook like ordinary rice.