Private Firms Now Rule Seed Market, Eye High-Value Crops

In 2023-24, private companies accounted for 71% of the country's seed production

- Vijay C. Roy

Private companies have overtaken the public sector in India's seed production, driven by its dominance in high-value crops such as cotton and horticulture.

In 2023-24, private firms accounted for 71% of seed production, up from 40% in 2009-10, according to data from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). In contrast, the share of state-run seed producers fell from 60% to 29% over the same period.

This shift has implications for Indian agriculture, which relies on both public institutions like ICAR and market-driven innovation to improve yields, ensure food security, and support smallholder farmers. The divergence also reflects the differing priorities of public and private players: while public firms focus on low-value, high-volume food crops such as cereals, pulses and oilseeds that are linked to food security, private companies have cornered the market in high-margin segments with greater commercial potential.