The agriculture industry is crucial for sustaining the global population, providing essential food supplies, employment withinthe agrarian network and strengthening the economy. However, it also significantly contributes to pressing environmental issues, including land-use change, biodiversity loss, excessive reliance on agrochemicals, depletion of water resources, and greenhouse gas emissions.As climate change becomes an increasingly urgent concern, adverse weather events are rendering farming increasingly unpredictable, with rising temperatures, water scarcity, soil degradation, and new pest pressures. In this complex landscape, finding solutions that balance productivity with environmental stewardship is more critical than ever.
'Climate Resilient Agriculture’has been identified as one of the six pivotal thematic sectors outlined in the BioE3 Policy for ‘fostering high-performance biomanufacturing’, A strategic push to develop tools and a knowledge framework under this initiative is envisioned to empower farmers to anticipate, adapt to, and recover from adverse environmental conditions while promoting responsible environmental stewardship.
Driven by groundbreaking advancements in biotechnology, the development of climate-smart seeds tailored to withstand fluctuating weather patterns, the use of sustainable bio-inputs that enhance soil health, and the implementation of precision agriculture techniques that optimize resource use and reduce wastage, India stands on the cusp of transitioning to a more resilient and environmentally friendly agricultural model, paving the way for a future where farming is not only secure and productive but also sustainable. This shift is imperative for ensuring food security and preserving environmental health for generations to come.
Biomanufacturing for ‘Climate Resilient Agriculture’ encompasses leveraging emerging technologies and furthering research and innovation to develop bio based agri inputs including peptides, botanicals, dsRNAs, and novel microbial strains for improving nutrient availability, bioprotection or biostimulant activity; microbial consortia formulation & marine biostimulants for crop growth and testing them for efficacy under the lab or field conditions, harnessing traditional/local cultivars for identifying novel genes for biotic stress resilience, Identification and validation of target genes for conferring climate resilience in crop plants, genome editing and genomic selection for enhanced input use efficiency and climate resilience in crop plants.. By advocating for reduced chemical applications, enhancing crop performance, and fostering improved resource efficiency, this initiative aims to facilitate a transition into a circular agri-economy. Thereby, enabling the Agri-industry to withstand climate shockswhile meeting the growing global demands for food and nutritional security.
Supporting research and innovation to foster Biomanufacturing for Climate Resilient Agriculture
Key focus areas of the program are as follows:
The programme intends to undertake scalable biorefinery platforms ready for integration with core sector emission utilization systems.
The DBT- BIRAC Joint Call for Proposals on ‘Climate Resilient Agriculture’ for fostering high performance Biomanufacturing under BioE3 Policy was announced in April 2025. A total of 600 proposals were received on the closing date. Following a two-stage screening, selection process and a dedicated workshop to promote collaboration, 41 projects were shortlisted for financial support by DBT/ BIRAC. The 34 Academia and 7 industry/joint Academia-industry proposals have been processed for financial due diligence and site visits/financial evaluation, respectively.
New projects were supported for implementation to develop novel bio-formulations for enhanced stress resilience and nitrogen use efficiency.
A top-down Network proposal was developed in Centre-State partnership mode involving institutes of BRIC (iBRIC) and S&T council, State Government of Sikkim, to develop and test bio-based solutions for circumventing pest/pathogens of large cardamom and develop new disease-tolerant varieties.
An open-access webinar was conducted on the thematic vertical ‘Climate Resilient Agriculture’ in January 2025, involving talks from Academia and industry experts to connect with stakeholders and create awareness about the advances and opportunities in the area for fostering Biomanufacturing for Climate Resilient Agriculture.
Dr. Anamika Gambhir
Scientist ‘G’
Email: anamika[at]dbt[dot]nic[dot]in
Phone: 011-24363665
Dr. Sumita Kumari
Email: sumita[dot]kumari[at]dbt[dot]nic[dot]in
