India launches global AgXelerate platform to connect agri-innovators with global markets

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) To connect agricultural innovators with international markets, a cross-border agri-platform Global AgXelerate was launched here on Wednesday, positioning India as a critical node in the global agri-innovation network.

The capital investments and technology ecosystems platform, launched by AgVaya and BioSTL, with support from the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) and Federation of Seed Industry of India, will link startups, incubators and investors from the US, Brazil, UK, Netherlands, Israel, Argentina and Australia to create market pathways for science-based solutions in regenerative agriculture.

"Scientific innovation is happening globally, but commercial access and scale-up remain fragmented," said Donn Rubin, CEO and President of BioSTL, a St Louis-based non-profit that has helped build over 140 startups, mobilising more than USD 3 billion in venture capital through its BioGenerator arm.

"Through AgXelerate, we aim to connect India's dynamic agricultural ecosystem with St Louis's innovation hub, building bridges between innovators, investors and farmers," he said in a statement.

With over 150 million smallholders and an agritech sector that has attracted USD 2.5 billion in funding since 2020, India is emerging as a key hub for global agri-innovation.

Global agricultural markets are projected to reach USD 12 trillion by 2033, driven by regenerative agriculture, agri-biotech and precision-farming innovations.

"The real value of innovation lies in its ability to reach markets and smallholder farmers. Global AgXelerate is designed to do exactly that -- to build bridges between science, startups and scale," said Ram Kaundinya, Partner, AgVaya LLP and Adviser, Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII).

"It will enable a two-way flow of technology, bringing cutting-edge global innovations to Indian farmers, while also taking Indian technologies and agri-solutions to international markets." Vijay Chauhan, GlobalSTL Lead at BioSTL, emphasised that India is uniquely positioned as a source and destination for innovation.

"The focus of this platform is on smallholder farmers, who form over 80 per cent of India's farming community. Global AgXelerate aims to bring tangible benefits to them and help India become the global centre of innovation for smallholder farmers." Trilochan Mohapatra, Chairman of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority (PPV&FRA), highlighted that one of India's key challenges lies in ensuring technology reaches smallholder farmers.

"Unless technology becomes accessible to smallholders, meeting the country's food requirements will be difficult. By delivering the right technologies to them, we can enhance their incomes while maintaining sustainable food systems," he said, adding that better market access is equally important for farmers to sell their produce effectively.

Delivering the chief guest's address, RS Paroda, Chairman, Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS), said India was emerging as a credible global voice in agricultural science.

"The future of agriculture lies in collaboration, not isolation. Through initiatives like this, India can demonstrate that innovation partnerships, even amid global trade frictions, can deliver sustainability and shared prosperity," Paroda added. PTI LUX LUX BAL BAL