Indian Council of Agricultural Research

What Indian Council of Agricultural Research does

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is India's statutorily designated apex body for coordinating, guiding, and managing agricultural research, education, and extension, operating under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education within the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Established in 1929 and headquartered at Krishi Bhavan in New Delhi, ICAR oversees the National Agricultural Research System comprising 113 research institutes, 74 State Agricultural Universities, 4 deemed universities, and 731 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) that serve as district-level extension centers across 651 districts. The organization focuses on crop science, horticulture, natural resource management, agricultural engineering, animal science, and fisheries, and has been a central driver of India's food security trajectory, with national foodgrain production rising from 50.8 million tonnes in 1950-51 to 376.5 million tonnes in 2025-26 and India surpassing China as the world's largest rice producer at 150.18 million tonnes.

ICAR's portfolio spans R&D outputs (2,996 climate-resilient crop varieties released between 2014-2025, 184 new seed varieties released in January 2026, genome-edited rice varieties Pusa DST-1 and DRR Dhan 100), digital advisory platforms (Bharat-VISTAAR, an AI-driven multilingual platform integrating AgriStack farmer records with ICAR's research package, and Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra, a WhatsApp-based AI chatbot), and frontier biotechnology (POC1/Plant OpenCRISPR-1, the world's first AI-designed plant genome editor published in New Phytologist). The organization is wholly government-funded through annual budgetary allocations from the Government of India, does not operate commercial pricing, and distributes research outputs, seed varieties, and advisory services free of charge or at subsidized rates through government schemes and the KVK extension network.

The business model is a government budgetary support model in which ICAR receives annual allocations (reportedly rising from ₹27,662 crore to ₹1.40 lakh crore in recent years) and channels these into research programs, educational grants, extension services, and partnerships with CGIAR centers (IRRI, ICRISAT, ICARDA), EMBRAPA (Brazil), Russia's Federal Center for Animal Health, Argentina's INTA, Chile's INIA, Israel's planned IINCA, Dalhousie University (Canada), ICMR (SEHAT Mission), NDDB (dairy), and Dr Reddy's Foundation (vocational training). Revenue mechanics are entirely non-commercial; reach is measured in farmers served (1.85 million via NICRA) rather than paying customers, and the primary GTM motion combines community-led extension through KVKs and field campaigns (Save the Fields/Khet Bachao Abhiyan) with direct-to-consumer digital advisory through multilingual AI platforms.

Name

Indian Council of Agricultural Research

Legal name

Indian Council of Agricultural Research

Website

https://icar.org.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ICAR is India's apex government agricultural research body, coordinating 113 research institutes, 78 agricultural universities, and 731 Krishi Vigyan Kendras to deliver crop science, extension, and digital advisory services to smallholder farmers nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research and Education Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Regulation of Agricultural Marketing and Commodities (92614)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Higher Education Governance & Quality Policy Research (EDADADAI)

Keywords

• Agricultural research services
• Climate-resilient crop varieties
• Agricultural extension services
• Genome editing technology
• Agricultural higher education

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Funding (Budgetary Support): ICAR operates as a government-funded research organization under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, receiving budgetary allocations from the Government of India. Funding increased from ₹27,662 crore to ₹1.40 lakh crore over recent years to support agricultural research, education, and extension activities across the network of institutes and universities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ICAR is the apex statutory body coordinating agricultural research, education, and extension across India, operating 113 research institutes, 74 State Agricultural Universities, 4 deemed universities, and 731 Krishi Vigyan Kendras. It develops and disseminates climate-resilient crop varieties, AI-powered digital advisory platforms, genome editing technologies, and a national extension network delivering research-based services to farmers free of charge or at subsidized rates.

Product overview

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) operates as India's premier agricultural research organization with 113 research institutes and a network of 731 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs). The portfolio includes AI-powered digital advisory tools (Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra chatbot, Bharat-VISTAAR platform), genome editing technology (POC1), online education through ICAR e-courses, and a portfolio of 20+ peer-reviewed research journals. The ecosystem integrates traditional research capabilities with modern AI tools to support India's agricultural sector across crop science, animal science, fisheries, and agricultural engineering domains.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra AI-powered multilingual WhatsApp chatbot developed by ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research, Hyderabad, providing 24/7 research-based advisory services on crop management, pest control, and irrigation to oilseed farmers free of charge, without requiring any app download.
• Bharat-VISTAAR Multilingual AI-driven digital advisory platform announced in Union Budget 2026, integrating AgriStack digital farmer records with ICAR's agricultural practices package to provide customized crop advisories, weather-linked insights, soil recommendations, and region-specific best practices in multiple Indian languages to farmers.
• POC1 (Plant OpenCRISPR-1) Genome Editing Platform AI-designed genome-editing platform for plants developed by ICAR-Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, enabling precise gene knockout, base editing, and prime editing without introducing foreign genes, with applications for improving yield, stress tolerance, and nutritional content.
• ICAR e-Courses Online education platform providing agricultural courses under the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) to strengthen the capacities of agricultural universities and learners across India.
• ICAR Research Journals Portfolio Portfolio of open-access and subscription-based agricultural research journals including the Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, and 20+ other peer-reviewed publications for researchers and academics.
• Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) Network Network of 731 district-level agricultural science centers that serve as frontline extension centers providing technology dissemination, training, and advisory services to farmers across India, with presence in 651 districts.
• 184 Improved High-Yielding Crop Seed Varieties 184 high-yielding, climate-resilient seed varieties of 25 crops released by ICAR, spanning rice, wheat, pulses, oilseeds, Bt cotton, and other crops, with pest and disease resistance traits for distribution to farmers.
• SEHAT Mission (with ICMR) Joint ICAR-ICMR mission integrating agricultural and health research under a One Health approach, with a five-pronged action plan promoting biofortified crops, integrated farming systems, and research linking agriculture to nutrition and lifestyle disease outcomes.

Quantifiable outcome

• India became world's largest rice producer with 150.18 million tonnes output (2025-26), surpassing China's 145.28 million tonnes
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 May 2026ICAR and ICMR jointly launched the SEHAT Mission (Science Excellence for Health through Agricultural Transformation) addressing India's dual burden of malnutrition and rising non-communicable diseases through a 'One Health' approach integrating agricultural and medical research.
• International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2026ICAR and IRRI discussed potential collaboration between ICAR and IRRI South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) in Varanasi for improved rice production technologies, seed systems, and direct-seeded rice practices.
• CGIAR System OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026ICAR signed MoU with CGIAR for strengthened collaboration in agricultural research, building on India's long-standing relationship with international agricultural research centers. CGIAR operates a global network of research centers including IRRI, ICRISAT, and ICARDA.
• Dalhousie University (Canada)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2026Dalhousie University partnered with ICAR to establish the Tirupati Tri-Institutional Global Innovation Campus linking graduate training and research with industry across sectors including digital agriculture. The partnership includes a $520,000 Indo-Pacific Scholarships funding envelope from Global Affairs Canada.
• Dr Reddy's FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 February 2026ICAR and Dr Reddy's Foundation signed a five-year MoU to enhance vocational training and capacity building in modern agricultural practices across rural India. The partnership combines ICAR's research expertise with DRF's extension models through the Lead Farmers Platform model, initially focusing on six states.
• ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026ICARDA inaugurated facilities of its Food Legume Research Platform in Amlaha, Madhya Pradesh, strengthening India's domestic research infrastructure for food legumes. Since 2014, FLRP has implemented 34 R&D projects, mobilized USD 50 million, released 158 crop varieties, and reached 550,000 direct beneficiaries.
• Israel (India-Israel Innovation Centre for Agriculture - IINCA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026India and Israel signed MoU to establish the India-Israel Innovation Centre for Agriculture (IINCA) at ICAR focusing on developing advanced agricultural technologies including precision farming and satellite-based irrigation systems. This strategic partnership builds on the elevated bilateral relationship announced during PM Modi's February 2026 visit to Israel.
• Quad AI-ENGAGE InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026ICAR participates in the $2.4 million Quad AI-ENGAGE initiative with U.S. NSF, Australia's CSIRO, and Japan's JST investing in six international research projects leveraging AI to modernize agriculture across the Indo-Pacific region.
• National Dairy Development Board (NDDB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2026ICAR signed MoU with NDDB to deepen collaboration in multidisciplinary research, innovation and extension across India's dairy sector. The partnership aims to combine ICAR's scientific expertise with NDDB's strong field presence to accelerate technology development and capacity building.
• Chile (INIA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Chile and India formalized a Joint Action Plan 2025-2027 between Chile's Agricultural Research Institute (INIA) and ICAR focusing on scientific cooperation and development of high-value temperate crops including walnuts, kiwifruit, apples, almonds, berries, peaches, plums, pistachios, and pine nuts.
• Brazil's EMBRAPAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025ICAR signed MoU with Brazil's EMBRAPA to develop climate-resilient soybean crops under the BRICS Agricultural Research Platform framework as part of India's broader strategy to enhance food security and promote sustainable agricultural practices.
• Russia (Federal Center for Animal Health)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025India and Russia signed MoU between ICAR and Russia's Federal Center for Animal Health to enhance cooperation in agricultural research, innovation, and capacity building in animal health.
• Argentina (INTA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025India and Argentina signed ICAR-INTA Work Plan 2025-27 covering sustainable agronomy, crop and animal biotechnology, livestock improvement, and digital agriculture through joint research, germplasm exchange, and structured training programs.
• CGIARcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) listed as international agricultural organization partner, operating centers including IRRI, ICRISAT, ICARDA, and others collaborating with ICAR.
• FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAO listed as international agricultural organization partner for food security and agricultural development cooperation.
• BRICS Agricultural Research PlatformcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICAR participates in the BRICS Agricultural Research Platform facilitating cooperation among BRICS nations including joint research projects and training programmes on climate-resilient crops.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• EMBRAPA (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation): Brazil's national agricultural research corporation with a comparable mandate to develop tropical agriculture and operate a network of research centers. ICAR and EMBRAPA have an active MoU under the BRICS Agricultural Research Platform to develop climate-resilient soybean crops, making them the closest structural peers globally.
• CGIAR System Organization: Global partnership of international agricultural research centers (IRRI, ICRISAT, ICARDA, CIMMYT) coordinating research on food security. ICAR holds an active MoU with CGIAR and serves as a national counterpart in India, making it a direct peer in the international agricultural research ecosystem.
• IRRI (International Rice Research Institute): Global rice research organization collaborating with ICAR on improved rice production technologies, seed systems, and direct-seeded rice practices through IRRI South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) in Varanasi. Direct peer in the rice research domain where ICAR has achieved the 150.18 million tonne breakthrough.
• ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas): International agricultural research center focused on dryland crops with a Food Legume Research Platform operating in Madhya Pradesh, India. ICARDA has implemented 34 R&D projects in India, released 158 crop varieties, and reached 550,000 beneficiaries — directly comparable peer in dry-area agricultural research.
• INTA (Argentina's National Agricultural Technology Institute): Argentina's national agricultural research institute with comparable mandate in sustainable agronomy, crop and animal biotechnology, and livestock improvement. ICAR-INTA Work Plan 2025-27 covers joint research, germplasm exchange, and structured training — directly comparable public-ag-research peer.
• INRAE (France's National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment): France's national public agricultural research organization operating across crop science, animal science, and environmental research. Comparable in scope to ICAR's multi-disciplinary research mandate, with similar role in coordinating national agricultural research priorities and extension.

Broad incumbents

• CSIRO (Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation): Australia's national science agency covering agriculture among broader portfolios. ICAR participates in the $2.4M Quad AI-ENGAGE initiative alongside CSIRO, positioning them as peers in AI-driven agricultural modernization research.
• USDA Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS): U.S. federal in-house research agency within the USDA, conducting agricultural research across similar domains as ICAR. Comparable scale and government-funded research mandate, though embedded within a larger USDA portfolio rather than operating as an autonomous apex body.

Regional players

• Rothamsted Research (UK): One of the oldest agricultural research institutions in the world, focused on crop science and sustainable agriculture. Comparable as a long-established public agricultural research institution, though operating in a different geographic and funding context than ICAR.
• INIA (Chile's Agricultural Research Institute): Chile's national agricultural research institute operating in a different geography with similar scientific mandate. ICAR-INIA Joint Action Plan 2025-2027 covers high-value temperate crops (walnuts, kiwifruit, apples, almonds, berries), making it a peer in crop science research collaboration.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/icarindia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/icarindia
• Facebookfacebook.com/Indian-Council-of-Agricultural-Res
• Instagraminstagram.com/officialicarindia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/indian-council-of-agricultural-research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments2 records

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Frequently asked questions about Indian Council of Agricultural Research