Indian Agricultural Research Institute

What Indian Agricultural Research Institute does

ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), also known as Pusa Institute, is India's premier national agricultural research and education institute, established in 1901 and operating under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) within the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. The institute conducts multidisciplinary research across six schools — Crop Improvement, Plant Protection, Basic Sciences, Natural Resource Management, Social Sciences, and Horticultural Science — and develops a portfolio of improved crop varieties under the 'Pusa' brand, agricultural technologies, and graduate-level educational programs (MSc, PhD). Notable technical capabilities include CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing (pioneered in India's first genome-edited rice varieties, Pusa rice DST1 and DRR Dhan 100, in 2025), patented rhizosphere-mimicking soil testing solutions co-developed with BARC Mumbai, and IoT-enabled crop monitoring deployed through technology-enabled Farmer Producer Organizations in NCR.

IARI's business model is primarily government-funded through ICAR budgetary allocations, with supplementary revenue from technology licensing, seed sales, training programs, and incubation services through the Pusa Krishi Incubator. The institute serves as both a research body and an extension service, reaching over 1 lakh farmers across 25 states through the annual Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra network, and the Mera Gaon Mera Gaurav program. Customer segments include farmers and farming communities (primary), graduate students and researchers, Farmer Producer Organizations, and central and state government institutions for policy implementation and research collaboration. The institute operates regional campuses in Jharkhand and Assam alongside its Pusa headquarters in New Delhi, and in 2026 achieved debut placement in the QS World University Rankings (151-200 band in Agriculture & Forestry), validating its institutional research standing.

Name

Indian Agricultural Research Institute

Legal name

ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute

Website

https://iari.res.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

IARI is India's premier national agricultural research institute under ICAR, conducting multidisciplinary R&D across crop improvement, plant protection, and natural resource management. It develops Pusa-branded crop varieties, patented technologies, and graduate education programs, serving farmers across 25 states through extension services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research and Education

NAICS

Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Plant Tissue, Soil & Water Sampling Coordination (Agronomy-Focused) (AFACABAH), Nutrient Management Planning & Fertility Programs (AFACABAB), Agribusiness, Farm Management & Compliance (EDAOAOAN), Agricultural Production & Farm Operations (EDAOAOAA), Crop, Soil & Agronomy Technician Training (EDAOAOAF)

Keywords

• Agricultural research
• Crop improvement
• Plant protection
• Soil health management
• Agricultural education

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government funding through ICAR: As an autonomous research institute under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), IARI operates on government funding allocated by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. The institute generates some revenue through technology licensing, training programs, seed sales, and extension services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IARI conducts agricultural research and offers postgraduate education across six schools (Crop Improvement, Plant Protection, Basic Sciences, Natural Resource Management, Social Sciences, Horticultural Science). The institute develops and disseminates improved Pusa crop varieties, patented agricultural technologies (including a rhizosphere-mimicking soil testing extractant and IoT-based crop monitoring), and delivers extension services to farmers and Farmer Producer Organizations through Krishi Vigyan Kendras and the annual Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela.

Product overview

ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), also known as Pusa Institute, is a premier 121-year-old agricultural research university under ICAR. The institute operates as a platform of specialized divisions (Crop Improvement, Plant Protection, Basic Sciences, Natural Resource Management, Social Sciences, and Horticultural Science) offering research-based products and services including improved crop varieties (Pusa varieties), agricultural technologies, educational programs, and publications. The institute serves as India's leading agricultural research institution contributing to food security through scientific research, technology development, and farmer training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela: Annual agricultural science mela organized by IARI showcasing climate-resilient crop varieties, protected cultivation technologies, digital agriculture, and mechanized farming
• Pusa Krishi Incubator

Products and services

• Pusa Crop Varieties Improved, high-yielding crop varieties developed for food, nutrition, and livelihood security, including basmati rice (Pusa Basmati 1509, 1121, 1847, 1885), climate-resilient varieties, and India's first genome-edited rice varieties. Distributed to farmers, FPOs, and government channels for national food security.
• Graduate School Academic Programs Postgraduate and doctoral academic programs (MSc, PhD, dual-degree PhD with WSU) in agricultural sciences spanning six schools (Crop Improvement, Plant Protection, Basic Sciences, Natural Resource Management, Social Sciences, Horticultural Science), including international student admission and hostel/placement support. Designed for students seeking research careers in agricultural sciences.
• Rhizosphere-Mimicking Soil Testing Extractant Patented soil testing solution that mimics the rhizosphere environment around plant roots to extract multiple nutrients simultaneously. Targeted at farmers, soil testing laboratories, and the fertilizer industry for efficient nutrient analysis.
• Agricultural Production Technologies Developed agricultural technologies including resource conservation technologies, soil health management solutions, and water use efficiency technologies. Aimed at farmers, FPOs, and extension agencies for sustainable production at scale.
• Technology-Enabled FPO Infrastructure (Solar Cold Storage & IoT Monitoring) Solar-powered cold storage systems and IoT-based crop monitoring technology bundled for Farmer Producer Organizations, demonstrated to reduce post-harvest losses by up to 70% and raise farmer incomes by 25-35%. Targeted at smallholder FPOs in the National Capital Region.
• Pusa Krishi Incubator Incubation facility supporting agripreneurship and startup development in agriculture, offering programmes such as biofertilizer entrepreneurship development. Designed for agritech startups and rural entrepreneurs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Post-harvest losses reduced by up to 70% through solar-powered cold storage in FPOs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.

• New Zealand DelegationstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026International delegation visit to IARI on June 9, 2026 for strengthening global agricultural partnerships.
• Delhi GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Collaboration announced by Delhi CM Rekha Gupta at IARI's 122nd Foundation Day for improving soil health and expanding green cover in Delhi. CM released publications 'Improved Crop Varieties for Food, Nutrition and Livelihood Security' and 'Precision Floriculture and Landscape Design'.
• BARC Mumbai (Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 February 2026Joint development of rhizosphere-mimicking soil testing solution that extracts multiple nutrients simultaneously. Project under Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences.
• GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, PantnagarcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 February 2026Joint development partner in rhizosphere-mimicking soil testing solution alongside BARC Mumbai and IARI New Delhi.
• Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)coreOthersParent organization under Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. ICAR Director General M.L. Jat attributed IARI's QS World Rankings success to council's efforts in strengthening multidisciplinary research-intensive education under NAREES system.
• ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoth institutions under ICAR system, collaborating on agricultural research. IARI mentioned alongside IVRI in context of international QS World Rankings recognition.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI): Sister institute under ICAR focused on veterinary and animal sciences research; both institutions share the same government funding model, national mandate, and QS World Rankings recognition, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology: Premier state agricultural university that is an active joint development partner with IARI on the patented rhizosphere soil testing technology; comparable in agricultural research scope, education programs, and northern India footprint.
• ICAR-National Agricultural Science Complex (NAS Complex/IASRI): ICAR institution focused on agricultural statistics and informatics; shares the same ICAR system, government funding model, and Pusa campus location, providing directly comparable research infrastructure and mandate.
• Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU): State agricultural university comparable to IARI in crop improvement research, graduate education, and extension services; shares the public research institute mandate at state level and is a key peer in Indian agricultural R&D benchmarking.
• Banaras Hindu University (BHU) - Agriculture Faculty: Featured alongside IARI in QS World University Rankings 2026 Agriculture & Forestry category; comparable Indian university with agricultural research, education and extension mandate.
• Punjab Agricultural University (PAU): Premier state agricultural university historically central to India's Green Revolution alongside IARI; directly comparable in wheat and rice breeding research, graduate education, and farmer extension services.
• ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering (CIAE): ICAR sister institute focused on agricultural engineering and mechanization; comparable as ICAR system peer with similar government funding model and national research mandate, complementing IARI's crop-focused work.

Broad incumbents

• International Rice Research Institute (IRRI): Global CGIAR research center focused on rice improvement; directly comparable to IARI's rice breeding program (Pusa Basmati varieties) and operates with similar public-good R&D mandate but at international scale.
• CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center): CGIAR research center comparable to IARI in wheat breeding and resource conservation technologies; shares public-sector agricultural research mandate with global reach, serving as the international benchmark for IARI's wheat program.
• ICRISAT: CGIAR center focused on dryland agriculture in semi-arid tropics; comparable to IARI in crop improvement for challenging climates (sorghum, millet, pulses) and shares the public-good research mandate with international footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/iitd.delhi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2211399

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Indian Agricultural Research Institute