Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official
Ankur Seeds is a Nagpur-based Indian seed company that develops and sells hybrid and varietal seeds in cotton, rice, and vegetables, serving smallholder and commercial farmers across India through a pan-India field force of 500 staff and 18 regional offices.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1976
- HeadquartersNagpur, India
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official does
Ankur Seeds Pvt. Ltd. is an Indian hybrid and varietal seed company founded in 1976 in Nagpur, Maharashtra, by three founder families (Kashikar, Shembekar, Aurangabadkar). The company develops, produces, and sells seeds across cotton (including BG II hybrids), rice/paddy (hybrids and research varieties), and a broad vegetable portfolio spanning okra, bitter gourd, brinjal, chilli, and tomato, serving smallholder and commercial farmers across all Indian states. As of 2015, the firmographic dataset records 431 employees while legacy 2015 figures cite 852 total employees, including 200 plant breeders and technicians and 500 techno-commercial field staff, suggesting a workforce that has been right-sized or re-categorized.
The company's R&D engine rests on a 60,000 sq ft Breeding Support Centre at Neri near Nagpur, 300 acres of dedicated research farms, and 30 satellite testing centers across India, supporting classical breeding combined with advanced molecular techniques (Marker Assisted Selection, SNP markers, dihaploid technique, wide hybridization through embryo rescue, transgenic research in cotton/rice/vegetables, and Cytoplasmic Genetic Male Sterility). Over 40 years, the company has developed 200+ varieties in 16 crops and is recognized as the first Indian firm to launch hybrid Okra (1985) and the first globally to commercialize GMS-based Cowpea hybrids (2017).
Ankur generates revenue almost entirely through one-time seed sales across cotton, field crops, and vegetables, with stated annual turnover of 5 billion INR. Distribution runs through 4 zonal offices, 18 regional offices, 11 processing plants with 16,000+ tons of production capacity, and a direct-to-farmer sales motion via 500 field staff, dealer networks, and large-scale demonstration events that attract 100,000+ farmers annually. The firm operates as a privately held, founder-family-controlled private limited company with no external PE/VC funding disclosed and a wholly-owned subsidiary (Dharti Agro Chemicals, est. 1998) addressing crop nutrition adjacencies.
Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official
- Legal name
- Ankur Seeds Pvt. Ltd.
- Website
- https://ankurseeds.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1976
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Ankur Seeds is a Nagpur-based Indian seed company that develops and sells hybrid and varietal seeds in cotton, rice, and vegetables, serving smallholder and commercial farmers across India through a pan-India field force of 500 staff and 18 regional offices.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Hybrid Seeds
- NAICS
- Oilseed and Grain Farming (1111)
- SIC
- Agricultural Production-Crops (100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hybrid Seed Production (AFAGAIAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Open-Pollinated/Varietal Seed Multiplication (AFAGAIAE), Seed Conditioning & Processing (Cleaning, Grading, Treating) (AFAGAIAH), Transformation & Tissue Culture Platforms (Plant regeneration, delivery systems) (AFABALAH), Digital Breeding & Bioinformatics Software (Breeding informatics, decision tools) (AFABALAL), Vegetable Seeds (Open-Pollinated & Hybrid) (AFABAFAE), Seed Distribution & Wholesale (Channel Sales) (AFAGAIAM)
Keywords
Where Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nagpur
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices6 records
Markets served
Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Seed Sales: Sale of hybrid and varietal seeds across cotton, field crops, and vegetables. Annual turnover of 5 billion INR.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ankur Seeds breeds, produces, and sells hybrid and varietal seeds across cotton (BG II hybrids), paddy/rice (hybrids and research varieties), and vegetables including okra, chilli, bitter gourd, brinjal, and tomato. The company uses advanced breeding technologies such as Marker Assisted Selection, SNP markers, classical breeding, Dihaploid technique, wide hybridization through embryo rescue, and Cytoplasmic Genetic Male Sterility to deliver high-yielding, disease-resistant, pest-tolerant, and abiotic stress-tolerant seed varieties. It operates 11 state-of-the-art processing plants with 16,000+ tons production capacity and supplies its seeds to farmers across nearly all states in India.
Product overview
Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd is an Indian seed company offering a comprehensive portfolio of hybrid and varietal seeds across three main categories: cotton (BG II hybrids), rice/paddy (hybrids and research varieties), and vegetables (including okra, bitter gourd, brinjal, chilli, and more). The company operates through its core product lines featuring specific hybrid offerings such as Ankur Kirti BG II and Ankur 3028 BG II for cotton, Hy Paddy 7576 and Paddy Shree-101 for rice, along with numerous vegetable seed varieties. Their seed products are supported by extensive R&D capabilities including molecular breeding, marker-assisted selection, and wide hybridization programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ankur Kirti BG II A BG II cotton hybrid with a boll weight of 5.7-6 g, tolerant to sucking pests (Jassid, Aphids, and thrips), featuring fluffy boll opening and an early duration of 150-155 days. Marketed to cotton farmers seeking high-yielding, pest-tolerant BG II cotton seed.
- Ankur 3028 BG II A BG II cotton hybrid suitable for monsoon irrigated and rainfed conditions, with erect growth, prolific boll bearing, good tolerance against sucking pests and bacterial blight, and long fiber length of 29-30 mm. Designed for cotton growers needing a stay-green, adaptable BG II hybrid with rejuvenation potential.
- Hy Paddy 7576 A hybrid paddy with strong, robust plant type, more effective tillers, good panicle length and high panicle density, medium slender grain with a 19.6 g test weight, and a mid-late duration of 130-140 DAS. Sown in Kharif, typically in the second week of June, for rice farmers seeking medium slender grain hybrid paddy.
- Paddy Shree-101 A research paddy variety with 135-145 DAS maturity, short slender super fine grain, excellent cooking quality, and a 1000 grain weight of 10.5-11.5 g. Targeted at paddy farmers and millers seeking fine-grain rice with strong cooking quality.
Quantifiable outcome
- 200+ varieties developed in 16 crops
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- PDKV AkolacorePartnership with Padmashri Dr. Vitthalrao Korabin College of Agriculture, Akola for agricultural research collaboration and development of drought & disease resistant seed varieties
- MPKV RahuricorePartnership with Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri for agricultural research collaboration
- PAU LudhianacorePartnership with Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana for agricultural research and breeding projects
- CICR (Central Institute for Cotton Research)coreCollaboration with ICAR-affiliated Central Institute for Cotton Research for cotton breeding and development
- IARI (Indian Agricultural Research Institute)coreResearch collaboration with premier Indian Agricultural Research Institute under ICAR
- ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research)coreAssociated with ICAR research affiliates for agricultural research and development
- US Agricultural Universities & LaboratoriesminorResearch alliance with leading Agricultural Universities and Laboratories in USA for advanced breeding technologies
- Australian Agricultural Universities & LaboratoriesminorResearch alliance with Australian institutions for germplasm exchange and breeding collaboration
- German Agricultural Universities & LaboratoriesminorResearch alliance with German institutions for technology exchange in plant breeding
- Philippines Agricultural Universities & LaboratoriesminorResearch alliance with Philippines institutions, particularly for rice breeding programs
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Corteva Agriscience: Global seed giant with significant India presence in corn, rice, cotton, and vegetable hybrids; competes with Ankur in Bt-cotton and rice while bringing deeper genomics and a wider trait portfolio.
- Bayer Crop Science: Global leader in seeds and traits (including Bollgard cotton traits); operates in India through Bayer CropScience and competes with Ankur on cotton, rice, and vegetable hybrids with much larger R&D budgets.
- Syngenta (Syngenta India): Global seed and crop protection major with hybrid corn, rice, and vegetable seed portfolios in India; competes broadly with Ankur on farmer-channel distribution and trait-led hybrid offerings.
- UPL (Advanta Seeds): Global agri-input major with seed operations including rice, corn, sunflower, and vegetables in India; competes with Ankur in hybrid field crops while offering broader crop-protection integration.
Direct peers
- Rasi Seeds: Major Indian hybrid seed company with strong cotton, rice, and vegetable seed portfolios and extensive dealer network; directly competes with Ankur on Bt-cotton hybrids and field-crop seed categories.
- JK Agri Genetics: Indian hybrid seed company operating across cotton, field crops, and vegetables with a multi-crop R&D program; comparable in scale and product breadth to Ankur Seeds.
- Kaveri Seed Company: Indian hybrid seed company with comparable product breadth across cotton, rice, maize, and vegetables; similar field-sales-led distribution model and pan-India farmer engagement approach, making it the closest publicly traded comparable for Ankur.
- Nuziveedu Seeds: One of India's largest cotton and hybrid seed companies with deep presence in cotton BG II hybrids and field crops; overlaps with Ankur on cotton, rice, and vegetable seed categories and farmer-channel distribution.
- Mahyco (Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company): Indian pioneer in hybrid seeds including Bt-cotton (with Monsanto partnership) and vegetables; comparable R&D-led hybrid portfolio and Indian farmer customer base, with similar Maharashtra roots.
Emerging players
- VNR Seeds: Indian hybrid seed company with strong vegetable seed focus (particularly gourds and watermelons); represents an emerging niche competitor to Ankur's vegetable seed portfolio with comparable farmer-direct distribution.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official social profiles
Digital presenceAnkur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official
What does Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official do?
Ankur Seeds breeds, produces, and sells hybrid and varietal seeds across cotton (BG II hybrids), paddy/rice (hybrids and research varieties), and vegetables including okra, chilli, bitter gourd, brinjal, and tomato. The company uses advanced breeding technologies such as Marker Assisted Selection, SNP markers, classical breeding, Dihaploid technique, wide hybridization through embryo rescue, and Cytoplasmic Genetic Male Sterility to deliver high-yielding, disease-resistant, pest-tolerant, and abiotic stress-tolerant seed varieties. It operates 11 state-of-the-art processing plants with 16,000+ tons production capacity and supplies its seeds to farmers across nearly all states in India.
Is Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official a public or private company?
Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official founded?
Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official was founded in 1976. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official based?
Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official is headquartered in Nagpur, India, in the Asia region.
How does Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official make money?
One revenue line is on record: seed Sales.
Who are Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Corteva Agriscience, Bayer Crop Science, Syngenta (Syngenta India) and UPL (Advanta Seeds). Direct peers are Rasi Seeds, JK Agri Genetics, Kaveri Seed Company, Nuziveedu Seeds and Mahyco (Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company). VNR Seeds is listed as an emerging player.
Does Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official.
What industry is Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official in?
Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd Official's product category is Agricultural Hybrid Seeds. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAGAIAD, Hybrid Seed Production, with a secondary code of AFAGAIAE, Open-Pollinated/Varietal Seed Multiplication. Its NAICS code is 1111 and its SIC code is 100.