ICAR Signs MoU with AgroStar to Spread Scientific Farming Practices for Farmers' Empowerment in India

Strategic collaboration to combine ICAR's research ecosystem with AgroStar's digital farmer network and accelerate technology-led, climate-smart agriculture in India

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) an apex body for Agriculture in India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AgroStar, one of India's leading AgTech companies,  to scale scientific farming, AI-led advisory and farmer capacity building across India.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is the apex body for coordinating, guiding, and managing research and education in agriculture in the entire country under the aegis of DARE, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. The program was chaired by Dr M.L.Jaat, Honorable Director General, ICAR and Secretary DARE ( Department of Agriculture Research & Education). Dr Rajbir Singh Deputy Director General, ICAR signed the document on behalf of ICAR in the presence of Dr Anil Kumar, ADG (Coordination), and Dr RK Singh, ADG (Extension).

The partnership brings together one of the world's largest agricultural research systems and one of India's fastest-growing farmer-centric AgTech platforms. The collaboration of ICAR's vast research and extension network  and  strength of AgroStar's digital farmer network, aims to improve overall farm productivity, reduce crop losses, strengthen soil health, lower cultivation costs and expand market access for farmers - advancing AgroStar's mission of #HelpingFarmersWin.

Agrostar will work with ICAR for technical knowledge transfer, improving scientific diagnostics, farmer advisory systems, capacity building programmes, advancement of field trials and the commercialisation of their crop technologies - including advanced crop varieties/ hybrids , biological innovations and microbial research for sustainable agriculture.

Through this collaboration, farmers will gain access to real-time advisory, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), satellite and geo-spatial insights, AI-driven predictive crop intelligence, precision farming techniques and quality agricultural inputs. The initiative is designed to support better decision-making in nutrient management, pest and disease control, soil health and crop planning.

The initiative will leverage the strengths of Asia's largest Agri Advisory Centre at AgroStar alongside ICAR's nationwide network of research institutes and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs). Scientists from ICAR and KVKs will lead field diagnostics, farmer training, demonstrations and workshops, with AgroStar enabling last-mile dissemination through its on-ground farmer engagement ecosystem. The partnership is expected to accelerate adoption of smart agriculture devices, digital decision support systems and sustainable farming practices among Indian farmers.

Speaking on the collaboration, Dr. Devraj Arya, Vice President - R&D and Regulatory Affairs, AgroStar, said: "This partnership is a significant step towards enabling scientific agriculture practices for millions of Indian farmers. By bringing together ICAR's research depth and AgroStar's digital reach and farmer engagement ecosystem, we aim to deliver scalable, sustainable solutions that improve productivity, soil health and farm profitability - and help farmers win."

The collaboration aligns with India's broader agricultural development goals around technology-led, climate-smart and sustainable farming. By improving access to scientific expertise, precision advisory and modern agricultural solutions at the grassroots level, the partnership is expected to contribute to higher productivity, improved crop quality, stronger export potential and long-term rural prosperity.