19 August 2026, New Delhi: Five Indian crop protection companies Crystal Crop Protection, Rallis India, Dhanuka Agritech, PI Industries and Godrej Agrovet, have come forward through CropLife India to urge the Government of India to include a limited and time-bound Protection of Regulatory Data (PRD) framework in the Pesticides Management Bill, 2025. The association said the framework would incentivise the introduction of newer, safer and lower-dose agrochemical molecules in India while ensuring that these molecules become available to the wider domestic industry, including generic manufacturers and SMEs, once the protection period ends.
Ankur Aggarwal, Chairman, CropLife India
“Evolving pest pressures demand modern crop protection solutions, yet farmers continue to have limited access to the latest innovations. A time-bound data protection window brings them newer and safer tools sooner, and every molecule it brings in early belongs to the whole industry once the window closes.” Ankur Aggarwal, Chairman, CropLife India and Executive Chairman & Managing Director, Crystal Crop Protection Ltd.
Evolving pest, weed and disease pressures are increasing the need for newer crop protection solutions. Newer molecules are more targeted, can work at lower doses and can offer improved safety profiles and more dependable crop protection. India loses an estimated 10% to 35% of its agricultural output annually to pests, weeds and diseases, amounting to around ₹2 lakh crore, while climate change and rising temperatures could further intensify these pressures.
A broader and more modern crop protection portfolio would also strengthen the competitiveness of Indian agrochemical manufacturers and support agricultural exports. India currently has around 380 registered molecules against approximately 1,200 molecules used globally. Expanding this portfolio would give Indian manufacturers access to a wider range of technologies while helping agricultural exports respond to increasingly stringent residue requirements in international markets.
Bringing a new molecule to the Indian market requires substantial investment and time, including local safety, efficacy and residue studies. The investment is estimated at around ₹40–50 crore, with the process taking six to eight years. In the absence of a protected period, subsequent applicants can potentially rely on the same regulatory data at a substantially lower cost, estimated at around ₹75 lakh. This reduces the commercial incentive to introduce newer molecules in India.
If time-bound data protection comes in, India would also be aligning with several major agricultural markets that already provide regulatory data protection.
Global Protection of Regulatory Data Exclusivity Periods by Country/Region
Country / Region
Regulatory Data Protection Period
United States (FIFRA)
10 years
European Union
10 + 5 years
Brazil
10 years
Chile
10 years
Mexico
5 years
Colombia
5 years
India
10 years
CAFTA
10 years
Japan
15+ years
South Korea
15 years
Singapore
10 years
Taiwan
10 years
Australia
8 + 3 years
New Zealand
5 years
China
6 years
CropLife India has urged the Government to use the opportunity presented by the draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025 to introduce a limited and time-bound PRD framework. The association has proposed a five-year protection period from the first registration of new molecules and new uses, which it said would provide an incentive for innovation while ensuring that the generic sector and SMEs can enter the market once the protection period concludes.
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