India Registered 5,689 Plant Varieties Between 2023–26
23 July 2026, New Delhi: India registered 5,689 plant varieties between 2023 and 2026 under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act, reflecting a significant acceleration in variety protection as the country strengthens its seed ecosystem and global competitiveness.
The figures were shared by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Ramnath Thakur in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, where he outlined a series of initiatives aimed at improving seed research, quality assurance, infrastructure, international trade and public-private collaboration.
The minister said the PPV&FR Authority had expedited the registration process over the past three years, enabling farmers, ICAR institutes, State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) and private seed companies to secure intellectual property protection for newly developed varieties. Since the enactment of the legislation, 10,802 varieties covering 219 crop species have been registered, with more than half of those registrations occurring during 2023–26.
The government highlighted that research under the National Agricultural Research and Education System (NARES)continues to expand India’s portfolio of improved crop varieties. Between 2014 and 2025, a total of 3,236 field crop varieties were released and notified, including 2,996 climate-resilient varieties. Among these were 587 varieties specifically developed to withstand extreme climatic conditions, comprising drought-, flood-, salinity-, heat- and cold-tolerant crops.
Cereals accounted for the largest share of released varieties, followed by pulses, oilseeds, fibre crops, forages and sugarcane.
To ensure timely availability of quality planting material, the government said it continues to promote the production and multiplication of breeder, foundation and certified seeds of high-yielding and climate-resilient varieties suitable for diverse agro-climatic regions.
However, the written reply did not provide any information on the adoption rate of these newly registered varieties by farmers or their commercial uptake across states. It also did not disclose crop-wise seed production volumes, certified seed availability, replacement rates, or the financial viability and market performance of the newly developed varieties. These indicators are considered important for assessing whether the release and registration of new varieties are translating into widespread cultivation, improved farm productivity and tangible economic benefits for farmers and the seed industry.
India’s seed production infrastructure has also expanded significantly. The country currently has 229 Seed Hubs, 384 Breeder Seed Production Centres, 17 State Seed Corporations, and the National Seeds Corporation, supported by several public sector organisations and private seed companies engaged in large-scale production and distribution.
On the quality assurance front, 178 notified Seed Testing Laboratories are operational across the country. The government provides financial assistance for laboratory strengthening, including support for International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) membership and accreditation audits to improve testing standards.
The ministry also highlighted the phased rollout of the Seed Authentication, Traceability and Holistic Inventory (SATHI) Portal, a digital platform designed to provide end-to-end traceability across seed production, certification, inventory management and distribution, improving transparency throughout the seed value chain.
Seed trade continues to grow
India’s seed exports have continued to outpace imports over the past three years.
During 2025–26, seed exports reached 123.82 thousand metric tonnes valued at ₹3,023.16 crore, compared with imports of 31.84 thousand metric tonnes worth ₹1,755.96 crore. Between April and May of 2026–27, exports stood at 18.46 thousand metric tonnes valued at ₹582.19 crore, while imports totalled 4.43 thousand metric tonnes worth ₹357.36 crore.
The government attributed improvements in international trade facilitation to simplified import and export procedures following the discontinuation of the EXIM Committee in October 2024, with approvals now processed through digital platforms operated by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
India also continues to align its seed quality systems with international standards through participation in the OECD Seed Schemes, the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) framework and accreditation of laboratories under the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).
Public-private collaboration expands
The government said public-private partnerships have become an increasingly important component of India’s seed sector strategy.
Between 2023–24 and 2025–26, 27 ICAR institutes executed 1,317 licensing agreements covering seeds, crop varieties and planting materials with public and private organisations. These collaborations support seed multiplication, varietal evaluation, technology transfer and the commercialisation of publicly developed varieties.
Financial support for seed infrastructure is also being provided under schemes including the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), National Food Security Nutrition Mission (NFSNM), National Mission on Edible Oils–Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds), Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), National Mission on High Yielding Seeds (NMHYS) and the Mission for Cotton Productivity.
These programmes also promote research in genome editing, marker-assisted selection, molecular breeding, speed breeding, biofortification and the establishment of a Global R&D Hub for Millets.
The government said continued investment in climate-resilient breeding, quality seed systems and international collaboration is intended to strengthen India’s food security while enhancing the competitiveness of its seed industry in global markets.
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