By Raghavan Sampathkumar, Executive Director, Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII)
As 2025 draws to a close, Indian agriculture stands at a defining moment. Scientific consensus is stronger than ever, climate signals are increasingly urgent, and farmers’ voices are unmistakably clear. For the seed sector, this year marked a shift — the national question has evolved from “whether change is needed” to “how quickly and coherently we can deliver it.” Where past decades prioritized sheer productivity, this decade demands resilience: readiness for volatile geopolitical shifts, rapid climate change, and emerging market and technological challenges. Success hinges on aligning institutions, laws, and science to serve farmers effectively.
The Cost of Regulatory Friction
When the Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) began 2025, it confronted a hard truth: Indian seed innovation is not constrained by scientific capability but by regulatory complexity. A detailed compliance study by FSII showed that fragmented rules, redundant tests, and overlapping procedures cost the sector over ₹800 crore annually and delay the introduction of new, improved varieties by multiple cropping seasons. These lags matter in an era of shifting pest patterns, unpredictable drought cycles, and declining soil health — where timeliness can make or break productivity gains.
These systemic bottlenecks ultimately hit smallholder farmers hardest, limiting their access to stress-tolerant and high-yielding varieties. Processing firms face supply gaps, and exporters miss international windows of opportunity. The diagnosis is clear: modern agriculture needs modern regulation — efficient, evidence-based, and innovation-enabling.
A Bill to Propel the Sector
The Draft Seeds Bill 2025 represents a landmark opportunity to reset India’s seed policy framework. More than procedural reform, the Bill signals a philosophical pivot — from fragmented control to coherent facilitation, from regulatory suspicion toward private R&D to structured collaboration with industry and science.
Key proposed provisions include:
Streamlined licensing and unified national frameworks for compliance.
Harmonized testing protocols to reduce redundancy.
Mandatory performance standards tied to varietal outcomes.
Robust traceability systems, including digital tracking.
These elements speak directly to FSII’s identified challenges and could significantly reduce compliance costs while accelerating access to improved seed varieties.
If implemented thoughtfully, the Bill could reduce regulatory drag, encourage higher R&D investment, and position India as a globally competitive seed hub — not just a market follower but a leader in innovation.
From Debate to Dialogue
The policy momentum of 2025 has reshaped public discourse. Conversations around biotechnology, licensing, and breeding innovation have shifted from confrontation to collaboration. Across ministries, research institutions, and industry bodies, science and farmer welfare are increasingly aligned as shared priorities, not opposing ones.
In this inflection year, the window for reform is open. Seizing it with clarity and cooperation could redefine the Indian seed sector for a generation.
About the Author
Raghavan Sampathkumar is the Executive Director of the Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII), a leading industry body representing R&D-based plant science companies across the country. He has over 20 years of experience in agriculture and agribusiness policy, international trade, value-chain finance, and biotechnology, and has held leadership roles with Samunnati, CropLife Asia, and CLFMA of India before joining FSII.
Sources (for context & verification)
About the Author
Raghavan Sampathkumar’s professional background as FSII Executive Director.
