India, Brazil joins hands for innovations in Agri Tech

New -Delhi, September 22 (PTI) India and Brazil seeks to strengthen their partnership in the agricultural sector with the introduction of a program aimed at promoting technological innovation and exchange of best practices. According to an official statement on Monday, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) launched a second edition of the Brazil-India Cross incubation program in Agritech (Maitri 2.0) here. The event was enjoyed by ML JAT, Secretary (Dare) and Director General (ICAR), and Kenneth Nobrega, Brazil ambassador to India, along with senior officials and representatives of leading Brazilian research and innovation institutions. The ICAR DG noted that the program is a two-way curriculum for co-creation between Indian and Brazilian innovators. “The program to bring together innovators, startups and institutions from both countries will help the program build resilient food systems and empower farmers. Maitri 2.0 aims to strengthen the incubator connections, exchange best practices, promote co-incubation and open new opportunities in sustainable agriculture, digital technologies. In his remarks, JAT highlighted the 77-year partnership between India and Brazil and emphasized their shared role in world platforms such as Brics and G20, and the recent ICAR Embrapa Treaty as a milestone for collaboration in the agricultural value chain. He mentioned on the transformation of ICAR from 74 patents in 1996 to more than 1,800 annually, supported by incubation centers and more than 5,000 licensing agreements. Nobrega underlines the strategic importance of the creation of synergies between the Agritech ecosystems of India and Brazil. He emphasized that the program reflects the broader strategic partnership in Brazil India, in line with the leaders’ shared vision for collaboration in agriculture, emerging technologies and food nutrients.