New Delhi: India and Brazil on Monday strengthened their collaboration in agricultural innovation with the launch of the second edition of the Brazil–India Cross-Incubation Programme in Agritech, Maitri 2.0. The initiative, unveiled at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) headquarters in New Delhi, seeks to foster co-creation, knowledge exchange, and joint innovation between startups and institutions from both countries.

The event was attended by Dr ML Jat, Secretary (DARE) and Director General of ICAR, and Brazil’s Ambassador to India, HE Kenneth Nobrega, along with senior officials, researchers, and entrepreneurs.

Highlighting the 77-year-old partnership between the two nations, Dr Jat said that India and Brazil have historically complemented each other in agriculture and continue to collaborate through platforms such as BRICS and G20. Referring to the recent ICAR–EMBRAPA MoU, he called it a milestone that would unlock new opportunities across the agri-food value chain.

Dr ML Jat, Secretary (DARE) and Director General of ICAR

He also emphasised ICAR’s transformation from filing 74 patents in 1996 to generating more than 1,800 patents annually today, backed by incubation centres and over 5,000 licensing agreements. “Commercialization is not about revenue alone; it is about ensuring that public-funded innovations reach end-users,” Dr Jat said, describing Maitri 2.0 as a two-way learning platform for innovators.

Ambassador Nobrega welcomed the initiative, calling it a “strategic step” in advancing food and nutritional security, digital agriculture, and emerging technologies. “This programme reflects the broader Brazil–India strategic partnership,” he said.

HE Kenneth Nobrega, Brazil’s Ambassador to India

ICAR-IARI Director Dr Ch Srinivasa Rao noted that the institute has supported over 400 agri-startups, showing agriculture’s potential as both a livelihood and business.