ICARDA Strengthens India’s Pulse Research Ecosystem with its New Food Legume Research Platform Facilities

The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) inaugurated new state-of-the-art facilities at its Food Legume Research Platform (FLRP) in Amlaha, Madhya Pradesh, marking a major milestone in India’s efforts to advance climate-resilient, nutrition-secure, and farmer-centered pulse production systems.

The inauguration was attended by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Hon’ble Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare; Mohan Yadav, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh; and M. L. Jat, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). They were joined by Aly Abousabaa, Director General of ICARDA, alongside senior government officials, scientists, development partners, and farmers.

“India has developed a self-reliant mindset. Our growing collaboration with international institutions such as ICARDA reflects India’s deepening engagement with the world, while keeping farmers at the center. Through this long-standing partnership, global science is translated into locally relevant solutions, reinforcing the confident forward march of New India,” said Hon’ble Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

The newly inaugurated facilities include a modern administrative building, a dedicated farmers’ training center, and advanced laboratories for plant genomics, tissue culture, plant breeding, and plant pathology. Together, they significantly strengthen India’s domestic research capacity for food legumes, enabling faster varietal development, improved disease resistance, and climate-adaptive traits tailored to India’s diverse agro-ecologies.

Located in Madhya Pradesh, India’s leading pulse-producing state, the FLRP serves as a national hub for pulse research, while generating innovations that can be scaled across South Asia and other dryland regions globally.

“India is central to ICARDA’s global pulse research strategy. As the world’s largest consumer of pulses, India is where science must deliver at scale. The FLRP reflects our strong partnership with the Government of India and ICAR, transforming cutting-edge research into climate-resilient, high-yielding, and nutritious pulse varieties that strengthen farmer livelihoods in India, while generating solutions for dryland regions worldwide,” said Mr. Aly Abousabaa.

Established with the support of the Government of India and granted United Nations status by the Union Cabinet, the FLRP reflects India’s strategic investment in agricultural science, food security, and rural livelihoods. Since its establishment in Amlaha in 2014, the platform has become a cornerstone of ICARDA’s engagement in South Asia, working closely with Indian institutions to address yield gaps, climate risks, and nutrition challenges.

ICARDA’s work in India is built on close collaboration with ICAR, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, State Governments, national agricultural universities, and international development partners, ensuring that global science is embedded within India’s research and extension systems for relevance, ownership, and scale.

Since its establishment, the FLRP has delivered tangible results across research, development, and capacity building, including:

Implemented 34 projects
Mobilized USD 50 million in resources
Released 158 crop varieties
Deployed improved technologies across 240,662 hectares
Reached 550,000 direct beneficiaries, including 34% women
Delivered 15,000 capacity development events
Produced 520 scientific publications

The platform focuses on mandate crops such as lentil, chickpea, grasspea, wheat, faba bean, barley, and cactus, closely aligned with India’s national priorities on pulses, dryland agriculture, and climate resilience.

The FLRP shortens the distance between laboratories and farmers’ fields in India. By working closely with ICAR, State Governments, and farming communities, we ensure that advanced pulse research is rapidly translated into improved varieties, resilient farming systems, and real gains in productivity, incomes, and nutrition, particularly in India’s dryland regions,” said Dr. Shiv Kumar Agrawal, Head of the Food Legume Research Platform at ICARDA.

The inauguration was followed by a Farmers’ Day and a high-level stakeholders’ meeting under the National Pulses Mission, bringing together farmers, scientists, and policymakers. Activities included farmer–scientist interactions, recognition of progressive farmers, seed distribution, and exhibitions showcasing improved varieties and technologies emerging from collaborative research.

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