Climate-resilient Agriculture in India

With the agriculture industry projected to grow 2.5 times by 2033, experts have emphasized the increasing importance of agri-biotechnology and climate-resilient farming systems. At the same time, scientists have warned that every 1°C rise in temperature could reduce India’s wheat yield by 6% to 10%, highlighting the urgent need for climate adaptation in agriculture.

What is Climate-Resilient Agriculture (CRA)?

Climate-resilient agriculture refers to a technology-driven approach to farming that integrates biotechnology and digital tools to maintain or enhance productivity under climate stress. It focuses on reducing dependence on chemical inputs while ensuring sustainable yields.

CRA uses tools such as biofertilizers, biopesticides, and soil microbiome analysis to improve soil health and crop productivity. It also relies on genome-edited crops that are designed to withstand drought, heat, salinity, and pest attacks. In addition, AI-driven analytics help in generating location-specific farming strategies by integrating weather, soil, and crop data.

Why India Needs Climate-Resilient Agriculture

India’s agricultural system is highly vulnerable to climate change as it remains a largely rainfed and climate-sensitive sector. Nearly 51% of the net sown area is rainfed, yet it contributes around 40% of total food production, making it highly exposed to rainfall variability and droughts.

Conventional farming practices are increasingly insufficient to handle rising climate stress. Studies suggest that by the end of the century, rice yields could decline by 3% to 22%, and in extreme cases by over 30%. Therefore, CRA is essential to ensure stable food production, improved productivity, and reduced dependence on imports, thereby strengthening India’s food security and strategic autonomy.

India’s Bioeconomy and Biotechnology Sector

India is among the top 12 biotechnology destinations globally and the third largest in the Asia-Pacific region. The country’s bioeconomy has expanded significantly from $10 billion in 2014 to $165.7 billion in 2024, contributing about 4.25% to GDP with a strong CAGR of 17.9% over the last four years.

The biotechnology sector is broadly classified into biopharmaceuticals, bio-agriculture, bio-IT, and bio-services. India has set an ambitious target of achieving a $300 billion bioeconomy by 2030, with a strong focus on vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics, and agricultural biotechnology.

Global Scenario of CRA

Different countries are actively integrating CRA into their national policies. The United States promotes it through the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry initiative, investing heavily in sustainable farming. The European Union has embedded CRA principles in its Green Deal and Farm to Fork Strategy, aiming to reduce chemical usage and improve sustainability. China focuses on climate-tolerant crops, water-efficient irrigation, and digital agriculture, while Brazil leads in tropical climate-resilient crop development through EMBRAPA’s research programmes.

Challenges in Adoption of CRA

Despite its potential, CRA faces several challenges in India. Adoption remains low among small and marginal farmers due to limited awareness, affordability issues, and inconsistent quality of bio-inputs. The rollout of genome-edited and climate-resilient seeds is uneven across states, and the digital divide restricts access to AI-based precision farming tools.

Additionally, challenges such as soil degradation, water scarcity, and increasing climate variability are intensifying, while fragmented policy coordination further slows large-scale implementation.

Government Initiatives and Biotechnology Applications

India has launched several initiatives to promote CRA. The National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) by ICAR focuses on developing climate-resilient farming systems. The National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture promotes water efficiency, soil health management, and integrated farming practices.

Under the BioE3 policy, CRA has been identified as a key area for biotechnology-led solutions. Advances include drought-tolerant chickpea varieties like SAATVIK (NC 9), genome-edited rice with improved productivity traits, and bio-control solutions using fungal enzymes for pest management. Digital agriculture startups are also supporting farmers through AI-based advisories, precision irrigation, and yield prediction systems.

Way Forward

To strengthen climate resilience in agriculture, India needs to accelerate the development and adoption of genome-edited and climate-tolerant crops. Financial support mechanisms such as climate insurance, credit access, and subsidies are essential to support farmers during the transition.

Most importantly, India requires a coherent national CRA roadmap under the BioE3 framework, integrating biotechnology, digital agriculture, and climate policy to ensure sustainable and large-scale agricultural resilience