Brainstorming Workshop on Aatmanirbharata in Oilseeds Charts Roadmap for Viksit Bharat

3–4 September 2026, Hyderabad

A two-day national-level brainstorming workshop on “Aatmanirbharata in Oilseeds: Innovation and Policy Integration for Viksit Bharat” was held on 3–4 September 2026 at the ICAR–Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad. The workshop was jointly organised by the Indian Society of Oilseeds Research, ICAR–IIOR and ICAR–National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad.

The workshop brought together experts and stakeholders from agricultural research institutions, agricultural universities, government agencies, seed organisations, industry, extension agencies, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and farming communities from across India to deliberate on challenges and opportunities in the oilseed sector and develop an action-oriented roadmap for achieving Aatmanirbharata in oilseeds in line with the vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047.

The inaugural session was held on 3 September. Dr R.K. Mathur, Director, ICAR–IIOR, Hyderabad, welcomed the participants, while Dr D.K. Yadava, Deputy Director General (Crop Science), ICAR, New Delhi, delivered the Presidential Address. Dr S.K. Rao, Former Vice-Chancellor, RVSKVV, Gwalior, delivered the Keynote Address as Chief Guest.

The workshop was also graced by Dr Prabhat Kumar, Commissioner (Horticulture) and Mission Director, NMEO, New Delhi; Prof. A. Ganesh Kumar, Chairman, Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), New Delhi; Dr V.S. Jaitawat, Vice-Chancellor, Agriculture University, Jodhpur; Dr Ram Pratap Singh, Vice-Chancellor, MPUAT, Udaipur; Dr D. Raji Reddy, Vice-Chancellor, SKLTGHU; Dr Shaik N. Meera, Director, ICAR–ATARI, Hyderabad; Dr A.K. Vishwakarma, JNKVV, Jabalpur; Dr D.M. Hegde, Former Director, ICAR–IIOR; Dr V. Muralidharan, Former Director, ICAR–DGR, Junagadh; Dr S.K. Jha, ADG (OP), ICAR, New Delhi; Dr Raman Meenakshi Sundaram, Director, ICAR–NAARM, Hyderabad; Dr Sanjeev Gupta, Vice-Chancellor, CSAUA&T, Kanpur; Dr S.K. Bera, Director, ICAR–IIGR, Junagadh; Dr Gopal Lal, Joint Director, ICAR–NAARM, Hyderabad; and Dr Rekha Nair, Deputy Head–Program-Rural, ICICI Foundation, among others.

The thematic sessions covered critical areas across the oilseed value chain, including quality seed systems, development and adoption of improved varieties and technologies, technology transfer and extension, policy and institutional support, market and value-chain development, research–industry linkages, processing and value addition, and farmer-centric interventions. Participants stressed the need for stronger coordination among research institutions, seed agencies, industry, extension organisations, FPOs and farmers to enhance production, productivity and profitability while reducing India’s dependence on imported edible oils. The final plenary featured presentations by thematic-session rapporteurs, followed by deliberations and finalisation of key recommendations and an action-oriented roadmap.

The workshop recommended accelerating genetic improvement of oilseed crops through speed breeding and off-season nurseries, with emphasis on short-duration, high-yielding and multi-stress-tolerant varieties. It called for district-, season-, cropping-system- and crop-specific suitability mapping using the Relative Yield Index (RYI) and Relative Spread Index (RSI) to identify high-potential areas, promote oilseeds in non-traditional regions through Frontline Demonstrations (FLDs), and assess their suitability in rice-fallow systems. The participants also stressed stronger Centre–State coordination for state-wise seed rolling plans aligned with the 2030 and 2047 roadmaps, supported by PPPs involving FPOs, FPCs, cooperatives, PACs and other farmer groups, along with multi-season implementation of the Seed Village concept to ensure timely availability of quality seed.

The workshop further called for supportive policies and greater convergence among public, private, cooperative and FPO/FPC stakeholders for technology dissemination, value-chain development, higher Seed Replacement Rate (SRR) and Variety Replacement Rate (VRR), and integration of production with processing and value addition.

It also recommended generating and disseminating evidence-based information on the health and nutritional benefits of traditional edible oils, assessing consumption patterns against NIN-recommended levels and documenting their non-consumptive uses to support targeted interventions and policy planning.

The workshop provided a national platform for bringing together scientific, policy, industry, extension and farmers’ perspectives to formulate coordinated strategies for a productive, profitable and self-reliant oilseed sector. The recommendations are expected to contribute to India’s goal of Aatmanirbharata in edible oils and the vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047.

(Source: ICAR–Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad)