Krishidhan Seeds

Business: Provides high yielding healthy seeds solutions to the farming community

Biotech Revenue: Rs 18 crore

CEO: Sushil J Karwa (MD)

Start-up Year: 1990

Address: "Krishidhan Bhavan", D3 to D6, Addln.MIDC, Aurangabad Road, JALNA – 431 203, Maharashtra,

Tel.: 91-2482- 230521, 230809, 234428

Fax: 91-2482-232328

Website: www.krishidhanseeds.com

Krishidhan Seeds Ltd, a group company of Karwa Group of Industries has received the approval from GEAC to market its Bt cotton hybrids in 2006. It sold about 1.5 lakh packets of Bt cotton seeds during last kharif season in north and central India. Its total sales revenue for the year 2006-07 stood at Rs 18 crore from the sales of Bt cotton packets. This year it is expected to sell 16 lakh packets.

Krishidhan Seeds has a team of scientists working in a well-equipped biotechnology laboratory. Its R&D spend is about 12 percent of its total sales covering both the basic and applied research in agri biotechnology. Now it is in the process of establishing state-of-the-art biotechnology laboratories in Special Economic Zones (Sezs). The research team is continuously working towards further improvement and advancement of the available technology. Although it decided to enter into GM Crops in 2001, the regulatory approval and procedures took time to launch its products only in 2006.

Krishidhan Seeds is using the Monsanto technology and it was one of the three companies to launch Bollgard II, which is more effective than Bollgard I, during 2006-07. Company officials said that Krishidhan would continue to use Monsanto technology. Meanwhile, it is also in the process of looking at other technologies that would control bollworm complex and other pests. Currently, it is mainly focusing on promoting Bollgard II technology with desired tolerance to sucking pest complex in its elite hybrid.