How India’s Biodiversity is Fueling Global Innovation in Biological Ag Inputs
11 June 2025 AgriBusiness Global spoke with KRK Reddy, Founder, Director, and CEO of Sri BioAesthetics, about how India’s biodiversity is driving innovation from lab to field, the regulatory and manufacturing challenges shaping the industry, and how Sri Bio is helping lead the charge toward regenerative agriculture — both at home and around the world.
ABG: How is India’s unique biodiversity shaping the next generation of biological inputs?
KRK: India’s exceptional biodiversity, spanning diverse agro-climatic zones and microbial ecosystems offers immense potential for biofertilizers, biostimulants, and biopesticides tailored to crop and region-specific needs and facilitates development of next-generation biological agri-inputs.
ABG: What are the biggest challenges Indian biological manufacturers face in meeting global regulatory standards? And how is your company setting new benchmarks in compliance and quality?
KRK: Global regulatory compliance remains a major challenge for biological manufacturers worldwide, including in India, due to fragmented and inconsistent standards across regions like Europe, the U.S., and India. In India, biofertilizers are regulated under fertilizer laws, while biopesticides fall under insecticide regulations — highlighting the lack of unified frameworks tailored for biologicals, which complicates global alignment and competitiveness.
Intellectual property protection for microbial technologies also poses difficulties, as securing rights for living organisms is more complex than for chemicals. Additionally, meeting international standards requires certifications such as GLP, GMP, and full product traceability, which can be resource intensive.
ABG: As global agriculture continues to shift toward regenerative and sustainable models, what role will Indian biological manufacturers play in driving large-scale adoption?
KRK: Indian biological manufacturers are poised to play a pivotal role in the shift toward sustainable agriculture. The Government of India’s new Bio-E3 policy — focusing on Economy, Environment, and Employment — aims to leverage India’s biotech strengths to position the country as a global leader in biologicals.
Over the past decade, the global move toward regenerative agriculture has accelerated, and India’s rich microbial biodiversity, cost-effective production, and strong farmer engagement uniquely equip its manufacturers to support this transition.
Beyond innovation and manufacturing, success depends on delivering products that fit seamlessly with farmers’ existing practices, ensuring adoption at the grassroots level.
India—and companies like ours—are set to drive regenerative agriculture forward through science, sustainability, and farmer-focused innovation.
ABG: What innovations in microbial technologies or fermentation-based manufacturing are redefining biological inputs — and how is India contributing to this frontier?
KRK: India’s greatest asset in the biologicals space is its vast microbial diversity, which drives innovation from discovery to delivery. This begins with collecting and characterizing native microbes, then developing them into practical solutions — such as biofertilizers, biopesticides, and biostimulants—through microbiome engineering.
Fermentation-based manufacturing, both solid-state and submerged, enables scalable production to meet growing demand. Today, India is also advancing through technologies like AI, machine learning, and soil metagenomics — crucial for understanding unculturable microbes and unlocking new functions in soil health, nutrient cycling, and disease suppression.
ABG: How can India become a global hub for cost-effective, high-quality biological ag solutions?
KRK: India is uniquely positioned to lead the global biologicals sector, with its rich biodiversity, skilled agricultural workforce, cost-effective biomanufacturing, and a blend of traditional and modern technologies. Coupled with strong scientific capabilities and early regulatory alignment for biologicals, the country has a solid foundation for global leadership.
Sri BioAesthetics has been part of this evolution for over three decades, transforming from a traditional ag input provider into a tech-driven platform focused on innovation, regulatory compliance, and scalable solutions for sustainable agriculture.
One of our flagship initiatives is the Soil First campaign—a participatory program that engages farmers, retailers, researchers, and extension officers. Through soil testing and on-farm demonstrations, we showcase how biologicals can improve soil health, reduce chemical use, and boost productivity by 15–20%.
Promoted actively across platforms like LinkedIn, the campaign reflects our commitment to grassroots adoption and practical sustainability. With our biodiversity, manufacturing strength, and farmer-first philosophy, Sri Bio is poised to help shape the future of biological ag solutions—both in India and globally.
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