Banas Dairy–BBSSL Join Hands to Build India’s First Full Seed-to-Market Potato Chain

Shri Sangram Chaudhary, MD of Banas Dairy, highlighted that this partnership aligns with Banas Dairy’s "Beyond Dairy" strategy.

In line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sahakar se Samriddhi” (Prosperity Through Cooperation), a major step has been taken to strengthen India’s cooperative ecosystem. Banas Dairy—one of the key entities under the Amul brand and Asia’s largest cooperative dairy—has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited (BBSSL) to produce and distribute high-quality, disease-free seed potatoes.

The MoU was formally signed on 10 November 2025 at Atal Akshay Urja Bhavan, New Delhi, in the presence of Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Secretary (Cooperation), Government of India, along with senior officials from the Ministry. The agreement was exchanged between Shri Sangram Chaudhary, Managing Director of Banas Dairy, and Shri Chetan Joshi, Managing Director of BBSSL, marking a transformative moment for Indian agriculture.

A Cooperative Milestone for Farmer Empowerment

Speaking at the event, Secretary Dr. Bhutani described the collaboration as a “significant milestone in farmer prosperity,” reinforcing the Government’s commitment to strengthening value chains, technological innovation, and market access through cooperatives. He emphasized that partnerships like these reflect the cooperative sector’s shift from traditional operations to integrated value-driven production systems that uplift farmers holistically.

Building India’s First ‘Seed-to-Market’ Potato Value Chain

The newly formed partnership seeks to create a comprehensive, cooperative-driven ‘seed-to-market’ potato ecosystem. This value chain will ensure:

• Production of certified, disease-free seed potatoes

• Adoption of scientific agriculture practices

• Strengthened contract farming mechanisms

• Improved market linkage capabilities

• Enhanced technological integration across all stages of production and supply

The initiative aims to reduce input losses, ensure quality stability, and significantly boost productivity and income for potato-growing farmers across India.

Leveraging Strengths of Two Major Cooperative Institutions

Under the MoU:

• BBSSL will gain access to Banas Dairy’s advanced tissue culture and aeroponic facilities, enabling large-scale, high-quality seed potato production.

• Banas Dairy will provide technical expertise, agronomy support, and help build robust market linkages for farmers and cooperatives associated with the program.

This synergy is designed to create a scalable, replicable model that benefits not only cooperative societies but also private growers and emerging agri-enterprises in the potato value chain.

Banas Dairy’s Expansion Beyond Dairy

Shri Sangram Chaudhary, MD of Banas Dairy, highlighted that this partnership aligns with Banas Dairy’s "Beyond Dairy" strategy. The cooperative has been diversifying into horticulture, energy, animal nutrition, and value-added agri products with the aim of delivering year-round income opportunities for its members. The seed potato initiative will further integrate Banas Dairy’s role in India’s broader agri-development narrative.

BBSSL’s Push for Self-Reliance in Seed Potatoes

Shri Chetan Joshi, MD of BBSSL, stressed that India continues to depend significantly on imported seed potato varieties, especially for high-yield and processing-grade cultivation. This partnership, he noted, will accelerate Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) in the seed potato sector by ensuring domestic availability of globally competitive seed material.

He added that cooperative-led frameworks can make high-quality seeds more affordable and accessible, thereby boosting yields and improving the economic resilience of farmers in states like Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and West Bengal.

Advancing Cooperative-Based Agriculture Transformation

The collaboration represents a broader movement in India’s agricultural sector where cooperatives are emerging as pivotal players in:

• Strengthening supply chain infrastructure

• Empowering small and marginal farmers

• Ensuring fair pricing mechanisms

• Modernizing production systems through innovation

By building a farmer-centric model rooted in cooperative strengths, the initiative aims to demonstrate how the cooperative sector can drive large-scale transformation across horticulture and food processing industries.

Looking Ahead: A Scalable National Model

The Banas Dairy–BBSSL MoU is expected to serve as a national blueprint for future cooperative partnerships. As India continues its journey toward agricultural modernization, such collaborations emphasize:

• Sustainability

• Technological innovation

• Collective economic growth

• Farmer-led prosperity

The seed-to-market potato value chain envisioned under this initiative has the potential to not only transform potato cultivation but also inspire similar integrated value-chain models in other key crops.