Interview: Dr. Renuka Diwan, CEO of BioPrime Agrisolutions

Interview with Dr. Renuka Diwan, CEO of BioPrime Agrisolutions, a leading ag-biotech company

In an exclusive interview with Dr. Renuka Diwan, CEO of BioPrime Agrisolutions, we explore the cutting-edge advancements in ag-biotechnology.

Under her leadership, the company has pioneered sustainable solutions that boost agricultural productivity while prioritizing environmental stewardship.

Dr. Diwan shares her vision for the future of agriculture, highlighting the role of innovation in addressing global food security challenges.

Can you provide an overview of BioPrime Agrisolutions and its mission in the biotechnology sector?

Dr. Renuka Diwan: Our brand purpose is From Nature, For Nature & everything we do at BioPrime is inspired by this. We are a research driven ag-biologicals company recognised by the GOI.

With over 30 years of combined research & development expertise, we have developed effective solutions to assist farmers grow & gain by mitigating the risk of damages due to climate change, rising temperatures & erratic rainfall.

Our solutions are based on the Patented SNIPR and Bionexus platforms, which facilitate the discovery of efficient biomolecules and microbes. We have created India’s largest microbial library with 17000+ strains to formulate tailor make solutions.

All our products are environmentally friendly, helping preserve soil health & contribute towards significant yield enhancement & profitable farming.

In testament to our high standard quality & efficacy, our products have demonstrated excellent results globally; America, Europe & South East Asia to prove the power of biologicals developed by us.

What specific biotech solutions does BioPrime offer to address climate change, and how do they work?

Dr. Renuka Diwan: Our products work on hormone activations inside the plant, which confers resistance against stressed weather conditions.

We offer bio stimulants, bio fertilizers & bio control segment products based on our patented SNIPR technology that aids in the discovery and development of biomolecules for physiology modulation.

SNIPR has proven to increase productivity, reduce crop losses, increase shelf life, and reduce post-harvest losses across a variety of crops like tomatoes, potatoes, cotton, bananas, and rice, to name a few. With our products, farmers have been able to climate proof their crops to protect yields.

In extreme heat, where the farmers hesitate to sow the plants due to high mortality, our user farmers go ahead with confidence. We receive consistent feedback from across the country on the resilience of plants treated with our products in extreme weather conditions.

As the ill effects of abiotic stress continue to compromise yield and quality, our products have become farmer-preferred and enjoy extraordinary word of mouth.

Can you highlight any recent innovations or products that you are particularly excited about?

Dr. Renuka Diwan: We are very excited to bring the next set of innovations to the Indian market in the coming years. We are looking forward to commercialise our new offerings of fertilizer additives, and seed treatment products.

Our products will be powered by secondary metabolites extracted from natural sources meant to work against the abiotic stress conditions. We design our products to modulate specific pathways in the plant to induce anti-stress response.

Our products are developed keeping the life cycle of crops in the centre, which helps the farmer choose the best fit as per the crop’s requirement. As a case, in Narayangaon, Maharashtra, Chilli is a commonly grown crop.

In April farmers now hesitate to transplant as the temperatures go 2 to 3 degrees above the normal. The chances of sapling mortality is too high.

Our seaweed & botanical extract products confer resistance to the saplings & there is negligible mortality. Farmers have been able to sow & reap significant profits at the harvesting time.

We are immensely proud that, today we host India’s largest plant associated microbial library with 17722 strains & 170 identified lead microbes.

All our innovative solutions have been extracted from this library. And we have just started to explore this weath of wisdom.

What trends in the biotechnology and agricultural sectors do you find most significant in the fight against climate change?

Dr. Renuka Diwan: Indian agriculture is on the cusp of a transformation. We are witnessing horticulture production surpassing grain production now. With this shift, the intensity of farming practice is increasing too.

There is a need to improve the productivity of crops and take it closer to the global levels to strengthen Indian agriculture’s domestic and export potential.

The requirment of increased productivity from the same land under the changing weather patterns is a big opportunity to find solutions, which can work along with conventional products & practices and yet give maximum value to the growers.

The trend of finding niche solutions to counter the ill effects of climate change on the yield, post harvest solutions & adaption of biologicals products represents a significant opportunity.

How important are partnerships and collaborations in your work, and can you discuss any notable alliances you’ve formed?

Dr. Renuka Diwan: Our strategic priority is to foster collaborations with leading corporate houses. This is the fastest way to make our innovation reach different parts of the country.

The corporates bring with them the reach in the market and the ability to educate and market the products. We complement this with our innovation and research-backed products.

Corporates from various business interests like nutrition, pesticides, and seeds are looking to bolster their biologicals portfolio in response to market needs.

As a company rooted in innovation, we bring customised solutions for significant commercial opportunities for these corporations. It helps the companies provide value to farmers and fits well with their existing portfolio.

We made a recent collaboration with one of India’s leading fertilizer company, Yara. Yara is the leading crop nutrition company in India with pan India reach & enjoys hige farmer loyalty.

We have added value to their existing range of products by introducing a patented product Chiron. While Yara’s nutrition range ensures healthy upkeep of the plants, our bio stimulant helps in achieving more number of A grade fruits with shine, weight & keep quality.

What role do farmers and agricultural communities play in the development and success of your products?

Dr. Renuka Diwan: Our solutions are created for farmers. Behind each innovation, we aim to give confidence to the farmers to grow more without worrying about the abiotic stress conditions.

In recent years, there has been erratic patterns of rainfall, temperature & salinity, posing unseen challenges. We work with the farmers across intense cropping patterns to understand the changing conditions & finding the right solution to counter that.

This is the essence of our product development. We engage farmers & communities right from the product inception phase to curate a solution, dmonstrating the prototype on their fields, collecitng feedback, implementing mass scale demonstrations & finally launching the product for the farmers. The entire journey is centered around the farmers & solving their pressing issues with our biologicals.

What are your short-term and long-term goals for BioPrime in the context of combating climate change?

Dr. Renuka Diwan: We are a research company finding cutting edge global solutions to climate proof crop yields. We will continue to work in this direction & bring relevant solutions. We have already established BioPrime as a leader in the biostimulant segment & has scripted success in India, South Asia & USA.

We will continue to work on our strengths to expand the product portfolio by introducing fertilizer additives, seed treatment, and bio fungicides for our B2B customers.

We intend to get into long-term agreements with the corporates to co-develop these solutions. Together, we will make a big impact on the lives of farmers by solving some of the pressing issues.

What advice would you give to young professionals interested in pursuing a career in biotechnology and sustainability?

Dr. Renuka Diwan: The world is heating up. And, it cannot afford to do so. Governments, communities & companies are putting significant efforts to reduce the impact of climate change. Sustainable solutions backed by biotechnology is going to the key area to find solutions.

These solutions are relevant across a wide range of sectors agriculture, pharma, industrial applications, polymers, food processing, performance chemicals & many more.

This represents a promising avenue for the professionals to pursue biotechnology as a career choice. In BioPrime, we have almost 50% of our workforce from biotechnolgy, microbiology, clinical microbiology background & we continue to look for talent.

Dr. Renuka Diwan’s insights illuminate the critical intersection of technology and sustainability in agriculture.

Her leadership at BioPrime Agrisolutions not only champions innovation but also fosters a commitment to environmental responsibility, paving the way for a sustainable future in food production.

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