Why in news?
Recently Maitri 2.0 Brazil-India Cross-Incubation Programme launched by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on September 22, 2025, in New Delhi.
Maitri 2.0, the second edition of this bilateral agritech initiative, aims to foster innovation-driven growth and collaboration between Indian and Brazilian agritech ecosystems.
 
Key Objectives and Features

• Strengthen incubator linkages between India and Brazil to build robust networks for agritech innovation.
• Exchange best practices in sustainable agriculture and value-chain development.
• Promote co-incubation through joint ventures and collaborative agritech projects.
• Open new opportunities in digital agriculture technologies and sustainable farming.
• Address shared challenges like climate change, food security, and sustainable intensification.

Strategic Importance

• Reflects the broader Brazil–India strategic partnership, aligned with commitments from leadership at bilateral and multilateral forums such as BRICS and G20.
• Supports a long-term vision for cooperation in agriculture, emerging technologies, and food and nutritional security.
• Implements key pillars of cooperation established during Indian PM Modi's visit to Brazil in July 2025, focusing on food security, science, technology, and innovation.

Impact and Support

• Facilitates collaboration between over 400 agri-startups nurtured by ICAR.
• Emphasizes agriculture not only as a livelihood but as a scalable business.
• ICAR’s innovation ecosystem includes over 1,800 patents granted annually and more than 5,000 licensing agreements.
• The program actively promotes public-funded innovation commercialization to benefit farmers and agricultural end-users.

Maitri 2.0 signifies a milestone in India-Brazil agricultural collaboration, aiming to build more resilient food systems and empower farmers by integrating traditional knowledge with modern agritech solutions for sustainable development and global food security.

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