ITC's agricultural products sector displays a 2-fold increase over the past five years
ITC Ltd Embraces Sustainable Agriculture: Expanding Climate Smart Agriculture Programme and Horizon 3 Initiatives
ITC Ltd, a leading Indian conglomerate, is making significant strides in the agricultural sector with its commitment to sustainable practices. The company's flagship Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) programme, launched on July 25, 2025, is currently being implemented across key crops such as wheat, rice, soybean, onion, and spices, spanning over 31 lakh acres. This programme benefits more than 12 lakh farmers across 100 districts in 19 States.
Sanjiv Puri, the Chairman and Managing Director of ITC Ltd, has stated that the company has spearheaded multi-dimensional interventions to build a future-ready portfolio and empower millions of farmers. These practices have led to greater resilience, higher productivity, and enhanced farmer incomes.
In a bid to further expand the CSA coverage, ITC is aiming to extend it to over 40 lakh acres by 2030. The programme adopts a participatory approach for agronomy toolkit development, ensuring that farmers are actively involved in the process.
ITC's Horizon 3 initiatives focus on developing future growth areas such as biological extracts and NextGen agriculture, aiming for sustainable and innovative solutions. In the domain of biological extracts, ITC is leveraging the enormous potential of bio-based products to create value in agriculture and related sectors.
One of the key initiatives in this area is the work by ITC's subsidiary, IPL Biologicals. Through collaborative research with institutions like ICAR-NRCG on grape crops, IPL Biologicals has demonstrated that biological interventions can reduce chemical sprays by 40-50% without compromising yield. This shift towards safer, more sustainable farming practices targets issues like soil degradation and environmental impact.
In NextGen agriculture, IPL Biologicals is promoting the adoption of biological solutions that reduce reliance on harmful synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. ITC plans to continue developing biological extracts with broad applications in agriculture and potentially other sectors, and to scale the adoption of these solutions across India.
The company's efforts in the agricultural sector are not limited to the CSA programme and Horizon 3 initiatives. ITCMAARS, another subsidiary, has evolved into a dynamic and integrated full stack solution for farmers and a robust marketplace in a short span of time. ITC's Agri Business is one of the largest procurers of agri-commodities in India, supporting over 20 agri-value chains and sourcing over 3.5 million tonnes from 22 States.
ITC's agri-commodity segment has demonstrated a two-fold growth in the last five years. Best-in-class agro-chemical management and micro zone-specific agricultural practices are being implemented as part of the CSA programme.
Moreover, Technico, ITC's subsidiary, is the world's largest pre-basic potato seed producer. Technico is working with 15 leading global breeders to develop climate resilient potato varieties suitable for multiple micro-regions. Extensive farmer training has led to the cultivation of traceable and value-added crops in 4,000 acres.
Substantive investments have been made to develop an ecosystem for medicinal and aromatic plants in a 100-acre farm in Madhya Pradesh. High-yielding, climate-resistant seed varieties developed by LSTC are being promoted through the CSA programme.
ITC's Horizon 2 initiatives cover categories such as spices, coffee, horticulture, aqua products, and attribute-specific maize development for higher ethanol processing. ITC Ltd's agri-commodity segment continues to grow and innovate, setting a strong foundation for a sustainable and resilient agricultural future.
- ITC Ltd's agri-business expansion includes the plan to extend the Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) programme coverage to over 40 lakh acres by 2030, aiming for greater resilience, higher productivity, and enhanced farmer incomes.
- In addition to the CSA programme, ITC Ltd's investments in the agricultural sector also include the development of an ecosystem for medicinal and aromatic plants in a 100-acre farm in Madhya Pradesh.
- The company's Horizon 3 initiatives focus on developing future growth areas such as biological extracts and NextGen agriculture, with an aim to create sustainable and innovative solutions.
- ITC Ltd's subsidiary, IPL Biologicals, is promoting the adoption of biological solutions in agriculture, reducing reliance on harmful synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, and targeting issues like soil degradation and environmental impact.
