Release & Accountability

Unveiled in July 2025 by Director General Dr Himanshu Pathak, the Innovations & Impact Report 2024 offers a comprehensive overview of ICRISAT’s scientific breakthroughs, project performance, and institutional evolution over the past year.
Accompanying Financial Statements for 2024, compliant with IFRS, reinforce transparency in governance and resource stewardship.

Mission & Regional Reach
Located in Hyderabad, ICRISAT serves as a key CGIAR center, working across South Asia and Sub‑Saharan Africa—regions home to over 2.1 billion people living in dryland zones with high vulnerability to food insecurity and environmental stress.
Its core mission is to design climate-resilient agri-food systems through crop innovation, sustainable practices, and inclusive research partnerships.

Science & Innovation Milestones

Genetic Improvement & Seed Systems
– Continued development of climate-resilient varieties across key mandate crops: chickpea, sorghum, pearl millet, pigeonpea, groundnut, and millets.
– Genebank conserves over 128,000 accessions from 144 countries.
– Chickpea breeding in sub-Saharan Africa increased certified seed production from 632 tons to 3,290 tons in six years.
– Major hybrid releases include HHB 67 (pearl millet) and the first publicly bred hybrid pigeonpea.

Integrated Farm Research & Agro-adoption Models
– Rice-Fallow Management pilots in Odisha reduced fallow land from 67% to 54% among participating farmers.
– Demonstrated that market linkages and FPOs increase nutrition and income among smallholder communities.

Digital Tools & Climate Adaptation
– Deployment of geospatial tools, remote sensing, and precision farming platforms in data-poor drylands.
– Hosted policy and finance dialogues for biodiversity-positive agricultural models with UNDP, BIOFIN, and ICRIER.

Financial Health & Institutional Governance

Key Financial Metrics (2024)
– Operating deficit: US $6.725 million (vs $4.508 million in 2023).
– Net assets declined to $32.636 million (from $39.188 million in 2023).
– Indirect cost rate rose to 22.5% (from 15.4% in 2023), reflecting increased overhead expenses.

Governance & Oversight
– Financial statements prepared under IFRS, audited independently.
– Internal controls managed by the Audit & Risk Committee under the CGIAR Governing Board.
– Risk-based governance aligned with CGIAR institutional and financial standards.

Broader Impacts & Strategic Outlook

Research for Resilience & Nutrition
– Research focused on dryland farming, protein deficiency, and micronutrient gaps in vulnerable regions.
– Evidence links dietary quality improvements to legume diversity and farmer adoption programs.

Climate & Systems Integration
– Regional modeling predicts yield declines of up to 11% by 2050s in West Africa without adaptation.
– Conservation agriculture, watershed programs, and system-based cropping approaches scaled across South Asia and Africa.

Institutional Challenges
– Operating deficits and rising costs present financial risks.
– Sustaining stakeholder confidence requires high visibility of outcomes, scalable models, and improved funding efficiency.

At‑a‑Glance Summary

ICRISAT’s 2024 report showcases a blend of scientific excellence and institutional accountability. While its innovations in dryland agriculture continue to address pressing global challenges, strategic emphasis must now also focus on stabilizing finances, maintaining trust with stakeholders, and achieving long-term sustainability.