New Delhi, March 5, 2025: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the establishment of India’s second National Gene Bank, emphasizing its role in conserving the country’s genetic resources and ensuring long-term food security. The announcement was made during a post-budget webinar held via video conferencing on Wednesday.
A gene bank serves as a repository of genetic material, such as seeds, pollen, or tissue samples, collected from various plant species. These banks help protect vital crop varieties from potential extinction and preserve biodiversity for future generations.
First introduced in the 2025-26 budget, this new facility will bolster India’s agricultural biodiversity conservation efforts. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare stated that the upcoming gene bank will store up to 10 lakh (1 million) germplasm lines, providing critical support for both public and private sectors involved in genetic resource management.
Beyond food security, the new gene bank will also promote sustainable farming practices and extend conservation assistance to other nations, particularly within the SAARC and BRICS regions. “The establishment of this second Gene Bank will strengthen India’s position as a global leader in biodiversity conservation. This facility will not only safeguard India’s invaluable plant genetic resources but also contribute to international biodiversity initiatives,” the ministry said in a statement.
India’s first National Gene Bank was established in 1996 by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBPGR) in New Delhi. It currently operates with 12 regional stations across the country, collecting and storing essential crop germplasms. These germplasms serve as the genetic foundation for research, conservation, and crop breeding initiatives.
As per ICAR-NBPGR’s latest database, the existing gene bank houses approximately 0.47 million accessions of plant material used for breeding. These include cereals (0.17 million accessions), millets (over 60,600 accessions), legumes (more than 69,200 accessions), oilseeds (over 63,500 accessions), and vegetables (nearly 30,000 accessions).
With over 811 cultivated crop species and 902 wild relatives, India is recognized as one of the world’s most biodiverse nations. The preservation of plant genetic resources (PGR) is crucial for strengthening agricultural resilience, ensuring food security, and addressing challenges posed by climate change.
The existing National Gene Bank, under the leadership of ICAR-NBPGR, plays a vital role in conserving genetic diversity and supports global PGR conservation efforts through partnerships and distributions to researchers, breeders, and scientists.
“With genetic diversity facing growing threats due to climate change, natural disasters, and geopolitical uncertainties, this redundant storage system will serve as a fail-safe mechanism to protect India’s invaluable germplasm, ensuring long-term sustainability and contributing to global food security,” the ministry stated.
