A high-level delegation comprising eight members from Brazil visited the ICAR – Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (ICAR-IIHR), Bengaluru, on 29^th September 2025, as part of the Maitri 2.0: Brazil-India Agri-tech Cross Border Incubators Program. The delegation included Directors, General Directors, Heads of Innovation, and other senior officials.

The delegation along with Dr. S. B. Shivachandra, PI-CEO, NaaViC and his team from ICAR-NIVEDI arrived at ICAR-IIHR in the afternoon and was formally received by the Dr. Tusar Kanti Behera, Director, ICAR-IIHR. Following a general interaction at the Director’s office, the delegation was guided through a tour of various incubation facilities within the institute. The first visit was the Micronutrients and Bioformulations Incubation Centre, where Dr. Behera, Director, ICAR-IIHR briefed the delegation on the incubation ecosystem at IIHR. He elaborated on the production support, marketing assistance, and entrepreneurial handholding provided to the incubatees. The delegation also interacted directly with current incubatees to understand their experiences. Subsequently, the delegation visited the Mushroom Incubation Centre. Dr. Sriram S., Principal Scientist and Head of the Division of Plant Protection, provided an overview of the mushroom varieties cultivated, the incubation process, and the benefits accrued by entrepreneurs utilizing this facility. The delegation interacted with the mushroom incubatees to gain deeper insights. The next visit was to the BESST-HORT incubation facility, where Dr. Dhananjaya M.V., CEO and Principal Scientist, detailed the infrastructure, services, and business support extended to horticulture-based startups.

Following the facility visits, a formal session was organized in the Video Conference Room of the Director’s office. Dr R Selva Kumar, Principal Scientist, Division of Natural Resources extended a warm welcome to all delegates, division heads, and scientists team from ICAR-NIVEDI, Bengaluru ICAR-IIHR incubatees, and other attendees. The Director, ICAR-IIHR, extended a warm welcome to all delegates and in his address provided an overview of IIHR's research, innovation portfolio, and its impact on farmers, entrepreneurs, and agri-startups. Dr. Safeena S.A., Principal Scientist, presented on the diverse activities of IIHR, focusing on technology commercialization, national and international collaborations, and MoUs. This was followed by a presentation by Dr. Anuradha Sane, Principal Scientist, member secretary, ITMU on the institute's incubation ecosystem. She highlighted the incubation process, the role of the Agri-Business Incubation (ABI) Centre, technology domains available for incubation, profiles of current incubatees, and the key achievements of the ABI unit. The delegation then interacted with IIHR incubatees, expressing appreciation for the institutional support and innovative environment nurtured by IIHR.

Dr. Carlos Nabil Ghobril, Director from Brazil, addressed the gathering, sharing insights on Brazil’s research initiatives, innovation strategies, and ongoing collaborations. Mr. Angelo Mauricio, Agriculture Attaché of Brazil in India, also spoke on the occasion. He acknowledged the importance of the technologies developed at IIHR and drew comparisons with similar initiatives in Brazil. He emphasized the need to enhance India-Brazil collaboration in agriculture and horticulture research and expressed interest in formalizing partnerships through MoUs and collaborative agreements.

The program concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Dr. M. Thangam, Principal Scientist, who expressed gratitude to the Brazilian delegation, scientists team from ICAR-NIVEDI, division heads, incubatees, and all participants for their active involvement and contributions.