The global agriculture community has gathered in India for the highly anticipated 6th BioAgTech World (BAW) Congress, taking place from April 23 to 25, 2025, at The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, New Delhi. This influential event brings together farmers, agronomists, retailers, innovators, policymakers, regulators, business leaders, marketers, investors, and stakeholders from across the food chain industry.
Day 2 began with insightful workshops exploring the role of industry associations in shaping sustainable farming regulations and fostering education, while also addressing fundraising, matchmaking, and pitching strategies for BioAgTech startups. Industry leaders provided valuable insights on regulatory harmonization and investment opportunities, furthering the growth of the bio-agriculture sector.
During Workshop 1: ‘Role of Industry Associations and Institutions in shaping and harmonizing regulations through education and incentivising policies for Smart Sustainable Farming bio-inputs in India with global perspective,’ industry leaders shared their insights and views:
Dr. KRK Reddy, President of the BioAgri Input Producers Association (BIPA), highlighted BIPA’s role in networking, collaboration, and policy advocacy, and mentioned the successful organization of BioAgri 2024 in Hyderabad, which showcased the growing interest in biological inputs. Reddy discussed policy recommendations made by BIPA, covering biostimulants, biopesticides, and biofertilizers, and advocated for a unified regulatory framework—a single "umbrella" regulation to govern all three categories of biologicals.
He pointed out that currently, India has three strong regulatory bodies managing each of these categories. He also stressed the importance of India’s strong Biodiversity Act and the need to protect bioresources, while underlining the urgency of working towards regulatory harmonization to align with global standards.
Karel Bolckmans – President, International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association (IBMA) provided a European perspective on the global regulatory landscape for biologicals, emphasizing that while there are guidelines for biologicals globally, a unified global regulatory body is still lacking. He highlighted the importance of unity among companies and closer collaboration with the scientific community.
Bolckmans acknowledged that product harmonization is challenging, especially with many countries involved and strict regulatory standards in place. However, he pointed out that harmonization is possible in specific areas such as product quality, health safety, and farmer trust, provided there are clear data requirements, proper evaluation systems, and reasonable regulatory timeframes.
He also shared concerns from the European farming community, where farmers fear the loss of chemical inputs due to deregulation. At the same time, he observed that adoption of biologicals has been slow, largely due to questions around efficacy and the need for stronger support and validation.
Roger Tripathi – CEO, Global BioAg Linkages emphasized the importance of education campaigns to enhance understanding and acceptance of biological products. He spoke about the need for a harmonized definition, clear regulatory processes, and the establishment of best practices and standards for biostimulants.
He stressed that adoption should be driven by learning from global best practices, even if full harmonization might be impractical. He suggested that think tank meetings be held to discuss and evaluate such practices collaboratively.
Carlos Rodríguez-Villa Förster – President, European Biostimulants Industry Council (EBIC) emphasized the importance of the farmer’s voice in policymaking, stating that it should be the loudest voice in Parliament. He strongly advocated for maximum product harmonization to achieve sustainable agriculture goals.
Vipin Saini (CEO, BASAI) Chair shared that BASAI promotes all categories of biologicals for advancing smart agriculture and combating climate change. He underscored the need for collaboration with scientific institutions and academia.
He acknowledged that global harmonization is a dream, given climatic, regional, and regulatory differences in agriculture across countries. Instead, he recommended working with existing frameworks and complementing global policies at the local level. He announced 2025 as the International Year of Cooperation, encouraging companies to collaborate on drafting policy frameworks to present in Parliament.
Alice Toderi – CEO, Hello Nature reiterated the shared goal of supporting farmers, acknowledging that while global harmonization is difficult due to regional agricultural differences, it is possible to make progress at the local level. She emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts and mutual understanding to advance the sector.
Following this, during this Workshop 2: ‘Investors and Startups/Innovators Fundraising – Must Win Battles, Discussions 360, Matchmaking, and Pitching Practice’, industry leaders shared actionable insights and strategic advice on how startups in the biological agriculture sector can successfully raise funds, create value, and scale sustainably.
Giuseppe Natale, Chairman of Vedalia, emphasized the importance of a disciplined investment approach that aligns with the startup's mission and operational realities. He encouraged innovators to approach potential investors with clarity and consistency, highlighting how their work creates value across the entire chain.
Benoit Hartman, Head of Biologics at Bayer Crop Science, highlighted the need for a vibrant and sustainable innovation ecosystem to accelerate the impact of agricultural biologicals. He outlined the value of different partnership types—technical, commercial, licensing, and thought leadership—as a means to drive knowledge exchange and bring critical market insights. He stressed the importance of having a financial partner who goes beyond capital to provide a flexible toolbox, including support for early-stage research.
Antonio Zem, CEO and President of Biotrop, positioned biological agriculture as a necessary and timely investment. He described the space as an emerging multibillion-dollar industry with growth and profitability set to outpace chemical agriculture by more than 10%. According to him, success depends on strong technology, market access, and exceptional talent—elements that separate winners from the rest.
Anil Rohra, Global Head at UPL NPP, shared that his company has explored a range of partnership and investment models. He highlighted the regulatory challenges and emphasized the importance of choosing the right partners to scale businesses. Startups, he noted, must be problem-focused, decisive, and committed to getting their products into farmers’ hands.
Rajat Chatterjee, Executive Director, Prowess Advisors spoke on the critical support startups need to thrive. He covered strategic consulting, go-to-market planning, regulatory navigation, fundraising, and ESG financing. He stressed the need for agronomic validation, product-market fit, and a scalable distribution strategy, along with data-backed efficacy and a strong management team.
A young startup, Agrinutritech Ltd, shared their on-ground impact and aspirations. They work directly with 500 farmers and are addressing a critical gap in the Indian agricultural sector—low income among farmers due to reliance on cheap, ineffective inputs. The startup focuses on education, teaching farmers about sustainable practices and biological inputs through both B2B and B2C channels. Their goal is to scale operations pan-India and empower farmers with knowledge and tools for better, more profitable farming.
Both workshops concluded with a strong call for collaboration, regulatory harmonization, and farmer-centric innovation. Industry leaders and startups emphasized aligning global best practices with local needs, highlighting education, strategic partnerships, and investment as key drivers for advancing sustainable and scalable growth in the BioAgTech sector.
Highlights of Session 3: Leadership Challenges and Opportunities: Where the Buck Stops
Chair Sandeepa Kanitkar (MD, Kan Biosys), Roberta Vinciguerra (COO Vedalia), Narjissee (CEO NutribioTek -OCP), Liria Sayuri Hosoe (Head of Regulatory, UPL Brazil) and Usha Zehr (CMD GrowIndigo)- all shared views on ‘Women Leaders and Entrepreneurs Roundtable: Success, Failures and Challenges: Why we don’t see enough progress and parity in leadership roles.’
The session began with Antonio Zem, Board Member at BioFirst, delivering opening remarks on leadership, emphasizing the critical need for inclusive and diverse leadership in industry.
Sandeepa Kanitkar, chairing the session, spoke passionately about gender equality, particularly in the context of Indian agriculture. She highlighted that women in India now have a voice in policymaking, including within Parliament. However, she emphasized that agriculture remains a male-dominated field, and women face numerous barriers entering the biotech and agribusiness sectors. She called for a cultural shift in mindset, greater institutional support during key life events like maternity, and better support systems in the workplace. She also discussed the education-to-career transition challenges, mid-career breaks, and the broader impact of underutilizing women — stating that solving these issues could increase India’s GDP by 1%. She highlighted the successes of women trailblazers in both global and rural India contexts.
Usha Zehr shared the story of GrowIndigo, a company that has been operating for six years, working at the intersection of agriculture and sustainability. She reflected on her background, being raised by a farmer father, and how this influenced her career path, including launching a seed business. Usha emphasized the opportunity to leverage carbon programs for smallholder farmers and discussed the importance of building strong teams, focusing on product quality, and earning the trust of farmers. One key challenge she highlighted was the difficulty in recruiting women into sales roles. Her mantra has been to focus on existing resources while continuing to expand the team and support more women in the process.
Roberta Vinciguerra reflected on her two decades in the chemical industry, including the last four years spent more closely aligned with finance and agriculture-related sectors. She cited data from the 2024 Global Gender Gap Report, noting that while women make up nearly 50% of the global workforce at the entry level, their representation dramatically declines at senior levels. She pointed out the complex and multifaceted nature of gender bias, including limited access to capital, networks, mentorship, and sponsorship. She stressed the need to stop normalizing inequality and advocated for investment in women-led ideas and diverse teams. Roberta also underscored the importance of redefining leadership and implementing family-friendly workplace policies.
Liria Sayuri Hosoe spoke about her journey and the various challenges she has faced as a woman leader. She shared UPL Brazil’s commitment to gender equality, aiming to achieve full gender parity by 2030. Currently, women hold 25% of leadership positions and represent 32% of the overall workforce at UPL. Liria discussed several initiatives by the company to promote diversity and inclusion, such as the “Voices” program and the “UPelas” movement, both of which aim to attract, hire, and develop women for leadership roles.
Narjissee, CEO of NutribioTek - OCP, discussed the evolving role of women in the industry. While acknowledging the challenges, she noted that women are now present across sectors. Her company has introduced women-specific programs focused on inclusion, reward systems, and providing more flexible work options like working from home to support better work-life balance and family time.
This roundtable discussion on ‘MNC Leaders Roundtable of BioAgTech Businesses: Must-Win Battles, Challenges, and Opportunities in Establishing Tangible Biocontrol Businesses’ was chaired by Roger Tripathi and featured insights from industry leaders including Simon Wiebusch (Bayer), Emilie Seguret (UPL NPP), Sanjay K. Tokala (Head of Syngenta Biologicals), Prameet Kamat (Commercial Director, APAC, Corteva Biologicals), and Carlos Ledo (CEO and Founder, Veganic Nature).
Prameet Kamat shared Corteva's journey from being a chemical-focused company to becoming increasingly engaged in biologicals. He spoke about the importance of company culture in driving this transformation and the need to understand evolving customer and farmer needs. Prameet emphasized that while many products are developed, only a small number make it to commercial success. Therefore, creating value through strategic partnerships between startups and multinationals is essential for long-term success.
Simon Wiebusch noted that biologicals certainly have a place in agronomic systems, but not every product or solution can or should replace existing methods. He emphasized the importance of choosing the right solution based on specific agronomic needs — for example, selecting biocontrols when they fit, or biostimulants when more appropriate. Simon pointed out that growing consumer demand for residue-free food makes biologicals increasingly relevant, and that most companies are now working toward fulfilling this expectation.
Sanjay K. Tokala highlighted the importance of combining science-based innovation and technology with a shift in industry mindset. He advocated for viewing agriculture from the farmer's perspective, promoting integrated crop management systems that address both biotic and abiotic challenges. He also underscored the value of partnerships in scaling biological solutions and reaching broader markets.
Emilie Seguret discussed UPL’s strategic focus on crop programs, especially around water conservation and farmer training. She mentioned the company’s investments in research and development, including strong laboratory infrastructure and field stations. Emilie emphasized performance and scalability, stating that UPL is working across many regions to prioritize the implementation of biologicals.
Carlos Ledo, from Veganic Nature, offered a perspective from a smaller company, highlighting the cultural and operational differences between startups and large corporations. He discussed the critical role of food safety and noted that small companies often need partnerships with larger firms to gain global market access and build a sustainable footprint.
Roger Tripathi, chairing the session, concluded by reinforcing that all multinational corporations are now open to collaboration and partnerships in the biological space. However, he cautioned innovators to remain grounded, emphasizing that only 1 to 2 percent of biological products actually make it to full commercialization. He stressed the need to focus on delivering real ROI for farmers and to avoid overpromising product capabilities.
Next, roundtable discussion on ‘CEO Roundtable of BioAgTech Businesses: Must Win Battles to capitalize on opportunities while managing and mitigating the risks and challenges’ was chaired by Amy O Shea (CEO, Invaio Bio), and featured insights from industry leaders including Adrian Ferrero (Co-Founder & CEO, Biome Maker), Carlos Forster (CEO, AlgaEnergy), Augusto Meneses (Global Head & Commercial Director, Sylvan bio) and Mritunjay Kumar (SVP, Business Head-Biologicals, PI Industries).
Amy O’Shea opened the discussion by sharing her journey, touching on the setbacks she faced and how those experiences shaped her leadership. She emphasized the importance of restructuring and building a strong company culture capable of adapting to rapid changes in the bio-agriculture sector.
Adrian Ferrero spoke about the importance of team coordination and having a clear strategic vision for what an organization aims to achieve. He reflected on the challenges entrepreneurs face, particularly the tendency to set overly high expectations early on. Adrian stressed the need for a more practical and grounded approach, where setbacks are anticipated, and teams remain agile and introspective. Learning from failure, he said, is an integral part of innovation.
Carlos Forster discussed AlgaEnergy's journey, highlighting how important it is to foster a company culture where making mistakes is not just tolerated, but seen as part of growth. He emphasized that in a startup environment, leaders must empower team members to see themselves as more than employees. “We want leaders, not followers,” he said, underscoring the value of building a committed, proud, and engaged team.
He touched upon agriculture’s role in addressing climate change and the shifting global perspective on sustainability, including biofuels and biofertilizers. He stressed the need to stay laser-focused on innovation and diversification in products to meet evolving demands.
Augusto Meneses highlighted the need to empower team members with the confidence and authority to make decisions. He acknowledged that mistakes will happen, but emphasized that giving people the space to learn from those mistakes is key to fostering leadership and innovation within a company.
Mritunjay Kumar shared a strategic perspective, noting that success in biologicals doesn’t depend solely on the product, but rather on the problem it solves and the value it delivers. He highlighted the challenge of product differentiation in a crowded marketplace where multiple solutions often exist for the same issue. He emphasized the importance of setting the right expectations within the team, focusing on passion and purpose behind the sales effort, and keeping the customer at the center of all decision-making. According to him, “The customer is king.”
Mritunjay also remarked that this is the best time for biologicals, given increasing government support, conferences like these, and growing interest in sustainable solutions. He encouraged leaders to maintain a growth mindset and set a clear vision for their teams. He added that in the biologicals sector, “every year feels like a new year,” meaning that companies must maintain high energy and stay close to the farmers. He also raised concerns about greenwashing and the regulatory landscape, emphasizing the need for integrity and consistency in messaging and compliance.
With this, Session 3 concluded with a compelling call for inclusive leadership, highlighting the need to break gender barriers, foster innovation, and build collaborative ecosystems that empower women and drive sustainable growth in the evolving BioAgTech landscape.
