Dignitaries releasing the Annual Highlights 2026 document at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR) Foundation Day on Saturday, September 5, 2026, in Bengaluru.
The ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (ICAR-IIHR), Bengaluru, celebrated its 60th Foundation Day on Saturday with the theme “Accelerating Horticultural Growth through Research, Innovation and Digitization”.Tusar Kanti Behera, Director, ICAR-IIHR, highlighted the Institute’s six-decade journey and its contributions to horticultural research through the development of varieties and technologies, technology transfer, farmer outreach and capacity building activities.The institute has, so far, developed about 337 varieties of horticultural crops and 163 innovative technologies contributing significantly to the growth of horticulture sector in the country. It has commercialised about 255 technologies across six thematic areas to some 771 clients, besides facilitating registration of 27 farmers’ varieties across six crops—mango, jackfruit, custard apple, jamun, tamarind and carrot—with the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority, according to a statement.Delivering the Foundation Day lecture on “Digital Transformation: Translating Defence Innovations into Agricultural Solutions,” Binay K Das, Director General, Electronics and Communication Systems (ECS), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), highlighted the close relationship between agriculture, technology and national development.Saluting farmers, Das noted that while the armed forces protect the nation’s borders, farmers provide the food that sustains the country. He called upon scientists, farmers, industry and institutions to work collectively towards productive and sustainable use of India’s land and resources.Surender Babu, Chief General Manager, Karnataka Regional Office, NABARD, Bengaluru, highlighted on horticultural crop productivity for prosperity through climate resilient horticulture for market orientation through start-ups.Vishnuvardhan, Vice Chancellor, University for Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot, emphasised the collective support to the IIHR for the past Horticultural Research through collaborative research and education.Published on September 5, 2026
