By Susan Reidy

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US — Cibus, which specializes in development and licensing of gene-edited plant traits, and AgVayā, a strategic growth advisory firm, entered an agreement to accelerate the introduction of Cibus’ gene editing technologies into India’s rice seed industry.

Working through AgVayā, Cibus will actively partner with industry and government stakeholders across India to address some of the country’s biggest agricultural challenges in rice, while inviting R&D and commercial collaborations.

India is the world’s second-largest producer and the largest exporter of rice, with approximately 50 million hectares (125 million acres) under cultivation. Modern gene editing technologies create solutions to drive affordable costs, accelerate the breeding cycle, and lower dependence on pesticides, the companies said.

“This partnership represents a significant milestone for Cibus as we work to extend our innovative gene editing technologies to support one of the world’s most important rice-producing regions,” said Peter Beetham, PhD, co-founder and Interim CEO of Cibus. “With more than 25 years of technical expertise and exciting ongoing trait development in rice, we are excited to work alongside AgVayā’s experienced team to introduce high-performance seed solutions to Indian farmers. Our goal is to foster meaningful collaborations across India’s decentralized agricultural ecosystem to address critical challenges through cutting-edge innovation.”

Through this agreement, Cibus and AgVayā will work together to develop a comprehensive strategy to expand Cibus’ presence in India, partnering with companies, institutions and government stakeholders. The collaboration will focus on enabling joint development and commercialization of advanced herbicide and sustainability traits.

By leveraging Cibus’ gene-editing technologies, Cibus aims to accelerate breeding timelines in India by more than a decade, make modern seed technologies more accessible, and reduce dependence on pesticides, all in support of developing climate-resilient, high-yielding rice seed varieties adapted to evolving agronomic and environmental conditions worldwide, the companies said.

“We are proud to help bring Cibus’ world-class gene editing technologies to strategic crops of interest to India,” said Sekhar Natarajan, partner of AgVayā. “Rice is central to India’s agricultural economy, and the integration of advanced seed technologies has the potential to transform productivity, sustainability and farmer prosperity. By combining Cibus’ innovations with AgVayā’s strategic relationships and market expertise, we aim to accelerate the adoption of these technologies, driving scalable, long-term improvements that strengthen India’s rice industry and support global food security.”

This agreement follows Cibus’ recent announcement of a material transfer agreement with Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), in collaboration with the Latin American Fund for Irrigated Rice (FLAR), to introduce Cibus’ HT3 clethodim herbicide tolerance trait into elite rice germplasm for Latin America, underscoring Cibus’ commitment to advancing rice innovation globally.

Published Date: October 17, 2025