From Soil to Space: India’s Unstoppable Rise

Radheshyam Kumawat

India is increasingly being recognized as a global leader in today’s world, a recognition that stems from its remarkable journey-from the soil to space. Across every sector-be it agriculture, science, defence, or space exploration-India is playing a pioneering role and setting new benchmarks for the world to follow. This multifaceted progress is best captured by the theme: “From Soil to Space: India’s Unstoppable Rise.”

A significant milestone in agricultural science was recently achieved when, for the first time in the world, two genome-edited rice varieties were released in India. This historic event took place on April 4th, 2025, at the Bharat Ratna C. Subramaniam Auditorium, NASC Complex, New Delhi, and was officiated by the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, Shivraj Singh Chouhan. This moment was a source of immense pride for every agriculturist in the country and marked a revolutionary step in agricultural research and innovation on a global scale.

The release of these varieties signifies not only scientific advancement but also India’s potential to lead global food security efforts. The first variety, DRR Rice 100 (Kamala), was developed by the ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad, under the leadership of Dr. R.M. Sundaram, using the popular Samba Mahsuri (BPT 5204) as its base. It is designed to produce more grains per panicle and matures about 20 days earlier (in approximately 130 days), making it more resource-efficient. This shorter duration contributes to the conservation of water and fertilizers and results in lower methane emissions-a success for both farmers and the environment. It also has a strong stalk, reducing lodging issues, maintains the grain quality of the original Samba Mahsuri, and 19% increase in grain yield.

The second variety, Pusa DST Rice 1, was developed by the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, under the leadership of Dr. Viswanathan C., based on MTU 1010, using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. It performs remarkably well in saline and alkaline soils, offering a potential yield increase of up to 30.4% in such challenging conditions, with an average improvement ranging from 9.66% to 20%. This variety is drought- and salt-tolerant, which is crucial for adapting to climate change and ensuring food security in vulnerable regions.

In the field of animal biotechnology, India is also playing a pioneering role in genome editing and biotechnology. Very recently, Prof. Riaz Sah and his team at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-Kashmir), Srinagar, developed India’s first gene-edited lamb. This lamb was modified by targeting the myostatin gene, a key regulator of muscle growth. By disrupting this gene, the muscle mass in the animal has been enhanced by nearly 30%-a trait naturally absent in Indian sheep breeds but found in select European breeds like the Texel. This modified lamb was developed using CRISPR technology, and such achievements place India among the leading nations in this field, alongside China.

This significant success in biotechnology was achieved by India just around fifty days after the release of the world’s first genome-edited rice varieties by the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, at ICAR, New Delhi, on April 4th, 2025.

India’s achievements in agriculture at the global level have been shaped by visionary scientists like Bharat Ratna Dr. M. S. Swaminathan, Verghese Kurien, Gurdev Khush, B. R. Barwale, Surinder Vasal, Vijay Gupta, Sanjaya Rajaram, and Rattan Lal. These scientists have been honoured globally, including with the World Food Prize, for their revolutionary contributions to enhancing food quality, production, and availability.

India has extensively recognized the importance of soil health as the foundation of sustainable agriculture. In line with this, the Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme was launched by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on February 19, 2015, in Suratgarh, Rajasthan. Emphasizing the vital role of soil microorganisms, the scheme has, to date, generated more than 24.74 crore Soil Health Cards across the country. This initiative once again places India at the forefront globally in soil health management and sustainable farming practices.

With a growing population and shrinking cultivable land, India faces the challenge of producing more high-quality food with fewer resources. To address this, India has established its National Gene Bank, located at the ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), New Delhi. This facility currently holds the second-largest collection of plant genetic resources (PGR) in the world, with 471,561 accessions from 2,157 species. These genetic resources are vital for developing climate-resilient crops and ensuring long-term food security.

As India’s roots are deeply embedded in the soil, its ambitions have also soared high into space. The nation’s space achievements have drawn global admiration. India became the first country in the world to land near the lunar south pole through the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Launched on July 14, 2023, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, Chandrayaan-3 entered lunar orbit on August 5, 2023, and made its historic soft landing on August 23, 2023. This mission marked a major technological and scientific achievement, positioning India among the few elite spacefaring nations.

Following the success of Chandrayaan-3, the Union Cabinet, under the leadership of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the ambitious Chandrayaan-4 mission. This mission aims to develop technologies that will enable a successful Moon landing and the return of lunar samples to Earth-a feat that only a handful of countries have accomplished. Chandrayaan-4 represents a foundational step toward India’s goal of achieving a manned Moon mission by 2040.

India’s strength is not only visible in agriculture and space but also in the defence sector. During the India-Pakistan conflict of April-May 2025, the Indian Air Force successfully used the BRAHMOS missile, jointly developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya, to strike strategic targets in Pakistan. Furthermore, the Akash missile system, an indigenously developed surface-to-air missile by DRDO, played a key role in Operation Sindoor, especially in defending against drone attacks. The Akash system, capable of intercepting aerial targets, was instrumental in ensuring mission success and underscored India’s progress toward achieving the goals of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) in the defence sector. During the 5th Convocation Ceremony of the Central Agricultural University (CAU), Imphal, held at the College of Fisheries, Lembucherra, Tripura, ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan highlighted India’s growing capabilities in space and security. He stated that at least ten satellites are operating round the clock for strategic and security purposes, ensuring the protection of the nation’s assets and people.

All these examples-ranging from soil health, genetic conservation, agricultural advancements, and biotechnological breakthroughs, to lunar missions, defence technologies, and space-based security-clearly demonstrate how India is rising as a global leader. The country has laid a solid foundation in the soil through innovation and hard work, and is now reaching for the stars with visionary ambition. Together, they tell the powerful story of “From Soil to Space: India’s Unstoppable Rise”-a journey that is not just national, but global in its impact.

(The author is PhD scholar in Central Agriculture University)

The post From Soil to Space: India’s Unstoppable Rise appeared first on Daily Excelsior.

News