The International Potato Center (CIP) and HyFarm, the agri-business unit of India-based HyFun Foods, have formalized a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening the country’s processing-grade potato sector, with a focus on research collaboration, seed systems, and climate-smart cultivation.

The collaboration has been established through an Inter-institutional Framework Collaboration Agreement and brings together CIP’s scientific expertise in potato and root crop research with HyFarm’s vertically integrated sourcing and farmer engagement model in India. The two organisations said the partnership is designed to support varietal improvement, technology transfer, and capacity building across the potato value chain.

CIP is a CGIAR research centre specialising in potato, sweetpotato and root and tuber crops, with more than five decades of experience in agricultural research across Africa, Asia and Latin America. HyFarm operates as the agricultural arm of HyFun Foods and focuses on potato sourcing, farmer integration and digital farm management systems for the processing market.

Soundararadjane Santhanakrishnan, Chief Executive Officer of HyFarm, said the partnership would strengthen the company’s farmer-focused strategy.
“Partnering with CIP strengthens HyFarm’s commitment to empowering farmers with better varieties, better technologies, and better market opportunities. This collaboration will boost India’s potato R&D ecosystem and help us build one of the world’s most efficient, future-ready potato supply chains,” he said.

According to the organisations, the collaboration will prioritise the development and exchange of processing-suitable potato germplasm, improvements in seed multiplication systems, and the adoption of integrated crop management practices. Joint work will also address climate resilience and sustainable intensification of potato-based agri-food systems, reflecting growing pressure on Indian agriculture from climate variability and productivity constraints.

The agreement also предусматривает joint research initiatives, training programmes, and professional exchanges, alongside laboratory support and coordinated scientific activities. CIP and HyFarm indicated that the partnership is intended to reinforce India’s domestic research and innovation capabilities in processing potatoes rather than relying on imported solutions.

Neeraj Sharma, Country Manager for India and Interim Director at the CIP South Asia Regional Center, said the partnership aligns public-sector research with private-sector execution.
“This collaboration represents a powerful combination between cutting-edge research and an ambitious, farmer-focused private-sector initiative. By combining CIP’s scientific expertise with HyFarm’s innovation-driven value chain, we aim to accelerate varietal improvement, climate resilience, and sustainability for India’s potato farmers,” he said.

As part of its longer-term ambitions, HyFarm has stated that it aims to significantly expand its farmer network and potato procurement volumes over the coming years. CIP and HyFarm said the partnership provides a structured framework to support these goals while embedding scientific validation and sustainability metrics into the supply chain.

The organisations described the agreement as a platform for future project development, including joint resource mobilisation and applied research linked to processing quality, climate adaptation, and farmer productivity.