Corporate World

Prathibha Biotech

Revolutionizing Agri-biotech in India

Agri-biotech is not something one comes across quite often. Though the concept might be making waves in the west, it is yet to find many takers in India. However, one company that promises to change this perception is Prathibha Biotech. The Hyderabad-based company is at the forefront of taking biotech to the field of agriculture and transform lives of farmers who have had to depend on expensive and not-so-environment friendly agri-chemicals.

Perhaps no other word excites as much as biotech when one thinks of pharmaceuticals. Biotech has gained unprecedented attention across the globe – from America to Europe to Asia. And India is no different. However, while the very mention of the term conjures up images of scientists developing promising products to cure even chronic human ailments, the agri-biotech is yet to draw similar attention. But one company that is working fiercely and determinedly to change this perception is Hyderabad-based Prathibha Biotech. This company, led by the visionary Rajasekhar Reddy, is spearheading a revolution to take agri-biotech to the farmers across the country and help transform Indian agriculture.

Agricultural biotechnology, according to the US Department of Agriculture, comprises of a range of tools, including traditional breeding techniques that alter living organisms, or parts of organisms, to make or modify products; improve plants or animals; or develop microorganisms for specific agricultural uses. Agri-biotech offers a simpler and efficient option for weed control while also helping reduce production costs to a world that is finding it hard to keep pace with rising demand for food.

Celebrating a decade of a glorious journey

Prathibha Biotech, which began its journey a decade ago, in 2005, is celebrating 10 years of its successful existence this year. Indeed, the company has since then come a long way, given that it was not easy to enter this field at a time when agri-biotech was yet to find many takers in India. However, thanks to the vision and dynamic leadership of its founder, which has helped Prathibha Biotech establish itself as one of the leading names in the agri-biotech in India, today, and create greater awareness among the farmers community about the benefits of agri-biotech products. The company’s promoters bring with them vast experience in the manufacture of Biotechnology prducts, Vermiculture-, Tissue-Culture and Bio-Organic processes.

Prathibha Biotech has, over the years, developed a vast portfolio of agri-biotech products including bio pesticides, bio fungicide, granulated bio fertilizers, and bio stimulant amongst others. According to a report by the India Brand Equity Foundation, the Indian biotechnology sector is set to cross the milestone of $100bn by 2025 from the current $5-7bn, growing at a rate of 30 per cent. Biopharma with a share of about 62 per cent, accounts for the lion’s share in the total revenue of the sector, followed by bioservices (18 per cent), agri-biotech (15 per cent), bioindustry (four per cent), and bioinformatics contributing (one per cent).

Making rapid strides

The company has made rapid strides during the last 10 years, in terms of both the reach and its product portfolio. It started out with the aim of providing eco-friendly and ecologically beneficial products to improve and assist the farming community to protect their crops and provide rich yielding harvests. Thanks to its unstinted efforts, Prathibha Biotech has, over the years, carved out a place for itself among India’s fast-growing and highly-competitive agri-biotech space. The company’s focus on providing best quality and affordable products has helped it reach out to a greater number of its targeted markets well.

Besides intensifying its R&D efforts, the company has also worked hard on making sure that it reaches out to a greater number of farmers. Towards this objective, it decided to focus on enhancing its reach among its target customers in the southern and western markets first, before going for a pan India presence. In the past 10 years since coming into existence, Prathibha Biotech has created a vast network of over 500 dealers spread across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat. According to the company, dealers form the critical link in connecting with farmers, and hence it takes all the steps to make sure that it extends all possible support to its dealers and other channel partners 24X7 and that it treats its dealers with utmost respect. Besides, it also ensures that its marketing team remains in constant touch with the dealer community regarding the developments in the biotechnology sector and our product lines all the time. The company also has well-trained Field Officers to educate the farmer community on the usage of biotechnology as well as to demonstrate its products.

The company also pays utmost attention to maintaining global quality standards and best manufacturing practices. Prathibha Biotech is an ISO 9001:2000 Certified Company and all the products are manufactured with good quality and are subjected to strict quality control measures. The company’s research laboratory is equipped with modern facilities to research and invent new products. The company’s manufacturing facility is at Chowtuppal, Hyderabad.

Building a greener future in agriculture

As the company celebrates 10 years of successfully serving the farmers community is passionately working hard towards a bigger goal, that is, of building a greener future in agriculture. The agri-biotech pioneer sets out with the mission to reduce the use of several harmful chemical fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture. Farmers have, since long, been using the chemicals-based pesticides and antibiotics for protecting against harmful insects, pests, etc., however, their persistent use in crops lead to deteriorative effect on human lives, who consume the end-produce. With its innovative, agri-biotech products, it aims to make sure that the food – from farm to fridge - is safe and healthy. Welcome to a world of healthy living.

  

What is Agri-Biotech? Biotechnology products are made up of micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, insects and herbs. The main aim is to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and to preserve the nature. Biotechnology is used to raise and stabilize yields, to improve resistance to pests and diseases, and to enhance the nutritional content of foods with higher vitamin and protein content. It improves the quality of the yield, and makes the product more affordable in the world market. Biotechnology products also increase the fertility of the soil, and reduce pollution in the environment, soil, and the produce there by improving human lives. Market size The Indian biotech industry holds about 2 per cent share of the global biotech industry. The Indian biotechnology sector is expected to grow from the current US$ 5-7 billion to US$ 100 billion by 2025 by doubling the growth rate of this sector from 15 percent to 30 percent, according to the Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE). The high demand for different biotech products has also opened up scope for the foreign companies to set up bases and reap great profits. The biotechnology industry in India, comprising about 400 companies, has grown three-fold in the last five years to reach US$ 4 billion in FY 13. Growing at an average rate of about 20 per cent, India's biotech industry comprising biopharmaceuticals, bioservices, bioagriculture, bioindustry and bioinformatics could reach the US$7bn mark by FY'15. Biopharma is the largest sector contributing about 62 per cent of the total revenue followed by bioservices (18 per cent), bioagri (15 per cent), bioindustry (four per cent), and bioinformatics contributing (one per cent).

Source: Prathibha Biotech; IBEF