Industry – Academia Consultative Meet organized at ICAR-CIRCOT, Mumbai

On January 23, 2026, ICAR-CIRCOT, Mumbai, in collaboration with the All India Cotton Seed Crushers Association (AICOSCA), Mumbai, organised a consultative meet on “Cottonseed Value Chain: Innovations in Processing and By-product Utilization”. The forum brought together 20 key industry leaders from across the cottonseed value chain to bridge the gap between academic research and commercial applications.

Dr. S. K. Shukla, Director of ICAR-CIRCOT, delivered the inaugural address, emphasizing that the success of any technological innovation is measured by its adoption by the stakeholders. He advocated for industry-oriented research as the primary requirement for ensuring that scientific breakthroughs effectively reach and benefit stakeholders.

Dr. Sandeep Bajoria, Chairman of AICOSCA, commended the Institute for its proactive approach. He noted that integrating industrial requirements into the research paradigm is a vital step toward modernizing the sector and ensuring research remains commercially relevant.

Dr. N. Vigneshwaran, Head of Division, CBPD, ICAR-CIRCOT, presented a comprehensive overview of the Institute’s current technological portfolio in the cottonseed value chain. He extended an invitation to industry partners to collaborate on scale-up trials for laboratory-proven innovations, refinement of existing processing techniques and to work collaboratively towards contemporary market demands.

Inputs from industry participants were documented by the Institute’s scientists to ensure these real-world challenges are integrated into future research initiatives.

The consultative session was moderated by Dr. Jyoti Dhakane-Lad, Scientist, who facilitated the dialogue between researchers and industry participants. The event concluded with a formal vote of thanks delivered by Dr. A. Arputharaj, Senior Scientist, acknowledging the collective commitment to advancing the cottonseed sector.