Export Potential of Tissue-Culture Plants from India

Export Potential of Tissue-Culture Plants from India

a) Current export status & markets

• India’s exports of tissue-culture plants (live plants, planting material / tissue-culture raised propagules) in 2020-21 were approx US$ 17.17 million. 
• The top importing countries include: Netherlands (accounting for around 50% of the exports) followed by USA, Italy, Australia, Canada, Japan, Kenya, Senegal, Ethiopia and Nepal. 
• India is seen as having strong potential as a global supplier of “quality flora / planting material” because of existing biotech expertise + relatively low labour cost. 

b) Market growth drivers & segments

• Segments with potential: horticulture (ornamentals, foliage plants, flowering plants), plantation crops (banana, bamboo, date palm etc), other high-value vegetatively propagated crops.
• According to one source, the global plant tissue-culture industry is enormous (quoted “US$150 billion” scale for tissue culture-raised products) and India can stake a claim to a portion of that growth. 
• Domestic demand also supports export capacity: producing virus-free, clone quality propagules helps export credibility and increases value. The accreditation system (NCS-TCP) helps assure quality standards.

c) Key advantages for India

• Established microbiology/plant tissue culture R&D base and experienced labs.
• Low cost labour and relatively lower cost production (compared with some developed nations).
• Many crops where India has good germplasm and can supply healthy, disease-free planting material.
• Export promotion support via export-oriented bodies such as Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) working with DBT labs. 

d) Challenges & bottlenecks

• Logistics and cost of shipping live plants: transport, packaging, phytosanitary compliance are significant. 
• Laboratory contamination, maintaining genetic fidelity, virus indexing – quality issues can affect exports. 
• Harmonisation of HS codes and regulatory/forest/quarantine issues when exporting live planting material. 
• Need for accreditation and certification, and continuous improvement of labs to meet international norms.
• Scale: Even though exports are growing, US$17.17 million is quite small compared to what the global market could be.

e) Implications for stakeholders

• For entrepreneurs/labs: There is opportunity to develop export-oriented tissue culture production (ornamentals, plantation crops, high-value plants) especially if quality, accreditation and market linkages are addressed.
• For policy: Focus on strengthening accreditation, export promotion, addressing logistics/packaging/quality issues, and market development overseas.
• For farmers and growers: Using tissue culture propagated planting material (disease-free, uniform) helps ensure higher yield, better quality – which supports export competitiveness.

2. Accreditation & the NCS-TCP System

a) What is NCS-TCP?

• The National Certification System for Tissue Culture Raised Plants (NCS-TCP) was notified in March 2006, with the DBT (Ministry of Science & Technology) as the certification agency. (Department of Science & Technology)
• Purpose: to ensure production and distribution of quality tissue-culture planting materials (virus-free, genetically uniform) via recognized Tissue Culture Production Facilities (TCPFs) and certified propagules. (Department of Science & Technology)

b) Current status & numbers

• According to DBT annual report (2022-23): There are about 71 recognised companies under NCS-TCP and some more in the renewal pipeline.
• DBT report states: In year 2022, NCS-TCP provided 10,870 certification labels corresponding to more than 66.30 million tissue culture raised plants.
• Accredited Test Laboratories (ATLs): As of one listing, there are 5 ATLs under NCS-TCP for virus indexing & genetic fidelity testing. (dbtncstcp.nic.in)

c) List of some accredited test laboratories (ATLs)

From the DBT/NCS-TCP site: (dbtncstcp.nic.in)

• Anand Agricultural University (AAU), Anand, Gujarat – accredited for virus indexing & genetic fidelity.
• Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research (IISR), Lucknow – accredited for sugarcane & banana.
• National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab.
• University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK Bangalore – accredited for virus indexing & genetic fidelity.
• Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI), Pune – accredited for plants other than sugarcane.

d) Tissue Culture Production Facilities (TCPFs) – Recognised Companies

While a full list of all recognised companies is not always published publicly in easily accessible form, the DBT annual reports and NCS-TCP notifications mention ~71 recognised TCPFs (as above).

e) Accreditation Process & Key Quality Elements

• Labs/facilities must adhere to criteria: virus-free material, genetic fidelity testing, proper protocols, documentation, certification labels for each batch of plants.
• Plants produced must be traceable, labeled, meet quality standards (disease free, uniform).
• The accreditation helps exporters and production facilities meet domestic certification standards which are essential when entering export markets.

3. Export Strategy & Recommendations

a) Export readiness checklist for tissue culture plants

• Ensure production facility is recognised under NCS-TCP (or following equivalent quality/certification).
• Maintain virus indexing and genetic fidelity records (via accredited ATLs).
• Use appropriate packaging, transport protocols for live plants (cold chain, labeling “live plants”, perishables).
• Ensure phytosanitary, quarantine, import regulations of the destination country are met.
• Understand HS codes, customs/forestry clearance for live planting material export (seek harmonisation).
• Participate in export promotion programs (via APEDA, DBT) and identify target markets (e.g., Netherlands, Australia, USA, Kenya etc).
• Select high-value plant varieties with export demand (ornamentals, foliage, plantation crops, specialized clones).
• Cost management: labour, power, contamination control, logistics.
• Branding & traceability: Disease-free status, uniformity, certification help command premium.

b) Recommended crops/segments for export

• Banana (especially tissue culture derived virus-free banana clones) – large domestic & export potential.
• Bamboo (especially tissue-culture raised bamboo plants) – high biomass, landscaping/export demand.
• Ornamental plants and foliage (e.g., orchids, gerbera, foliage plants) – higher value.
• Specialized fruit crops (e.g., date palm, strawberry, blueberry) where propagation by tissue culture gives advantage.
• Plants for landscaping, forestry seedlings (high value, international demand).

c) Policy & institutional support

• Continue and expand export-oriented support via APEDA (market development, financial assistance schemes). 
• Strengthen lab infrastructure (reduce contamination, enhance productivity).
• Harmonise HS codes for tissue culture plants to ease international trade.
• Provide training to workforce, reduce logistic bottlenecks, improve packaging/transport.
• Promote global marketing & buyer-seller meets, trade expos for tissue culture plants.

4. Summary

In summary:

• India is reasonably well placed to expand exports of tissue culture plants, thanks to its biotech base and cost advantages.
• The current export figures (US$17.17 million in 2020/21) show there is room to grow significantly.
• The NCS-TCP certification system via DBT provides the institutional foundation for quality and standards — crucial for export markets.
• The key to scaling lies in addressing production/quality/logistics bottlenecks and aligning with global demand.
• For stakeholders in the tissue culture industry (labs, entrepreneurs, exporters) the accreditation and export readiness are non-negotiable for international competitiveness.

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