BL Agro Invests INR 1,500 Cr in Biotech Arm Leads Genetics

FMCG group BL Agro has announced an investment of INR 1,500 crore in its biotech subsidiary Leads Genetics to build an integrated genetics and reproductive-technology ecosystem aimed at improving cattle breeding and the dairy industry. The announcement was made at the two-day Cattle Genomics Summit 2026 in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.

The company is in talks with Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh to replicate the model in other states. The investment will fund an in-house Breed Improvement Farm, IVF-ET Laboratory, Multiple Ovulation Embryo Transfer (MOET) facility, Pathology Laboratory and Genomics Laboratory, bringing the breed-improvement value chain under one roof. It forms part of BL Agro broader 360-degree milk value chain strategy spanning genetics, breeding, animal health, nutrition, production, processing and market linkages, supported by a farmer outreach programme.

The summit brought together genomics, IVF, sequencing and data-driven breeding experts, with participation from Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, Uttar Pradesh Animal Husbandry Minister Dharampal Singh, and Uttar Pradesh Minister of State Arun Kumar Saxena. The event coincided with India’s BRICS Presidency and marked the arrival of the first Zebu-optimised bovine SNP chip at Leads Genetics, along with a live demonstration of next-generation sequencing on the Illumina NovaSeq X platform.

The genomic chip allows Leads Genetics to assess an animal’s DNA across thousands of markers, enabling early identification of traits such as milk production, fertility, heat tolerance and disease resistance, before conventional progeny data becomes available. Combined with IVF, embryo transfer and sex-sorted semen, the technology is designed to accelerate genetic improvement compared to conventional breeding methods. Leads Genetics’ Centre of Excellence in Bareilly is targeting production of 15,000 embryos per month by the end of 2027.

The initiative follows the India-Brazil cattle-genetics partnership formalised in Brasília and is intended to reduce India’s dependence on imported germplasm while conserving indigenous breeds.

“Better genetics can improve milk productivity, reproductive performance and the long-term value of cattle, while creating additional income opportunities for farmers. The genetically selected cows are expected to produce high-quality milk, with an average yield of 40-60 litres per cow per day,” said Dr. Ghanshyam Khandelwal, Chairman, BL Agro.