National Seed Association of IndiaNSAI has more than 450 members comprising small, medium and large enterprises. Policy is set by an elected Governing Council. Implementation is via the Office Bearers -- the president, vice president, general secretary, and treasurer -- working through the Secretariat, whose officers include the executive director, program director, assistant director, senior manager and assistant manager. NSAI encourages R&D investment, progress in careful use of biotech, and seed business awareness. Continuous dialog with regulators aims at establishing an equitable seed business administrative framework, promoting exports and making India a global seed hub. Methods include international collaboration, public - private partnerships, advocating regulatory harmonization, and discussion of common issues between the public and private sectors. Activities include: the annual Indian Seed Congress (the 10th NSAI ISC was held 15 - 17 February in New Delhi); Seed Times Magazine; Seed News newsletters; the NSAI Website; and use of social media. Technical Committee and Special Interest Groups include: IPR; Vegetables, addressing such issues as plant quarantine and phytosanitary certification; Industrial Policy & Communication, which prepares position papers; and Biotechnology & Regulatory Affairs. NSAI is a member of the ITPGRFA Joint Working Group; partner in the Indo-German Cooperation on Seed Development Project; member of the DUS monitoring team and of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Seed Forum.
The above information is based on a presentation given during APSA's annual National Seed Associations meeting, held on 27 November, 2019. For the latest information about NSAI, visit their website directly.