Bayer will market and distribute a biological crop nutrition product developed by INERA, the agricultural biotechnology arm of Absolute, expanding the companies’ efforts to bring biological inputs to Indian farmers.

The commercial collaboration is already underway, with Bayer using its established sales network to expand access to the product, which is designed to improve nutrient-use efficiency (NUE) and support soil and plant health. The companies have not disclosed the product’s name, pricing, expected sales or detailed performance data.

The partnership combines INERA’s biological research and product development capabilities with Bayer’s agronomic expertise and distribution reach. It comes as Indian agriculture faces increasing climate variability and pressure to improve the efficiency of fertiliser use while maintaining crop productivity.

“Indian agriculture is at an inflection point. A changing climate, growing pressure on food security and evolving policy priorities are creating an urgent need for farming solutions that are both sustainable and scalable,” said Agam Khare, founder of Absolute.

Khare said INERA is developing biological solutions to help farmers adapt to climate change, improve nutrient-use efficiency and soil health, and strengthen natural approaches to pest management. He described the Bayer partnership as an important step towards making these technologies available to more farmers.

INERA’s research and development pipeline draws on Absolute’s NIP platform, a collection of more than 35,000 microbial strains, biomolecules and enzymes sourced from diverse environments. Its Nature+ artificial intelligence platform analyses biological data to identify promising molecules and proteins, which are then tested experimentally before advancing through product development and field trials.

These platforms support a pipeline that includes biological crop nutrition, RNA interference (RNAi)-based biocontrol products, peptide-based agricultural inputs and bioherbicides identified using AI.

INERA reports conducting more than 50,000 field trials and farmer demonstrations across more than 100 acres of dedicated trial grounds in India.

For Bayer, the agreement adds another biological input to its commercial portfolio in India, where government initiatives are encouraging more efficient resource use and agricultural innovation.

“The challenges facing farmers today require us to look beyond what any one company can deliver on its own,” said Simon Wiebusch, country divisional head of Bayer’s Crop Science division for India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Wiebusch said combining INERA’s biological expertise with Bayer’s understanding of farmer needs, agronomic capabilities and distribution network could help move new technologies into practical use. He added that the companies aim to develop solutions that improve productivity, support regenerative agriculture and deliver value to farmers.

The collaboration aligns with India’s PM-PRANAM scheme, which encourages states and Union territories to reduce chemical fertilizer consumption, and the government’s BioE3 policy, which promotes biotechnology-led innovation and more sustainable production.

INERA holds active product licences in 19 Indian states and has a presence in markets including the United States, Africa and Southeast Asia.

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