Sep 19, 2024: BAIF Development Research Foundation, an organisation working at Pan-India level in rural development, with special focus on genetic improvement, health care and systematic herd management practices for improving the productivity of Indian Dairy Livestock, signed a MoU with the National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB). NIAB is an autonomous research organisation affiliated to the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. The MOU was signed between Dr. Bharat Kakade, President and Managing Trustee, BAIF and Dr. G. Taru Sharma, Director, NIAB in Hyderabad for collaborative research in livestock genomics and reproductive biotechnology. This collaborative effort will be in huge sync with the BioE3 Policy recently announced by the Union Cabinet.
BAIF and NAIB are already engaged in a collaborative project on Livestock chip development in association with National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). On this occasion, Dr. G. Taru Sharma, stated, “NIAB, Hyderabad earlier in 2021, developed the world’s largest and India’s first HD chip for indigenous cattle. Now, the combined data of NIAB chip and NDDB-BAIF chip could lead to the generation of LD chip”.
Dr. Bharat Kakade, stated, “With this collaboration, the strength of BAIF in applied research and large scale field programme outreach and NIAB’s capability in basic research in animal biotechnology have paved the way to jointly work on many problems in animal health, productivity and reproduction and come out with appropriate solutions for the benefit of dairy farmers”.
The MoU focuses on Inter-Institutional centres on thematic areas to promote interdisciplinary research while addressing challenges in Animal Biology and Biotechnology. With shared resources and expertise, BAIF and NIAB will design and implement programmes aimed at innovative solutions, scientific progress and positive societal impact and their dissemination among communities, policy makers and industry through lectures, workshops and contact programmes organised at the national and international levels.
This collaborative partnership will be governed by a Research Advisory Committee led by the Heads of NIAB and BAIF, which will also comprise of experts on livestock genomics and biotechnology.
