Yara India announces first ever women in agronomy scholar award recipients for 2025

Yara India, a subsidiary of Yara International and the world's leading crop nutrition company, today proudly announced and celebrated the five exceptional recipients of its first-ever Women in Agronomy Scholar Award 2025-26. This pioneering initiative, designed to empower female PhD students in Agronomy and Soil Science and facilitate their transition into the corporate world, saw its initial vision of supporting five scholars expanded due to the overwhelming talent and potential showcased by the applicants. The esteemed awardees are Ruchi Rajpoot from The Rani Lakshmibai Central Agricultural University; Meka Kalyani from Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University; Dharani S from Kerala Agricultural University; Gobikashri N. from Pondicherry University; and Barsha Mansingh from CSK Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University.

Each of these inspiring women has earned a substantial USD 1500 financial grant, aimed at supporting their tuition, research activities, or living expenses. Beyond the monetary award, the program delivers a comprehensive six-month research mentorship program in 2026, offering guidance on advanced research methods, industry trends, and the critical link between academic work and real-world corporate impact directly from Yara's R&D experts.. This includes visibility into diverse career paths within Yara, providing a holistic platform to strengthen both their academic and professional journeys.

Speaking on the initiative, Sanjiv Kanwar, Managing Director, Yara South Asia said, "We are immensely proud to recognize these five brilliant young women who embody the future of agricultural innovation in India. The Women in Agronomy Scholar Award is a testament to our commitment to nurturing academic excellence, fostering gender diversity, and bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and practical application in agriculture. Their dedication and hard work are an inspiration, and we are confident they will drive significant advancements in sustainable Indian agriculture. This initiative reinforces our belief that 'Knowledge grows' when we empower the brightest minds."

“This initiative signals the direction we want to take as a company and as an industry. When more women take part in the decisions and innovations that shape agriculture, the entire value chain becomes more resilient, productive and competitive. Investing in these students reinforces what we stand for: knowledge as the engine of innovation, and equity as a fundamental condition for sustainable progress” says Rejane Souza, Senior Vice President, Global Innovation, Yara International

The selection process involved a rigorous review by a dedicated Yara Committee, followed by virtual interviews with Yara lead experts. The final awardees, chosen from a competitive pool of applicants, were selected based on their academic merit, the relevance of their research, their interview performance, and their clear motivation to contribute to the agricultural sector. This program underscores Yara India's deep commitment to empowering the next generation of female leaders, ensuring their critical role in shaping a more sustainable and prosperous future for Indian agriculture.

About Yara India

Yara is the world’s leading fertilizer company and provider of environmental solutions. Yara India is a wholly owned subsidiary of Yara International ASA. The company set up its operations in 2011, in Maharashtra, focusing on specialty products. In 2018, Yara India acquired Tata Chemicals 1.20 million MT urea facility in Babrala, making it India’s first and highest stand-alone foreign direct investment in the fertiliser sector. The company has established a strong footprint, forging deep relationships with Indian farming community through its farmer centric approach enhancing productivity with new generation crop nutrition offerings.

Yara works closely with farmers to promote the use of balanced crop nutrition solutions through Yara branded retail outlets called Yara Crop Nutrition Centre (YCNC) and the FPO initiative resulting in enhanced yield and quality of output. The YCNCs have benefited over 1.2 million farmers across 1500 outlets in 17 states and 1 Union territory of India. Yara India digitally connects with 5.5 million farmers across India and provide service to 218 FPOs touching over 150 thousand farmers. In 2019, Yara India Technology Centre (Yara ITC) was established to address Yara's technology demands and drive agile transformation. Being one of three Global Digital Hubs, Yara ITC plays a pivotal role in developing digital solutions.