Hyderabad, Dec 8, 2025: ATGC Biotech has out-licensed 18 Indian-developed semiochemical and pheromone-based crop protection technologies to Israel under a new Indo–Israeli joint venture, marking the first time India has formally transferred semiochemical technology to the Israeli agriculture sector. The announcement came during the Valedictory Session of the First International Science & Technology (S&T) Clusters Conference in New Delhi, where ATGC and Luxembourg Industries Ltd. launched their 50:50 joint venture, Semiophore Ltd.
The licensing exchange took place in the presence of senior officials including Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Scientific Secretary Dr. Parvinder Maini, representatives from the Office of the PSA, and Deputy Ambassador of Israel to India H.E. Fares Saeb. Delegates from 38 countries attended the session.
The partners will invest USD 10 million in regulatory registrations, marketing, manufacturing upgrades, and infrastructure in India and Israel. The 18 licensed products , covering mating disruption, attract-and-kill, aggregation, and anti-aggregation, will be registered in markets including Israel, Brazil, Australia, and Africa. Each technology is projected to generate USD 75–100 million at full maturity.
Hailing the agreement, Deputy Ambassador Fares Saeb said, “Israel and India share a strong partnership in agriculture and technology. Today’s licensing exchange represents an important step toward expanding sustainable, environmentally safe crop protection. The establishment of Semiophore exemplifies the growing global relevance of Indo–Israeli innovation, and we congratulate both partners on this milestone.”
Israel’s Agriculture Attaché Uri Rubinstein said ATGC had been a long-time participant in Israeli-led training and capacity-building programs in India. “Their work aligns with our shared goal of strengthening farmer livelihoods through sustainable and innovative agricultural practices. The creation of Semiophore Ltd. represents a meaningful extension of Indo–Israel cooperation in advanced agriculture, and we look forward to continued collaboration,” he said.
India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT) Secretary Dr. Rajesh S. Gokhale said the JV reflects the growing maturity of India’s biotechnology ecosystem. “This milestone showcases the strength of India’s biotechnology ecosystem and demonstrates how long-term public investment in science can translate into globally deployable technologies,” he said.
ATGC Biotech and Luxembourg Industries Launch Semiophore™ A 50:50 Indo–Israeli Joint Venture for Global Deployment of Novel Pheromone Technologies
He noted that several of the technologies trace their origins to DBT-supported programs at JNCASR and NBAIR. “It is particularly encouraging that, for the first time, technology developed through Indian science and supported by DBT and BIRAC will now be manufactured and distributed in Israel through the Semiophore joint venture,” he added. “This represents a meaningful step in Indo–Israeli scientific collaboration and a strong example of how India’s bioeconomy is creating global impact.”
ATGC Biotech’s leadership team, Prof. Arjula R. Reddy, CEO Rolando Alegria, Executive Director Dr. V.B. Reddy, and Chairman and Managing Director Dr. Markandeya Gorantla, said the agreement marks a turning point in the global semiochemical sector. “For the first time, Indian-developed semiochemical technologies will be manufactured and commercialized in Israel, marking a new chapter in Indo–Israeli scientific and industrial cooperation,” the team said.
They added that the JV will begin initial commercial batches in 2026 and scale up in 2027 subject to regulatory approvals. “This partnership will generate high-value jobs in both countries. Together with Luxembourg Industries, we are creating a globally competitive platform that positions India and Israel at the forefront of sustainable, residue-free, climate-resilient agriculture.”
Luxembourg Industries CEO and Semiophore director Moshik Fish said the agreement combines India’s research strengths with Israel’s agricultural capabilities. “The Semiophore partnership brings together India’s scientific strengths and Israel’s agricultural expertise. We are delighted to deploy India’s next-generation pheromone technologies across Israeli agriculture,” he said.
The 18 technologies, using controlled-release, material-science–enabled delivery systems, will target crops including grapes, apples, citrus, almonds, tomatoes, cotton, corn, cabbage, cauliflower, and avocados. The JV aims to reduce pesticide dependence, avoid water consumption during application, and expand the use of behaviour-based, biology-driven crop protection in large-scale farming.
