U.S.-India Higher Education Partnerships in Agriculture
Five of Six Grants Awarded to South Indian Universities

February 25, 2004

NEW DELHI -- The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced six new awards of up to $300,000 each for partnerships between colleges and universities in the United States and India. The partnerships are designed to stimulate India 's economic growth through revitalized agriculture, focusing on cutting-edge agricultural science and shared interests of the cooperating institutions and USAID.

Five of the six grants are with South Indian universities: one partnership effort with Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) in Coimbatore , and two initiatives with the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) in Bangalore. The collaborating U.S. universities are Ohio State, Cornell, University of California, Davis, Purdue, Iowa State and Michigan State.

Such partnerships expand collaboration between the U.S. and India, building on the transformed relationship between the democracies. Partnership awards of $300,000 each were given to:

-- Cornell University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, School of Post Graduate Studies, Coimbatore to facilitate public-private linkages as a means of boosting Indian agricultural productivity, exports, and rural incomes.

-- University of California, Davis and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Agricultural Engineering College and Research Institute, Coimbatore to increase economic efficiency, raise productivity, and reduce rural poverty through the establishment of a specialized research center.

-- Michigan State University and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Horticultural College and Research Institute, Coimbatore to strengthen Indian capacity to improve supply chain management for the production and delivery of fruits and vegetables.

-- Iowa State University and the University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK Campus, Bangalore to implement alternative approaches to traditional grain production and provide local farmers, educators, and legislators with new farming models.

-- Purdue University and the University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK Campus, Bangalore to educate people in rural areas about nutrition and enhance public awareness about the potential benefits of biotechnology in improving human nutrition.

-- Ohio State University and the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana to promote agricultural diversification and "add value" to raw food products by transitioning them into high-value commodities with extended shelf life and export potential.