India and Israel have launched a 50-50 joint venture to manufacture and commercialise Indian pheromone-based crop protection technologies for international markets, the Israeli Embassy said. The agreement was finalised at the closing session of the First International Science & Technology Clusters Conference in New Delhi.
ATGC Biotech Pvt. Ltd. (India) and Luxembourg Industries Ltd. (Israel) exchanged licensing agreements to form Semiophore Ltd., marking the first time Indian semiochemical technology will be out-licensed and produced in Israel. The deal was signed in the presence of senior officials including Principal Scientific Adviser Ajay Kumar Sood, Israel’s Deputy Chief of Mission Fares Saeb, and Vishal Choudhary from the Office of the PSA.
Saeb said the venture deepens the long-standing India–Israel partnership on food security and agricultural technology and strengthens collaboration on sustainable, climate-resilient solutions. Israel’s Agriculture Attache Uri Rubinstein highlighted ATGC Biotech’s role in Indo-Israel training programmes and Centres of Excellence, noting positive feedback from farmers who have used the technologies.
ATGC Biotech Managing Director Markandeya Gorantla called the agreement a breakthrough for India’s bioeconomy and said Semiophore will help shape the future of sustainable crop protection. Luxembourg Industries CEO Moshik Fish said the partnership combines both countries’ strengths to deploy India’s next-generation pheromone solutions in Israeli agriculture.
Semiophore will commercialise 18 Indian-developed technologies, including ultra-low-dose pheromone dispensers, mating disruption platforms, and controlled-release systems, targeting markets such as Israel, Brazil and the United States. These tools aim to reduce insecticide use by more than 80%, providing lower-toxicity alternatives as countries move toward greener crop protection.
The announcement came at a conference attended by delegates from over 38 countries focused on cooperation in agriculture, sustainability, environment and deep-tech sectors.
