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The three-day Global Dryland Congress 2026 began on 10 September 2026 at the National Agricultural Science Complex, New Delhi, jointly organised by ICAR and ICRISAT.
The theme is 'Transforming Dryland Agriculture with South-South Cooperation', and the Congress marks 50 years of the ICAR-ICRISAT partnership.
Over 800 scientists, policymakers, farmer representatives and development partners from Asia, Africa and the Americas are taking part across six core themes.
Proceedings are to close on 12 September 2026 with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration on Dryland, known as the 3D, timed to the UN Day for South-South Cooperation.
Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is the Chief Guest; ICRISAT is headed by Director General Himanshu Pathak.
India's apex body for coordinating agricultural research and education; an autonomous body under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare
International agricultural research institute for the semi-arid tropics, working on crops such as sorghum, pearl millet, chickpea, pigeonpea and groundnut; a CGIAR research centre
Global partnership of international agricultural research centres; ICRISAT is one of its centres, and CGIAR is running specialised South-South Cooperation sessions at the Congress
Farming in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid zones where rainfall is low and erratic. Output depends on moisture conservation, drought-tolerant varieties, watershed management and efficient water use rather than assured irrigation.
Simple Analogy: Farming on a rain budget that may or may not arrive.
Collaboration among developing countries in agriculture, technology, health and capacity building; the UN observes 12 September as the Day for South-South Cooperation, the Congress's closing day.
The UN observance the Congress is linked to; matches its 'youth and gender inclusion' theme.
ICRISAT's mandate crops - sorghum, pearl millet, chickpea, pigeonpea, groundnut - are the classic dryland crops behind India's millet push.
Dryland/rainfed farming covers a large share of India's net sown area, making moisture conservation and drought-tolerant breeding a GS-3 agriculture staple.
The Congress venue is the National Agricultural Science Complex (NASC) at Pusa, New Delhi. ICRISAT's global headquarters is at Patancheru near Hyderabad, Telangana; CGIAR is headquartered at Montpellier, France.
GS Paper 3 > Agriculture - cropping patterns, rainfed farming, agricultural research; GS Paper 2 > India and international groupings
General Awareness > Current events, organisations and headquarters
General Awareness > Science and current affairs
Crop production in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid zones dependent on limited, variable rainfall.
Cooperation among developing countries in technology, trade, agriculture and capacity building; observed by the UN on 12 September.
Global partnership of international agricultural research centres, of which ICRISAT is one.
The outcome document expected at the close of the Global Dryland Congress 2026.