India, April 11 -- India's seed supply chain is entering a vulnerable phase, as global geopolitical tensions begin to expose critical gaps in its functioning. What appears to be a brief disruption in fuel or logistics can, in reality, lead to severe and disproportionate losses in a sector that operates within narrow, time-sensitive windows.

In an exclusive conversation with The Pioneer, Dr Paresh Verma, Director General of the Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII), described how deeply the country's seed supply chain is tied to external factors such as fuel availability and geopolitical tensions. Seed processing, particularly for crops like maize, is highly time-sensitive and dependent on a consistent energy supply.

"Seeds are har...