Sahiwal cow gives birth to Badri calf via IVF in Uttarakhand

The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare announced a significant breakthrough on Saturday, confirming the successful birth of a healthy female calf belonging to the Badri breed-an indigenous cattle variety native to the mountainous terrain of Uttarakhand. The calf was delivered on Friday, September 11, marking a key role for livestock science in India.

This achievement was facilitated This collaborative scientific endeavor was spearheaded The project received critical financial backing from the Uttarakhand Biotechnology Council located in Haldi, underscoring a regional commitment to preserving biological heritage through cutting-edge innovation. According to the ministry, this accomplishment serves as a definitive demonstration of how advanced reproductive biotechnology can be leveraged for the conservation, rapid multiplication, and essential genetic improvement of valuable Badri germplasm, which might otherwise face stagnation in traditional breeding environments.

Roadmap This Research Began 2023

The roadmap for this research began in 2023, initiated under the visionary leadership of Dr. M.S. Chauhan, who served as the Vice-Chancellor of GB Pant University at the time.

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The procedural success of the OPU-IVF programme required meticulous scientific precision: oocytes were harvested from genetically superior Badri donor cows using ultrasound-guided ovum pick-up techniques. Once collected, these oocytes underwent a maturation process and were subsequently fertilized in vitro with semen sourced from a genetically superior Badri bull provided The resulting embryos were cultured under strictly controlled laboratory conditions before being transferred into appropriately synchronized recipient cows.

Dr. Dheer Singh, the Director of ICAR-NDRI, Karnal, emphasized that OPU-IVF is transformative, allowing for the multiplication of elite female germplasm at a rate far exceeding natural reproduction. He noted that the ICAR-NDRI has previously utilized these specific technologies to produce healthy calves from the Sahiwal and Gir cattle breeds, a reflects the institute's mastery of the technique.

Dr. Praveen Malik, Chief Executive Officer of Agrinnovate India, lauded the development, categorizing the birth of the Badri calf as an important milestone in the broader national mission to conserve and propagate indigenous bovine breeds.

Looking toward the future, the ministry highlighted that the successful production of a Badri calf via OPU-IVF is merely the initial phase of a broader strategy. This technology-based programme is designed to establish a sustainable framework for the long-term conservation and systemic genetic improvement of Badri cattle germplasm across Uttarakhand.

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Beyond IVF applications, the collaborative research team is actively exploring the feasibility of cloning elite, high-producing Badri cows. The project has already seen the successful generation of cloned Badri embryos through various stages of rigorous ongoing research.

In the upcoming phases of the initiative, both OPU-IVF-derived embryos and those produced through cloning are slated for transfer into a diverse range of recipient cows, including Sahiwal, crossbred, and Badri cattle. These concerted efforts are intentionally structured to accelerate the multiplication of superior germplasm, ensuring that the Badri breed continues to thrive while contributing to the overall genetic vitality of India’s indigenous livestock sector.

The ministry remains committed to these technological interventions as a primary mechanism for safeguarding agricultural diversity and enhancing the productivity of traditional rural breeds in the face of modern ecological challenges.