The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) has named Charudatta Mayee as the 2025 ICAC Cotton Researcher of the Year. The announcement was made by Keshav Kranthi, ICAC’s Chief Scientist and a past recipient of the same honor.
Mayee currently serves as President of both the Indian Society for Cotton Improvement and the South Asia Biotech Center. A distinguished plant pathologist and biotechnology expert, he played a central role in India’s Bt cotton revolution, guiding biosafety assessments and regulatory approvals in his role as Co-Chair of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee.
Each year, ICAC confers this prestigious award which includes a certificate, shield, and US $1,000 honorarium on a globally recognized expert in cotton science. Mayee was selected by an international jury of five eminent scientists from different countries.
Spanning over five decades, Mayee’s career has earned him numerous awards, including the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship and national honors like the Vasantrao Naik Krishi Award, ICAR Outstanding Team Research Award, and multiple lifetime achievement accolades.
Beyond academic and policy leadership, Mayee continues to promote farmer-centric innovations such as high density planting systems (HDPS) and sustainable pest management solutions. Through organizations like Agrovision Foundation and the South Asia Biotech Center, he remains actively engaged in ground-level fieldwork and farmer welfare.
His contributions have been instrumental in bridging science and policy while improving the livelihoods of millions of smallholder cotton farmers across India.
