Dr Keshav Kranthi, the globally renowned cotton scientist, who has served as Head of Technical Services for the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) since 2017, has been appointed Chief Scientist, reflecting recent changes both in his work and direction of the organisation.

For decades, the role of the Head of Technical Services was largely unchanged but the ICAC has evolved and this change in title reflects that. The ICAC’s emphasis has changed in recent years from just providing technical information to taking a more active role in implementing cutting-edge science and best practices in cotton production and sustainability. Implementing projects on the ground and developing international project-teams of cotton scientists are indicative of the fact that Dr Kranthi has taken on a more robust role as Chief Scientist.

In addition to his current responsibilities, Dr Kranthi will be providing technical leadership for collaborative projects across the globe to shape the future research agenda for enhancement of soil health, sustainable yield improvement, efficient crop protection and development of digital tools for technology transfer.