“As an integrated company, Corteva invests about $1.4 billion a year in R&D. Of that, approximately $400 million is invested in crop protection and $1 billion in seeds. So it is essentially a natural split. Neither company should suffer in terms of R&D spending. The amount invested should remain steady or increase,” Kaan told a select group of reporters here today.
Post the split from October 1, 2026, Corteva Agriscience would be split into two distinct publicly listed entities globally; one which will handle the crop protection business, which will continue to carry the brand name Corteva, and the second one, Vylor (earlier called SpinCo), to carry on its seeds and genetics business.
The company’s marquee brand Pioneer will continue to remain as it is, but now with Vylor. Vylor will also be the world’s second-largest holder of patents on gene-edited products globally after China as a country.
On India plans, Kaan said that as its licensing business expands in the country, there is potential for small Indian companies to access this technology, incorporate it into their own business plans and help their farmers and customers.
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He said the company, which has a very strong asset in India in the form of the Hyderabad-based Multi Crop Research Centre, which is Corteva’s second-most technologically advanced R&D facility outside the US, would continue to invest significantly in India.
Kaan said presently Corteva is present in India mainly in rice, millets, mustard and corn through its flagship brand Pioneer and others, but after the split, with a dedicated focus on the seeds business, Vylor would like to expand its portfolio of products in India.
“We review our licensing strategy all the time. I do not expect it to change substantially, except that in the future we could bring gene editing into the licensing business in addition to licensing actual seed to local companies,” Kaan said.
He said the company would also like to bring more gene-edited licensed products into India.
“As an example, there are tomatoes in Japan. More recently, ICRISAT announced that it has a licence from us for gene editing and is looking at climate-resilient rice across Asia and Africa. There is also work on pigeon pea. The technology (gene editing) is not limited to particular crops. It is about the trait or attribute you are looking for in a plant,” Kaan said.
He said for India, it is an exciting technology because it can help with adaptation to new climates, heat, water challenges and shorter growing periods, allowing farmers to produce more from each acre.
“We expect to see rapid growth in adoption of the technology as regulatory pathways become clearer around the world,” Kaan said.
On the regulatory regime in India and the new Seeds Bill, Kaan said that as the company invests heavily in research and development, it ideally wants to make sure there is a stable and consistent return on that investment without too many surprises.
He said that directionally, the Seeds Bill is ‘positive’, though there may be some details that could be changed.
“The most important thing for us is that the Indian government is moving towards a system where farmers are allowed to farm and make their own choices. Our biggest priority in any legislation is that farmers need the ability to choose what is best for their own farms. They should be able to choose what they grow, when they grow it and how they grow it. That is very central to us,” Kaan said.
