Sahiwal cow gives birth to Badri calf via IVF in Uttarakhand
The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare announced that a healthy Badri female calf was born in Uttarakhand using Ovum Pick‑Up and In‑Vitro Fertilisation (OPU‑IVF) technology, with the embryo transferred into a Sahiwal recipient cow. The breakthrough results from a joint effort by ICAR‑NDRI, GB Pant University and the Uttarakhand Biotechnology Council to accelerate conservation of the indigenous Badri breed.
- ✓The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare announced that a healthy Badri female calf was born in Uttarakhand using Ovum Pick‑Up and In‑Vitro Fertilisation (OPU‑IVF) technology, with the embryo transferred into a Sahiwal recipient cow.
- ✓The birth follows a research programme launched in 2023 under Dr M S Chauhan, then Vice‑Chancellor of GB Pant University.
- ✓The breakthrough results from a joint effort by ICAR‑NDRI, GB Pant University and the Uttarakhand Biotechnology Council to accelerate conservation of the indigenous Badri breed.
The Ministry confirmed that a Badri calf, the first of its kind produced through OPU‑IVF, was delivered on September 11 after a Badri embryo was implanted in a Sahiwal cow serving as a surrogate. The project was coordinated by the ICAR‑National Dairy Research Institute in Karnal and GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar, with financial backing from the Uttarakhand Biotechnology Council.
The birth follows a research programme launched in 2023 under Dr M S Chauhan, then Vice‑Chancellor of GB Pant University. A second cross‑bred recipient cow is expected to give birth to another Badri calf within the next five to seven days. The initiative also includes plans to clone elite Badri cows, with cloned embryos already generated for future transfers into Sahiwal, cross‑bred and Badri surrogates.
Badri cattle are an indigenous breed native to Uttarakhand, valued for their adaptability to the region’s terrain. By employing advanced reproductive technologies, scientists aim to multiply elite germplasm more rapidly than conventional breeding allows, offering a scalable model for breed‑improvement and long‑term conservation. The development has been welcomed by industry leaders such as Agrinnovate India, who view it as a significant milestone for preserving India’s native livestock heritage.
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| Issuing Authority | The Indian Express National |
|---|---|
| Topic Category | INDIA |
| Jurisdiction | All India / National |
| Publication Date | 12 September 2026 |