Dr Sandhya Kranthi

Dr. Sandhya Kranthi is an agricultural scientist with a doctoral degree and has been associated with research and production programs on cotton for 33 years.

She served as a research and development manager, leading agricultural technology development and outreach programs for smallholder cotton farmers in rainfed regions of India and Africa. As a project consultant for the ICAC for three years, she helped secure funding (2.5 million Euros) for multiple GIZ and ITC/EU projects in Africa, while also providing technical support. She served as the Head of the Crop Protection Division at the Central Institute for Cotton Research in Nagpur, India, for eight years, managing projects and providing technical leadership for public sector research and extension for cotton crop protection programs in India.

She trained master trainers in cotton production, protection, and regenerative agriculture across five African countries and Bangladesh, using both conventional and digital tools, including the Virtual Reality films and the ICAC’s Soil and Plant Health App she helped develop. Her experience spans molecular entomology to cotton production technologies, as evidenced by the papers she has published. With acquired extension skills, her passion now lies in making cotton production sustainable and synchronous through regenerative agriculture practices.

Her work at CPSP is to gather evidence on the adverse effects of selected pesticides on human health and environment in India and on the available cost effective alternatives to support regulatory decision making.