Sudhanshu Singh

With an extensive background spanning 29 years in agricultural sciences, Dr. Sudhanshu Singh is a distinguished professional excelling in research, extension, and development. As the esteemed Director of the IRRI South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC), he spearheads the centre's efforts to establish strategic alliances and drive impactful initiatives aligned with IRRI's Research for Development Agenda. Dr. Singh consistently strives to meet the evolving needs and expectations of farmers, consumers, stakeholders, and the wider scientific community across South Asia. Additionally, he is a valued member of the IRRI Senior Global Research Leadership Team, contributing his expertise to further the organization's objectives.

In his capacity as the Director of ISARC, Dr. Singh assumes responsibility for overseeing the centre's operations throughout South Asia, including fostering collaborations in the South-South context. He leads and manages the development of research, operational and financial goals, and achievements, providing strategic direction to ISARC and its three key units: Centre of Excellence in Rice Value Addition (CERVA), Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Agriculture (CESA), and Centre of Education, Innovation and Research for Development (CEIRD).

Prior to his appointment as the ISARC Director, Dr. Sudhanshu Singh served as IRRI's Senior Agronomist for South Asia. During this tenure, he successfully led several pivotal projects, including the BMGF-funded IRRAS project in Bihar, the World Bank-funded APART project in Assam, the EC-IFAD-funded projects focusing on the management of abiotic stresses, and the USAID and BMGF-funded CSISA project spanning across South Asia. He also played a key role in the BMGF-funded mega project, STRASA. Dr. Singh consistently represents IRRI on international and national platforms and forums, facilitating collaborative research and scaling partnerships in South Asia and Africa through ISARC. His expertise encompasses diverse aspects of the rice value chain, mechanization, seed systems, agro-advisories, and crop and natural resource management. Notably, he has contributed to over 75 research papers published in high-impact factor journals, along with numerous book chapters, books, and extension materials.

Dr. Singh obtained his graduate and postgraduate degrees with gold medal awards from the Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India. He commenced his career as a Rajasthan State Public Service Commission Officer, focusing on agriculture extension and seed systems in various senior-level capacities. Subsequently, he pursued his Ph.D. studies at the IRRI headquarters in the Philippines, conducting research on flood-tolerant Sub1 rice. In 2011, he joined IRRI as a Postdoctoral Fellow, progressing through different positions such as Rainfed Lowland Agronomist, Senior Scientist - Agronomy, and Head of the Broader Program for Research and Partnership (BPRP) at ISARC, Varanasi, before assuming his current role as the Director of ISARC.