Scientists at the ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute and G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology have produced a healthy female calf of Uttarakhand’s indigenous Badri cattle breed using ovum pick-up and in vitro fertilisation technology, according to the agriculture ministry. Born on September 11, 2026, at an academic dairy farm, the calf was delivered by a Sahiwal cow serving as a surrogate after an embryo transfer.
Advanced Reproductive Technology for Indigenous Cattle
The project began in 2023 with financial backing from the Uttarakhand Biotechnology Council, located in Haldi. According to Ministry statements, the research aims to preserve and multiply native livestock populations facing mounting pressure from cross-breeding and shrinking herd sizes across India. Badri cattle are small, hardy animals adapted specifically to hill terrain and hold the official designation of the state animal of Uttarakhand.
NDRI Director Dheer Singh stated that advanced techniques like ovum pick-up and in vitro fertilisation enable researchers to multiply elite female germplasm at a much faster rate than conventional breeding methods. By extracting immature eggs from genetically superior Badri donor cows through ultrasound guidance, scientists successfully matured and fertilised them in a laboratory setting. The procedure used semen sourced from a genetically superior Badri bull via the Uttarakhand Livestock Development Board.
Surrogate Pregnancy and Future Breeding Plans
The resulting embryo developed under controlled laboratory conditions before technicians transferred it into a synchronised recipient cow. Officials confirmed that the birth occurred at 3:10 am on September 11, 2026, utilizing a Sahiwal cow as the surrogate mother. Project coordinators noted that a second surrogate recipient is expected to deliver another Badri calf within five to seven days.
During a visit to the Academic Dairy Farm, G.B. Pant University Vice-Chancellor Shivendra Kumar Kashyap congratulated the research team. He emphasized that the collaborative initiative supports livestock production, bolsters rural livelihoods, and increases farmers’ incomes throughout Uttarakhand.
The multi-institutional research team includes Naresh L. Selokar and M.K. Singh from NDRI’s department of biotechnology, alongside Shiv Prasad, Sunil Kumar, and Mridula Sharma from G.B. Pant University’s department of veterinary gynaecology and obstetrics. Sanjay Sharma, director of the Uttarakhand Biotechnology Council, also participated in the project.
Next Phase: Exploring Animal Cloning
Beyond in vitro fertilisation, researchers are actively working on cloning high-yielding Badri cows. According to project disclosures, the team has already generated cloned Badri embryos through multiple stages of the ongoing work. Future phases of the program will involve transferring both IVF-derived and cloning-derived embryos into a mix of Sahiwal, crossbred, and Badri recipient cows to accelerate genetic conservation efforts.
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