ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute

The ICAR- CTCRI has commercialised a unique purple taro variety, ICAR-CTCRI Jamuni, by licensing it to Spudnik Farms, a start-up based in Bengaluru.

Jamuni is a purple-streaked, long-corm taro identified for its high anthocyanin content, recorded at 32.79 micrograms per gram of flour. The variety is visually distinguished by its attractive purple-streaked flesh and agronomically valued for its yield potential of 1.5–2.0 kg per plant within a crop duration of 7–8 months. Its vibrant colour and visually appealing appearance make it attractive to children if made into chips, said Mrs. Sumeet Kaur, CEO of the firm who exchanged the MoU with director, CTCRI today. The technology was licensed to the firm at a fee of Rs. 5.9 lakhs.

Dr. R. Saravanan Raju, Dr. A. Asha Devi, Dr. K.M. Senthil Kumar, Dr. P.S. Sivakumar and Dr. C. Pradeepika are the developers of the variety.