India unveils Kisan Kavach: Revolutionary anti-pesticide suit to safeguard farmers

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday launched Kisan Kavach, India’s first indigenous anti-pesticide bodysuit, designed to protect farmers from harmful pesticide exposure. This innovative suit aims to significantly improve farmer safety and marks a major advancement in agricultural and health technology.

Developed by BRIC-inStem, Bengaluru, in collaboration with Sepio Health Pvt. Ltd., Kisan Kavach uses advanced fabric technology to neutralize harmful pesticides on contact. It provides protection against pesticide-induced toxicity, which can cause serious health problems such as respiratory disorders, vision impairment, and fatalities.

Singh described the suit as a crucial step toward safeguarding farmers’ health and praised the Department of Biotechnology and BRIC-inStem for their efforts in developing this project. The suit aligns with the government’s vision of leveraging technology to support farmers and strengthen the agricultural sector.

The suit is washable, reusable, and priced at ₹4,000. It is designed to last up to a year and utilizes nucleophile-based fabric technology to deactivate pesticides, as detailed in a report published in Nature Communications. Its production involves attaching nucleophilic molecules to cotton fabric to create a durable protective layer.

During the launch event, the first batch of Kisan Kavach suits was distributed to farmers. Singh emphasized that scaled-up production would make the suits more affordable and accessible to farmers across the country.

Given that a large portion of India’s population depends on agriculture, Kisan Kavach is expected to make a transformative impact. Singh also highlighted the government’s commitment to integrating innovation into agriculture, citing the BioE3 biomanufacturing initiative and the growth of over 8,500 biotech startups as key examples.