International Potato Center (CIP) Appoints Dr Sudhanshu Singh as Regional Director for South Asia

The International Potato Center (CIP) has appointed Dr. Sudhanshu Singh as the Regional Director for South Asia and Director of the CIP South Asia Regional Centre (CSARC). In this leadership role, Dr. Singh will guide the strategic development and operational expansion of CIP’s programs across the region, with a strong focus on advancing science, innovation, and impact in potato, sweetpotato and other root and tuber crops.

A distinguished agricultural scientist with over 30 years of experience, Dr. Singh brings a strong track record in international and national agricultural research and development. His expertise spans strategic leadership, program design and delivery, resource mobilization, policy engagement, and multi-stakeholder partnership building. Over the years, he has held senior leadership roles in leading research institutions, contributing significantly to agricultural innovation and regional collaboration.
 

Leadership to strengthen research and regional impact

Dr. Singh joins CIP from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), where he most recently served as Director of the IRRI South Asia Regional Centre in Varanasi, India. During his tenure, he successfully led major research portfolios and strengthened partnerships with national agricultural research systems, governments, and development partners.
 

Strong academic and research background

Dr. Singh holds a PhD in Agronomy from B.V.S. Poorvanchal University and an MSc in Agronomy from Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology (ANDUaT), India where he secured Chancellorand departmental goldmedals. His doctoral research was conducted at the IRRI headquarters in the Philippines, where he worked on advancing the understanding of physiological bases of flood tolerance of Sub 1 rice. He further enhanced his scientific expertise through postdoctoral fellow and system agronomist with IRRI contributing to cutting-edge research in sustainable rice-based systems.

Dr. Singh formally assumed his role on April 1, 2026, and is based in Agra, India. CIP looks forward to his leadership in strengthening regional research ecosystems and delivering innovative, scalable solutions for sustainable agriculture across South Asia.