We'll test new ideas in India, and export them to other geographies: Liam Condon, president, Bayer Crop Science

On August 21, 2018, Bayer Crop Science, a global crop protection major, kicked off a process to integrate the global seed behemoth Monsanto into its fold across geographies. This integration is some distance away in India and both continue to exist as different listed entities.  All eyes are on Liam Condon, president, Bayer Crop Science and a member on Bayer AG board. Condon took time out to speak to E Kumar Sharma of Business Today at Bayer Crop Science headquarters in Monheim, Germany. He discusses where India fits into his global scheme of things, the anticipated challenges in integrating the two major companies with deep presence in India and of handling some of the legacy issues. Edited excerpts:

Bayer and Monsanto have begun the integration globally, but it is still some distance away in India. Where do you see India in the global scheme of things for Bayer?

India for Bayer and particularly for Bayer Crop Science has always been a strategic country. We always have a handful of strategic countries. The reason we call it strategic is not just because of its size, population, ongoing growth or the projected outlook. It gets more important with Monsanto acquisition. Our focus in India is different from that in other countries mainly because there are small holding farmers here. Therefore, practices that we develop in India can be brought to other geographies like Africa or Latin America. We like to test new ideas in India and bring solutions to farmers, but we are also looking to export these ideas to rest of the world. So, India is an important market for us from an innovation point of view. The reason we see India as a strategic country is because we see it as a growth country that will be continuously contributing to global growth of Bayer, going forward.

Can you give us specific examples of this approach of new ideas being tested in India?

This would be particularly around small holders and the classical example would be digital technology. A Bayer subsidiary Climate Corporation is working on a platform called FarmRise, a special digital platform, tailored for small holder needs. It has been piloted in India and the idea is now gradually being rolled out in different parts of the country. After we gain more experience, we shall roll it out in other geographies like Africa, South East Asia and Latin America.

When is the integration with Monsanto expected in India?

It will take some time as we are two different listed entities there. From a legal point of view, it will take a year. Even globally, it will take a couple of years to operate as one seamless company because there is a lot that we need to integrate. We see it as a three-year journey, but for the growers we want to behave quickly as one team even though in the background the IT, HR and other structures may keep integrating.

When integrating with Monsanto in India, how would you handle market perception or what some call legacy issues?

The important point is we clearly say what the new company stands for with its goal to have the biggest impact in innovation and sustainability. Bayer has always been known as a very collaborative company. If there is any issue, we first reach out to those that have an issue, be it a government or a partner, listen to their concerns and together with them try and develop a solution. In these matters, we also feel the Bayer legacy will help since Bayer has had a long presence in India and with that a certain reputation and image that we bring to the table. Ultimately, we need to somehow make sure that innovation gets paid for and we can discuss with government on how much that is. If we give away innovation for free, then it is not sustainable.

What are some emerging pest challenges like the Armyworm, which has already touched down some parts of South India?

This has been a huge problem in Africa. We have insecticides that can deal with this but we need to check and watch this in India.

What is the picture you can give us of Bayer and Monsanto, a year from now in India?

The ideal situation would be that we have completed integration with Monsanto and have been successful in bringing more innovation to India and getting rewarded for it. It may sound a bit overly ambitious to accomplish all of this in one year but it is something we want to work on. India is important, be it for vegetable seeds or for crop protection business, we want to find a way, whereby we can bring innovation and ensure the value can be shared.