South Asia Scaling Hub
Connecting science, policy, finance and delivery to scale agrifood and water innovations across South Asia.
Overview
The Hub works across Nepal, India and Bangladesh. Anchored in Nepal, it also collaborates with regional hubs in East and Southern Africa and Latin America, creating a collaborative space for knowledge sharing, partnership building and the development of capabilities and investment pathways needed to move proven innovations beyond pilots.
Why this hub
South Asia has a strong foundation of agricultural and water research, a diverse network of institutions and promising innovations with the potential to benefit millions of farmers and communities. Yet many innovations remain at pilot scale because institutions work in silos, research and finance are poorly connected, and pathways to wider adoption are unclear. The Hub helps close this gap by convening the actors needed for responsible scaling.
Our vision
The Hub will be a center for collaboration among governments, donor agencies, finance institutions, private companies, civil society organizations, universities and CGIAR's scaling community. Together, these partners can build a coordinated and investment-ready ecosystem for agrifood transformation in South Asia.
Where we work
The Hub supports learning and partnership across Latin America and the Caribbean, connecting regional platforms and national innovation systems with CGIAR's scaling community in Africa, Asia and globally.
How the hub works
The Hub combines a digital knowledge platform with regional learning spaces. Its landing page explains the regional approach and highlights current work, while its connected CGSpace collection gives direct access to publications, methodologies, case studies, policy briefs, reports, blogs and materials from events and exchanges.
What the hub offers
Tailored support
To help partners identify scaling pathways and strengthen investment readiness.
Technical and capacity-sharing
Sessions on scaling science, responsible scaling and practical tools.
Partnership-building and networking
Across research, government, finance, business, academia and civil society.
Learning and co-creation
A platform for South-South learning and co-creation.
Connections
Connections to CGIAR-wide scaling initiatives, knowledge and expertise.
Partnerships in action
In March 2026, the Hub supported a workshop exploring the potential of agrivoltaics in Nepal, which combines solar-energy generation with agricultural production on the same land. In June 2026, it convened CGIAR Research Centers, government ministries, commercial and development banks, agribusinesses, civil society organizations and universities for a three-day capacity-sharing series in Kathmandu.
Sessions introduced scaling science frameworks, Innovation Packages and Scaling Readiness tools, responsible scaling principles and investment readiness, helping build a shared language across sectors that too often work in isolation. The series also connected universities from Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Ethiopia through South-South learning on embedding scaling science in academic curricula. It marked the first step in an ongoing cycle of capacity-sharing events across the Global South.
Work with us
The Hub welcomes partners seeking to scale agrifood and water innovations responsibly, strengthen investment readiness and share regional experience.
Contact the hub
To discuss a partnership, request support or learn more, contact the regional hub team:
- S. KC [email protected]
- A. Niroula [email protected]
Explore resources
Explore publications, tools, case studies, learning materials and other resources associated with the South Asia Scaling Hub.
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Postharvest grain system in Ecuador and smallscale farmers perceptions of gender roles and postharvest loss
Smallholder farmers in Ecuador are the main producers of staple grains, yet postharvest losses remain one of the major constraints they face. This...
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Hidden allies The role of belowground soil macrofauna in sustainable cropping production in Zimbabwe
Soil biological activity is crucial for sustainable agriculture, serving as a key indicator of soil health by regulating nutrient cycling and organic...
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Do additional legumes enhance system performance Exploring doubledup legume systems under conservation agriculture in Malawi
Background: Conservation agriculture (CA) systems and legume diversification are increasingly promoted as pathways for sustainable intensification of...
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Emancipatory scaling Strengthening locally led AR4D innovation processes
Introduction Agricultural research for development (AR4D) increasingly seeks to scale innovations that can transform food and agricultural systems....