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CEO and Founder of AI-powered protein discovery company Shiru, Jasmin Hume, on Monday stated that the crops in Madhya Pradesh hold significant potential for protein innovation and could be used to develop valuable compounds for food, cosmetics, and agriculture.
Hume, following her meeting with representatives from the Government of Madhya Pradesh on the sidelines of the annual World Economic Forum summit in Davos, stated that both sides explored potential collaboration opportunities, including contract research and contract manufacturing. She described the discussions as "fantastic" and highlighted the potential to leverage the region's agricultural output for applied research and product development. "Shiru has created a discovery engine for mining the world of natural proteins and peptides for functional compounds to improve food products, cosmetics, and agriculture," the founder said. "The meeting was fantastic. We discussed potential opportunities for collaboration between my business and the region, including contract research and contract manufacturing. There is an opportunity to take a close look at the crops most prominently produced in the region and to valorise some of the important compounds that come from these crops," he added. Hume also praised India's expertise in fermentation and bio-manufacturing, noting the country's capable technical teams and leadership in producing natural products. "In my area of fermentation and bio-manufacturing, India is a powerhouse. It has extremely capable technical teams and talent, and it is at the forefront in terms of biomanufacturing and production of natural products. These are some of the areas that make us really excited to explore collaboration," she stated. The discussion amid the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) from January 19 to 23, 2026, at Davos-Klosters, which is set to welcome nearly 3,000 participants from over 130 countries, including a record number of world leaders, CEOs, innovators and policymakers, under the theme "A Spirit of Dialogue". During their meeting, both sides explored collaboration opportunities in advanced protein innovation, agri-based inputs and applied research. According to a statement, the meeting focused on Shiru's AI-driven protein discovery and design platform, which enables the development of high-quality, ready-to-use protein ingredients for industrial applications. The discussions covered possibilities for collaboration through university partnerships and research and development linkages, leveraging Madhya Pradesh's strong agricultural ecosystem. It was agreed that the next steps would include identifying suitable universities and agri-research institutions in Madhya Pradesh, mapping crop availability and suitability for protein inputs, assessing pilot and contract manufacturing opportunities, and holding follow-up discussions to structure a potential commercial and research partnership. (ANI)
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