The Business Unit of the Directorate of Knowledge Management in Agriculture (DKMA) plays a vital role in managing the commercial aspects of ICAR’s publishing and knowledge dissemination activities. This unit is responsible for the marketing, distribution, sales, subscriptions, and revenue management of ICAR publications, both in print and digital formats. The primary aim of the Business Unit is to ensure that ICAR’s vast repository of scientific and extension literature reaches the target audience efficiently while maintaining financial sustainability of the publishing efforts.

ICAR publishes a wide range of materials, including journals, popular magazines, research books, technical bulletins, training manuals, newsletters, and reports. These are valuable resources for scientists, researchers, extension workers, students, policy planners, and farmers. The Business Unit ensures these publications are made available to stakeholders through subscriptions, direct sales, institutional tie-ups, exhibitions, and online platforms.

One of the major responsibilities of the Business Unit is to manage the subscriptions of ICAR’s flagship journals and popular magazines. These include The Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, The Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, Indian Farming, Indian Horticulture, Kheti, and Phal-Phool. The unit oversees the end-to-end process—from receiving subscription requests and verifying payments to maintaining subscriber databases, dispatching copies, and providing customer support. With the integration of online payment systems, the unit has made subscription processes more convenient and transparent for users across India and abroad.

The Business Unit also coordinates the sale of ICAR publications through its sales counter located at Krishi Anusandhan Bhavan and through mail orders. The unit regularly updates and circulates catalogues of available publications and promotes them through ICAR events, exhibitions, agricultural fairs, and educational institutions. The unit plays a proactive role in promoting ICAR’s visibility through various knowledge products.

With the growing demand for digital access, the Business Unit is also involved in facilitating access to e-books and online journals via the ICAR e-publication platform. It works closely with the editorial and production units to ensure that priced publications are also made available in digital formats through appropriate access mechanisms.

In addition, the Business Unit coordinates with finance and accounts to ensure proper invoicing, revenue tracking, stock management, GST compliance, and annual reporting. It maintains records of all sales and subscription transactions and supports audit and financial review processes. The unit is gradually moving toward automated dashboards and MIS tools to improve efficiency and transparency.

By ensuring effective marketing, streamlined subscriptions, and revenue generation, the Business Unit adds significant value to DKMA’s mission. It ensures that ICAR’s publications are widely circulated and easily accessible, thereby supporting the Council’s objective of promoting agricultural knowledge for development and innovation.