Cloned Gir Cow IVF: First Successful Fertilisation in India

A Gir calf has been born in India using in-vitro fertilization (IVF) from oocytes retrieved from a cloned Gir cow, marking a first for the nation, according to the ICAR–National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) in Karnal.

The calf, born to a Sahiwal surrogate mother, is the product of a process that utilized oocytes collected from ‘Ganga’, India’s first cloned Gir cow. These oocytes were then fertilized with semen from a genetically superior Gir bull, NDRI scientists reported.

The achievement significantly reduces the time required to improve cattle breeds. Traditionally, breeding programs can take five to seven years, but this process was completed in 39 months, the institute stated. The research team involved in the milestone includes Manoj Kumar Singh, Ranjeet Verma, Kartikey Patel, Priyanka Singh, Nitin Tyagi and Naresh Selokar.

‘Ganga’ was created through a handmade cloning technique developed at NDRI and reached puberty at 18 months. Oocytes were then collected using ovum pick-up (OPU), a non-surgical, ultrasound-guided method, matured in vitro, and fertilized to generate embryos.

ICAR-NDRI director Dheer Singh described the development as a “significant step toward self-reliance in dairy genetics.” The breakthrough demonstrates the feasibility of using cloned cows for OPU-IVF embryo production, according to a study published in Nature.

The study, which details the first successful somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) of an Indian cattle breed, also reported a 35% blastocyst stage embryo production rate through OPU-IVF, with one pregnancy established from five transfers (20%).

Researchers noted variations in serum cytokine parameters between the cloned calf and naturally conceived counterparts, but the calf has exhibited no pathological conditions and has high telomere length. The integration of cloning with OPU-IVF is expected to rapidly multiply elite indigenous animals and conserve valuable genetic resources.