Muzamil Baig is the Quality Manager at the ICRISAT Genebank, where he leads the implementation and continual improvement of the Quality Management System (QMS), aligned with international standards, FAO Genebank Standards, and the requirements of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA). He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Total Quality Management and a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Biotechnology. He is a Certified Lead Auditor for ISO 9001:2015 and a Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. His professional development includes training in Genetic Resource Policies for CGIAR Scientists, the FAO Multilateral System of Access and Benefit-sharing, and a diploma in Fostering Innovation and Commercialization of Intellectual Property Rights from Copenhagen Business School, Denmark.
With over 18 years of experience in Quality Assurance and Quality Management across India and Oman, He has been instrumental in strengthening the quality culture at ICRISAT Genebank. His responsibilities include developing and maintaining the QMS framework, preparing standard operating procedures (SOPs) and operational guidelines, conducting risk assessments, addressing nonconformities, implementing audit and review recommendations, and promoting continual improvement through tools such as 5S and Kaizen. He also designs and delivers staff training programmes to strengthen technical competencies, operational consistency, and quality awareness across the genebank and its regional operations.
Muzamil contributes to the CGIAR Genebank Peer Review Programme by supporting quality management reviews of genebanks across the CGIAR network. He also co-leads the CGIAR Genebank Quality Management System Community of Practice, facilitating knowledge exchange, collaboration, and the harmonization of quality management approaches among genebanks. In addition, he supports the transfer of genetic materials through the implementation of relevant policies and procedures in collaboration with ICRISAT’s Intellectual Property Office. He also serves as Secretary of ICRISAT’s Controlled Environment Research Advisory Committee–Asia.
His work focuses on embedding a culture of quality, strengthening institutional systems, building staff capacity, and promoting continuous improvement to support the effective and sustainable conservation and use of plant genetic resources.