Dr. Vrijendra Singh, Breeder, Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute is bestowed with the HARDF AWARD for the year 2001-02 for his valuable contribution in safflower Breeding. Safflower cultivation in India is constrained by low productivity coupled with low market price and spininess of the crop. Dr. Singh has developed non-spiny variety NARI-6 and non-spiny hybrid NARI-NH-1 which made safflower more remunerative than the competing crops. NARI-6 has outyielded the non-spiny variety, JSI-7 by 20% and 26% in seed and oil yield, respectively. NARI-6 produces bright red flowers, which increased its demand for colour extraction and medicinal applications. NARI-NH-1 outyielded the national check A-1 by 10% and 31% in seed and oil yield respectively. The most remarkable contribution is the identification of marker which enables distinction of sterile and fertile plants in the genetic male sterile female parent of NARI-NH-1 which made seed production of NARI-NH-1 simple and commercially feasible.