Niti Aayog withdraws paper on GM crop imports, signals govt’s hard line on biosafety

The Niti Aayog has withdrawn a working paper that proposed allowing imports of genetically modified (GM) soybean and corn from the United States, signalling the government’s firm position against opening India’s market to transgenic food products over biosafety concerns, as per TOI.

The move comes despite US pressure in trade talks to ease what it sees as a non-tariff barrier, and despite Niti Aayog’s own assessment that such imports could be allowed without harming domestic production.

The paper, Promoting India-US agricultural trade under the new US trade regime, was released in May and co-authored by Ramesh Chand, a Niti Aayog member, and senior adviser Raka Saxena. It suggested that GM corn could be imported for ethanol blending and for by-products such as Distiller’s Dried Grains with Solubles. “US corn is cheaper and can be used to meet India’s biofuel targets without disrupting local food and feed markets,” the authors wrote.


Although the paper carried a disclaimer that the views were personal, its removal from the think tank’s website reflects the government’s reluctance to shift policy on GM food crops.

At present, India permits commercial cultivation of only one GM crop — transgenic cotton, which is a non-food commodity. The government’s position aligns with the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM), an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which has consistently opposed both the cultivation and import of GM food products. The SJM has, in the past, found common cause with several left-leaning farm groups on this issue.

The withdrawn paper had also suggested a “dual-track” approach to agricultural trade negotiations with the US, pushing for selective imports of non-sensitive items that do not compete with local production, such as almonds, pistachios, and walnuts.

India enjoys a surplus in agricultural trade with the US, a gap that has widened over the years. Between 2004 and 2024, India’s farm exports to the US grew nearly fivefold, from $1.18 billion to $5.75 billion. Imports from the US rose faster, from $291 million to $2.22 billion over the same period.