From: GM Free India <indiagmfree@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2026 at 10:54
Subject: US strategies to push GM maize/soybean (directly and indirectly) in India – Requesting Union Govt to resist pressure to open India for GM crops thereby protecting India
To: <piyush.goyal@gov.in>, <agrimin.india@gmail.com>, <chauhansr@mpls.sansad.in>, <bhupenderyadav69@gmail.com>, <bhupender.yadav@sansad.nic.in>, <mefcc@gov.in>, <mos-stes@gov.in>, <amitshah.bjp@zohomail.in>, <amitshah.mp@mpls.sansad.in>, <jp.nadda@sansad.nic.in>, <jpnadda.bjp@zohomail.in>, <eam@mea.gov.in>
Cc: <rajesh.agrawal@nic.in>, <ceo@fssai.gov.in>, <secy-moef@nic.in>, <hshso@nic.in>, <secy-agri@gov.in>, <dstsec@nic.in>, Preeti Sudan <secyhfw@nic.in>, <secyer@mea.gov.in>, <pkmishra.pmo@gov.in>
To, Date: 20 April 2026
Shri Piyush Goyal,
Hon’ble Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.
Shri JP Nadda,
Hon’ble Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
Shri Bhupender Yadav,
Hon’ble Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
Dr. Jitendra Singh,
Hon’ble Minister of Science and Technology, Government of India.
Shri Amit Shah,
Hon’ble Minister of Home Affairs, Government of India.
Shri S Jaishankar,
Hon’ble Minister of External Affairs, Government of India.
Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan,
Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India.
Subject: Countering US pressure on India to open its markets for GM soybean and GM maize (both directly/indirectly)
Dear Sirs,
Namaste. At the outset, we would like to introduce ourselves. “Coalition for a GM-Free India” is a national volunteer-driven platform of hundreds of public-spirited organisations and individuals working on issues related to agriculture, health, conservation of biodiversity, appropriate technology, food safety and empowerment of farmers. We are glad that the Union Government has not allowed GM soymeal and GM maize for ethanol production and GM soybean directly for imports into India. We also appreciate Shri Shivraj Chouhan ji for publicly expressing his concern with regard to multiple adverse impacts of transgenic GM crops and to other Ministers for hinting that GM crops are a Red Line that the Indian Government would not like to cross. The concern is valid and scientific. See Annexure 1 for background.
US pushing its GM interests in India
US pressure on countries around the world to push its commercial interests with regard to GM crops is well known. Against this background, and given our domestic regulatory regimes, the proposal to allow GM maize in the form of DDGS and GM soybean oil imports into India in the upcoming trade deal is a serious concern. It is wrongly portrayed that American soybean oil and DDGS from GM maize will not have GM presence, whereas India’s autonomy to protect its citizens’ interests has already been compromised. Please see below as to how tests show on GM presence in GM soybean oil and highly processed maize (which is what we see in DDGS). [1] [2]
Likewise, elimination of tariffs will flood India with cottonseed oil from the USA. The Supreme Court of India’s Technical Expert Committee [3] found major harms of GM cotton consumption on animals – cows consuming Bt cotton feed showed indications of reduction in milk yield. Similarly other animals on consumption of Bt cotton showed differences in spleen, heart, uterus, lung weight/size. The threats to Indian consumers from GM foods is huge. FSSAI has not done any independent, multi-generational tests for GM food safety and as per the Food Safety & Standards Act, any GM food coming into Indian supply chains is illegal. Not allowing GM imports is a legitimate and responsible scientific and policy position for India, to protect the interests of its farmers and consumers.
Further, allowing these imports constitutes backdoor entry of GM food in India wherein the domestic law explicitly prohibits it, and will lead to legitimisation of GM food. For many years – GM soybean oil and other GM food has been allowed to be imported in India in a regulatory vacuum which must have been stopped long back. [4] FSSAI has been aware of the illegal sales – but it has not stopped GM food being sold even as some of the illegal GM food has companies themselves labelling these as GM! [5]
We also wish to highlight that this GM push from the US hasn’t been happening suddenly. There is a strong American lobby working in India, promoting US trade interests through visits, and other forms of lobbying. This lobby is impinging on Indian policy that protects the health of Indian people, especially farmers. We draw your attention in particular to the following agencies at work, which goes directly against our citizens’ interests: A push from Iowa supported by GM industry bodies in the US and pro-GM groups in the Indian government has been working for years. The US has already weakened India’s GM-free import certification, leading India to exclude processed food from its original draft many years ago. [6] [7]
Iowa opening the doors via MoUs in India
When Mike Naig, Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture returned back to US after his trip to India in Sep 2025 – in an interview, he mentioned [8] how Iowa is looking at DDGS, ethanol and soymeal exports to India (all produced from GM soybean/GM maize) in the short-term, with other products flooded into the Indian market later on. Earlier in 2024 also, [9] he and the Iowa Governor had come on a trip to India where they had mentioned plans to “pilot a project in one of the states to import US ethanol or corn which would at this point not go into the food supply chain…as a potential start”.
In those 2 years, one of India’s biotechnology lobby groups called ABLE (Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises) has signed a MoU [10] with Iowa Biotechnology Association – both these bodies have GM-promoting industry bodies as their members. Iowa Farm Bureau which represents Iowa farmers – a major chunk of who are GM farmers — has signed a MoU with CLFMA [11] – The Compound Feed Manufacturers Association, which has been championing the push for GM poultry feed in India.
CII (Confederation of Indian Industry), another body which has pushed for GM maize imports into India has signed a MoU [12] with Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) which helps Iowa’s small businesses pursue exports. In the presence of the Governor of Iowa, USIBC initiated a US-India Agriculture Working Group [13] which amongst its mandates also has ‘regenerative agriculture’ – this so-called ‘regenerative agriculture’ is plain greenwashing by the world’s largest GM companies which are also into agro-chemicals, in both India and US. Lastly but probably most importantly – Iowa signed a partner state agreement with Maharashtra [14] including working on biotechnology. It appears that Maharashtra is the target for the pilot project that the Iowa Governor had in mind.
US SEC
US Soybean Export Council (US SEC) has been working to promote US soybean (more than 90% of American soybean is genetically modified) in countries around the world. In India – from as far back as 2014, when TAAS and ICAR invited USSEC to focus on soybean role for nutrition security [15] – US SEC has been trying to promote soybean in government food schemes. In 2019, for instance, it worked with Maharashtra government to promote soybean in its programmes, partnering with Lions International (which had then agreed to meet additional costs for soy-formulations). [16] Its global mandate included implementing soy-based formulations for 210 malnourished countries in the world including India. Govardhan Mahila Bal Vikash (GMBV), a government contractor which exclusively works on soy-based formulations, was also present.
US SEC has also recently formulated a campaign called Right to Protein, to promote soybean as a source of protein in various countries including India. [17] It has also created a Soy Excellence Center in India in 2024 “to help emerging and expansion markets address protein challenges and support a cascade of demand for soy and soy-related products by focusing on the early-to-mid career protein professionals”. [18] It is indeed an insidious strategy for the US to create demand for soybean and create markets for its surplus GM soybean. It has also had a partnership with poultry farmers and breeders associations, for instance, who have agreed to promote US SEC’s programmes in exchange for training provided by US SEC. [19] It also sets up collaborations with influencers to promote soybean consumption in India. [20]
US Grains & BioProducts Council (USGC)
The U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGC) develops export markets for American maize (Genetically Modified) barley, sorghum and related products including distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and ethanol. [21] In USGC’s own words, opening Indian markets for US GM produce for ethanol is key for them. [22] It has a dedicated office in India. [23] These entities are nothing less than new-age East India Companies, setting presence in India and working to open India’s markets for American (GM) produce, and erode our sovereignty.
BCIL, SABP and AFSI – championing American (GM) interests in Indian government
On the other hand – BCIL (Biotech Consortium India Limited), SABP (South Asia Biosafety Program) and AFSI (Agriculture and Food Systems Institute) – which are pro-GM institutions are conducting capacity building workshops on safety assessment of foods and feeds derived from GM crops for Government of India. [24] As per their websites and statements, they were earlier funded by USAID and now funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). [25] BMGF falsely seeks to mislead [26] the public, by stating on its website that “None of our grants to India are in genetically modified crops”, whereas they support lobby groups whose raison d’etre is to promote gene technologies in our food systems. Incidentally, this is only one of BMGF’s numerous problematic interventions in India’s food and agriculture systems. BCIL has a long-standing history in India and other neighbouring countries of promoting GM crops and new-age GM techniques such as gene editing in the name of regulatory harmonization and science, basically aligning itself with corporate-compromised US regulatory regimes and seeking to bring the same lowered standards to India. It continues to mislead various departments and arms of Union Government of India on GM (including gene editing).
International pressure on India to legalise large-scale illegal Herbicide-Tolerant GM crops leading to an investigation by Intelligence Agencies, is well known to the Union Government. 6 years after the last reports on the matter, [27] the investigations seem to have been silently withdrawn – this is shameful and worrying. We also have Bt brinjal [28], GM soybean [29] and GM maize [30] been detected in India – with no serious action undertaken by the Union Government to stop them even after various representations by us. The risk is that in a few years there will be large-scale illegal GM cultivation for these crops as with HTBt cotton – if the inaction by Union Government continues. The latest are reports of China rejecting Indian rice export consignments on the ground that GM traces were found in the same. In the past other countries have rejected our export consignments for the same reasons too. [31] [32]
India must resist the US pressure and not bow down to its corporate interests. Even after decades of pressure by the US government, most nations in the world are able to resist the pressure. India must do so too, and partner with other countries on the same, to protect our sovereignty. We are deeply concerned about the regulatory deficiencies in India when it comes to GM, gene editing and their deployment in our farming, systems/environment and realise that these affect citizens, their health, livelihoods and environment.
In this regard, we ask the Union Government to –
1) Not allow GM cottonseed oil, GM DDGS and GM soybean oil imports in India from the US – nor allow elimination of GM as a non-tariff trade barrier, abiding by our domestic laws, science and societal demand.
2) Ensure all GM food imports and illegal GM crop cultivation is stopped. Fix long-pending regulatory gaps which allow for these. These have been brought to your notice multiple times. [33] [34]
3) Stop the activity of American lobbies, which are acting against our public interest – End involvement of SABP, BCIL and AFSI with any Union Government bodies on GM/gene editing related regulation.
4) Investigate why and how BMGF is funding pro-GM individuals and companies in India. Ensure this is stopped.
5) Ensure closure of institutional offices for Soybean Excellence Center and USGC – which are promoting US GM soybean and GM corn in India, against the interests of our consumers and farmers.
6) Step away from all those bodies which are promoting US interests for GM crops in India under their MoU’s with US pro-GM bodies.
Sridhar Radhakrishnan,
9995358205/sridhar.keralam@
On behalf of
Coalition for a GM-Free India
Copy to-
[1] Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
[2] Secretary, Ministry of Commerce & Industry
[3] Secretary, Ministry of Health & Farmers Welfare
[4] CEO, FSSAI
[5] Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change
[6] Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology
[7] Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs
[8] Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs
[9] Principal Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office
References –
[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41008159/
[2] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2019/5657640
[3] https://indiagminfo.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/TEC-Main-Report-2.pdf
[4] https://scroll.in/article/863839/centre-admits-in-parliament-that-it-allowed-import-of-gm-edible-
oil-in-violation-of-food-safety-law
[5] https://www.downtoearth.org.in/food/fssai-in-denial-mode-won-t-ban-processed-foods-that-
tested-positive-for-gm-61333
[6] https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/us-australia-brazil-question-indias-proposal-
for-mandatory-gm-free-certification-for-food-imports/article33059148.ece
[7]
https://www.fssai.gov.in/upload/advisories/2020/10/5f8583d9bac5eClarification_GM_Food_13_10_2
020.pdf
[8] https://youtu.be/ThJ3Hb43Ras?si=5jRvSjcdw7ibaD9Z&t=769
[9] https://youtu.be/PF86yQKcjY8?si=8xKllbuTzMgb-GV9&t=1461
[10] https://members.iowabio.org/news/Details/iowa-biotechnology-association-iowabio-and-the-
association-of-biotechnology-led-enterprises-able-sign-memorandum-of-understanding-during-
iowa-s-20-288002
[11] https://www.iowafarmbureau.com/Article/Iowa-Farm-Bureau-strengthens-trade-ties-with-India
[12] https://www.facebook.com/CII4Global/posts/the-confederation-of-indian-industry-hosted-a-
high-level-roundtable-with-hon-kim/1131035202507318/
[13] https://x.com/USIBC/status/1965669513887617496
[14] https://governor.iowa.gov/press-release/2025-09-12/gov-reynolds-signs-partner-state-
agreement-maharashtra-india
[15] https://ussec.org/news/ussec-participates-soy-workshop-india-touts-importance-soy-protein-
human-consumption/
[16] https://ussec.org/news/ussec-india-partners-to-promote-soy-in-government-feeding-programs/
[17] https://www.unitedsoybean.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/RIGHT-TO-PROTEIN-RFP-2023.pdf
[18] https://ussec.org/news/us-soybean-export-council-launches-soy-excellence-center-in-india/
[19] https://ussec.org/news/ussec-and-karnataka-poultry-farmers-and-breeders-association-sign-
mou-to-enhance-indias-poultry-skills/
[20] https://sopa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/04-Deeba-Giannoulis.pdf
[21] https://grains.org/about/about-the-council/
[22] https://ethanolproducer.com/articles/usgc-opens-india-office-enhances-ethanol-promotion-
efforts-19944
[23] https://grains.org/2022-annual-report/panels/long-launch-councils-office-in-india-opens/
[24] https://foodsystems.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/SABP_9_September_2025.pdf
[25] https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=shared&t=4697&v=6CbOqo4PpXw
[26] https://www.gatesfoundation.org/our-work/places/india/india-faq
[27] https://archive.is/20260314115451/https:/www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-
business/htbt-cotton-seeds-sale-agencies-%20investigate-role-of-a-global-investment-company-
and-international-seed-%20companies/article30492096.ece
[28] https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/haryana/six-years-later-mystery-over-source-of-
illegal-bt-brinjal-seeds-remains-unsolved/article70317739.ece
[29] https://www.downtoearth.org.in/agriculture/illegal-gm-soybean-farmers-body-demands-cbi-
probe-into-geac-inaction-59850
[30] https://www.downtoearth.org.in/food/illegal-gm-maize-detected-in-processed-and-
unprocessed-food-products-in-india
[31] https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/china-red-flags-indian-rice-as-gmo-sparks-
export-concerns/articleshow/129853088.cms
[32] https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/eu-food-recall-linked-to-gm-rice-exports-from-india/
article37078352.ece
[33]
https://indiagminfo.org/illegal-gm-maize-discovered-in-india-coalition-demands-immediate-
investigation-and-fixing-of-liability/
[34] https://indiagminfo.org/coalitions-proposals-for-regulatory-regime-improvements-submitted-to-
geac-chairperson/
Annexure –
These following facts must be kept in mind with regard to India’s status with regard to GMOs.
(i) India’s in a Non-GMO Country, both as a consequence of its GMO regulation and
Supreme Court Orders over the last 20 years – other than on Bt cotton.
(ii) India’s Regulation: GMOs are defined in India’s regulation as “Hazardous” and this
position is now proven beyond doubt. GMOs under India’s regulation are required to be
subject to the most rigorous oversight and stringent studies.
The problem remains that as a result of ever- increasing complexities in detection
methods, the Precautionary Principle must kick in now as a ‘sine qua non’. This rests on
the fact that GMO contamination cannot be reversed and is therefore, permanent. It will
therefore contaminate India’s food system without recourse, precautionary principle must
apply to India’s agriculture and food system.
⮚ That the kind of onslaught that is being considered as underway in this letter
would amount to an act of war on India’s agriculture, her food and her
Non-GMO niche export markets. India’s civil society will resist vigorously.
This is also the Supreme court position (in addition to the regulatory position
outlined above).
⮚ It is emphasised that The IARC Report 2015 (International Agency for
Research on Cancer of the WHO) has classified Glyphosate, as a
“Probable human carcinogen” (Group 2A, its second highest categorization.
Agrochemical firm selling glyphosate was fined billions of dollars in US cancer
court cases. Glyphosate is sprayed on produce to be exported to India as part
of trade deal from US too.
(iii) Supreme Court Writ Petition WP 260 of 2005: This petition was filed in 2005 seeking
to put into place stringent protocols in the public domain because Genetically Modified
Organisms (GMOs), are a potent and unique laboratory technology with serious potential
hazards on several dimensions of biosafety. The proper and independent testing of GMOs
is essential both because of an endemic conflict of Interest in our govt and regulatory
agencies and in view of the serious concern with contamination of Non-GMO crops, and
the environment, which is a biological certainty, and which will be irreversible, unlike a
drug which can be recalled. GMO contamination of our environment will be inestimable
and permanent; loss to farmers, eclipse of India’s rich genetic diversity in seeds as
already seen in cotton and India’s organic markets in which India is the world leader.
⮚ In his Letter to Jairam Ramesh on Bt brinjal (2009) Prof David Schubert(Psalk
Institute) stated: “In support of the human data, when animals are exposed to
Bt toxin, the toxin also acts as a potent immunogen, eliciting responses from both
the blood and gut based immune system. — although I am sure that you are aware
of this fact it should be stated that the US agencies that allowed the
introduction of Bt food crops did not require any demonstration that the
GM food was safe for human consumption”.
⮚ Social and Political: once a foreign company controls the seed market of any
single food plant, seed for more GM plants will follow , and the firm will have
tremendous power over both the farmers, which constitute a major segment of the
Indian population, as well as the e political process. This has clearly happened in
the US where agrochemical firms are a major financial supporter of both political
parties and have political appointees that dictate both national and international
agriculture policy.
Orders of SC Writ Petition 260: Before its disposal in 2024 there were some important
Orders as follows: (a) the Formation of the TEC (technical Expert Committee). (b) that
there must be “no contamination”; (c) the court order put a moratorium on HT crops
irrespective of whatever gene technology is used, it remains an HT crop. Verbal assurance
was given by the Union of India qua the environmental release of GM HT Mustard and
status quo has prevailed since. The Union Government later filed an application for
discharge of its undertaking which was disallowed. It is furthermore clear that the Supreme
Court has not given any permission to the Union Government of India to suo moto release
Herbicide Tolerant GM Crops into the environment. Furthermore, India’s farmland and
foods will also be contaminated by toxic sprays used on HT crops.