The Genetic Roadblock: The Slow Growth of GM Crops in India

            India’s agricultural sector faces challenges like crop losses due to climate change and water scarcity. Farmers struggle to maintain the yields while tackling the demand for nutritious and high-quality food. Conventional methods and traditional farming practices are not enough to achieve these needs.

           This is where Genetic Transformation has given a solution called Genetically Modified (GM) crops. By introducing desirable traits such as pest and disease resistance, drought tolerance, improved nutritional value and higher productivity, GM crops have revolutionized agriculture in many countries like the U.S., Brazil and China.

           However, India is much hesitant and controversial towards this technology. Despite all the other scientific advancements, strict regulations, the consumers’ fear towards the GM crops and political resistance have slowed their approvals and consequently their growth. As a result, India itself limits its biotechnological potential to address the challenges in agricultural sector.

What is a GM crop?

             A Genetically Modified (GM) crop is that contains a foreign gene inserted into its genome to confer a new or desirable characteristic. The most commonly grown GM crops worldwide are cotton, soybeans, maize and canola with herbicide tolerance and insect resistance

How a GM crop is produced?

            To modify a crop genetically, the first step includes isolation of Gene of Interest (GoI) that confers a specific trait. It is then inserted into the host genome either through direct or indirect means.

·    Direct approach: The GoI is cloned into a vector and is transferred into the host using gene gun method (particle bombardment), electroporation method, microinjection, etc.

·    Indirect approach: In indirect method of gene transfer, we use the soil bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens (aka Nature’s Own Genetic Engineer). It contains Tumour inducing (Ti) plasmid, which can be cloned with our GoI and transferred into the host cell.

Source: BSc Agriculture Notes 

GM Crops grown worldwide:

·      TELA Maize: Four transgenic maize varieties known as TELA maize were approved for cultivation in Nigeria on January 11, 2024. Developed by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and partners, these varieties possess insect resistance (against stem-borer and fall armyworm) and drought tolerance traits.

·   Golden Rice: Also known as Malusog Rice, this genetically modified rice was developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice). It was approved for commercial propagation in 2021. The crop is enriched with vitamin A, designed to address vitamin A deficiency among children in the Philippines and globally.

·   TR-4 resistant banana: The GM Cavendish banana (QCAV-4) was developed by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and became the world’s first GM banana approved for cultivation in 2024. It is resistant to Fusarium wilt tropical race 4 (Panama disease TR4), a devastating fungal disease that threatens global banana production.

·   Yield-enhanced eucalyptus: Developed by the FuturaGene Group under Suzano Company, this genetically modified eucalyptus was approved for cultivation in Brazil in 2024. It exhibits higher wood yield, herbicide tolerance, and insect resistance.

·   Glowing petunia: The Firefly Petunia, developed by Light Bio (USA), is the first bioluminescent flowering plant approved for sale and cultivation. The flowers glow green in the dark when exposed to adequate sunlight during the day. The first commercial shipment of 50,000 glowing petunias was made in April 2024, intended for gardens and home decoration.

GM Crops grown in India:

·      Bt-Cotton: In 2002, India commercialised Bt Cotton, which resulted in a significant improvement in cotton production, export, and the textile industry.It is the only approved GM crop for commercial cultivation in 2002.It was created to combat the widespread infestation of bollworms. 

·   Bt-Brinjal: The fruit and borer-resistant Bt-brinjal was approved for commercial cultivation by GEAC in 2009, but it was put on a 10-year moratorium due to public outrage. GEAC has approved field trials of new varieties of indigenously developed Bt-brinjal in eight states from 2020 to 2023.

·   GM Mustard: Commercial cultivation of high-yielding GM mustard in India has not begun yet

 

Why are there approval challenges in India:

             Genetically modified (GM) crops hold huge potential to improve yields, combat pests, and make farming more sustainable. Yet in India, their approval and adoption continue to move at a snail’s pace. The reasons go far beyond science are

·   Regulatory issues: One of the biggest barriers is India’s complicated regulatory process. GM crop approvals are handled by multiple bodies — mainly the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under the Ministry of Environment, and the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) under the Department of Biotechnology. Because their responsibilities often overlap, the process becomes slow and confusing.

·   Public Fear: Many people view GM food as “unnatural” or unsafe, mainly because of limited public awareness. Rumors about GM crops causing health problems or damaging the environment are common, despite no solid evidence supporting these claims.

·   Politics Over Science: GM crops frequently become political hot topics rather than scientific discussions. Many state governments block trials to avoid protests from farmers’ unions and activist groups. A classic example is Bt brinjal. Although it was approved by the GEAC in 2009 after extensive safety testing, it never reached farmers.

·   Weak Communication Between Science and Society: Scientific findings are rarely explained in simple language, leaving room for fear and confusion. Moreover, most successful GM technologies — like Bt cotton — were developed by multinational corporations. This fuels suspicions about corporate control over seeds and farmer exploitation, further reducing public trust.

·   Economic and Trade Concerns: Economic factors also play a big role. India worries that approving more GM crops might hurt its export markets. Some fear becoming dependent on expensive patented seeds or losing access to native crop varieties.

 

Conclusion:

              India’s struggle to approve GM crops is rooted in a complex mix of political caution, public skepticism, and economic worries. Overlapping regulatory bodies, state-level resistance, and slow, non-transparent processes make the journey from lab to field extremely challenging. Public fears, fueled by misinformation and activism, often overshadow scientific evidence, while concerns about seed sovereignty and export markets add further hesitation. Moving forward will require a more transparent regulatory system, consistent policies across states, and clear, science-based communication to build trust and unlock the potential of GM technology for Indian agriculture.