India will never open its dairy sector and will not approve GM products

According to a report by The Hindu, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal stated on Tuesday, 03 November 2026, that the country has never opened its dairy sector under any Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and will not allow the import of Genetically Modified (GM) products in the future either. He termed both these subjects as extremely sensitive for the country. While interacting with students at Kirori Mal College in Delhi, he clarified that the country has never compromised on sensitive matters and has always protected its farmers, fishermen, and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in trade agreements.

In response to a question regarding trade agreements, the Minister stated that India is very sensitive about opening sectors like certain agricultural products and marine products, in which the country holds a strong position. He added that, in fact, the dairy sector has not been opened for anyone to date. There is also strict sensitivity against allowing any GM products to enter the country, which have never been approved until now and will never be approved in the future. Furthermore, sensitivity is also maintained regarding religious sentiments because rennet or calf meat is used while making dairy products in foreign countries. Such items are not permitted in India, and strict certification is mandatory to ensure that the religious sentiments of most Indians are not hurt. It is noteworthy that rennet is an enzyme used to make cheese and is traditionally derived from the stomach lining of young calves.

In his address, the Minister further said that our effort is to create new opportunities, new employment avenues, and such prospects for our products where we are competitive and where a large section of India, our MSMEs, and farmers in the agricultural sector can benefit on a large scale. These statements are significant because a large population of India, especially small and marginal farmers, depends on agriculture. There is a fear among policymakers that cheap and large-scale imports of GM crops from the highly mechanized and subsidized farming systems of developed countries could lower local prices and harm rural incomes. These products are highly sensitive as they are linked to issues of food security, farmers' livelihoods, environmental risks, religious concerns, and trade security.

It is noteworthy here that the GTRI has warned against the import of GM agricultural products from the US, and it could impact India's agricultural exports. Moreover, farmer organizations have also appealed to the Central Government to keep the agriculture and dairy sectors out of the India-US Free Trade Agreement. The US has a major interest in GM agriculture and dairy products. Meanwhile, Indian regulations prohibit the import of products obtained from animals that consume animal-based feed due to religious sensitivity.

Mr. Goyal stated that India always seeks preferential access for sectors like textiles, pharma, agricultural products, as well as gems and jewelry. These are our offensive interests, where we work to get preferential market access and where the duty imposed on goods coming from India is lower than that of competitive countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, and the Philippines. He added that our effort is to ensure that India gets a favorable rate compared to its competitors.

Speaking about employment, he stated that the government is promoting manufacturing on a large scale in the country. The government is working to create more opportunities for those seeking more government jobs and regular employment. However, in today's time, the world is opening up for entrepreneurship and startups, which offer new opportunities, and he urged the youth to take these matters seriously. Informing students about the country's exports, the Minister said that India aims to export goods and services worth $1 trillion in 2026-27. Between April and September 2026, India's exports have reached approximately $480 billion, which shows an increase of about 14 percent compared to last year.

$520 billion is required to achieve this target in the remaining six months, and we have received very good export figures in October. The trade data for the month of October will be officially released in mid-November. In response to a question on export controls imposed by China on tunnel boring machines, he clarified that if the supply of tunnel boring machines is affected, India will work to manufacture them itself, and the country did not hold a begging bowl when the procurement of rare minerals was stopped. Mr. Goyal further stated that to increase the availability of aircraft in the country, India is working with aircraft manufacturing companies like Embraer, Airbus, and Boeing, which will also boost tourism.