Biotechnology in India: New rules and new opportunities

Until recently, the regulations surrounding biotechnology were unambiguous. All plant breeding was regulated by the process by which the product was developed, as is the case in the EU. The basic provisions date back to 1989, a time when genetically modified (GM) crops were obtained through transgenesis: the introduction of genes from other organisms to impart specific traits, such as resistance to pests, tolerance to herbicides or a longer shelf life. Introducing GM crops into the environment is a complicated process in India that has also recently made headlines again - more about that later. Revision of biotechnology legislation Because some things have changed in India. In what the government itself called a 'landmark decision', the Ministry of Environment and Forests revised the regulations on biotechnology in March 2022: field trials became possible with crops that are free of 'exogenously introduced DNA', in preparation for commercial introduction. This therefore ...