Indian agriculture's prospects depend on innovating and adopting genetic tech

As the July 9 deadline approaches, US negotiators are turning up the heat, urging India to open its agriculture market to genetically modified (GM) crops. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has declared agriculture and dairy as sacrosanct "red lines," warning that accepting GM imports could jeopardise both farmers' livelihoods and food safety. Meanwhile, global GM crop adoption has skyrocketed since 1996. As of 2023, over 200 million hectares of GM soyabean, maize, canola, and more are in cultivation across 76 countries. India's refusal to budge can become a major challenge in sealing the trade deal. The only crop that is GM…